Once, anti-establishment youth disillusioned with mainstream politics headed left. Now increasing numbers are tilting right. Why?
Josh is 24 years old and works as a carer. It’s not easy work, but he prefers it to his old job in a supermarket: most of his clients are elderly and “just want someone there with them, because they’re lonely”. In his spare time Josh used to be into boxing. But lately he’s got into politics instead.
Like many of his gen Z contemporaries, he’s thoroughly disillusioned with the mainstream kind. “The two parties that have been in power for 100-plus years have done nothing. The economy’s a mess,” he scoffs. But if he sounds like the kind of anti-establishment young person who once rallied to the radical left, Josh’s frustration has taken him in another direction. An ardent leaver in his teens, who backed Boris Johnson in 2019, he now belongs to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
Arrested for protesting, keeping their head down, or trying to live their life outside of mainstream capitalist society is my guess.
The left have been the targets of successive governments and vested interests, in most countries, for over 100 years. No wonder it’s dead. Not to mention the infighting. Some of which I’m sure is natural but some of which will be instigated by those same governments and vested interests.
We’re just passing on our ideals through upbringing, storytelling and kindness, like we always have. These are powerful tools.
Edit to add: we’re also a lot sexier.
And humble too!