New research has shown that just 8% of 16-29-year-olds think Guernsey’s current political set up works – while 40% of under 30s say it is failing.
Surveys carried out by Future Guernsey also showed that 49% of under 30s couldn’t offer an opinion on Guernsey’s political system, while 5% said they “didn’t know” it is working or not.
The political organisation said these statistics paint a “concerning picture” as Guernsey prepares for its second fully island wide election.
“The fact that half of islanders aged 16-29 don’t know what their opinions are about Guernsey’s political system is something that we should all be concerned about,” said Future Guernsey Chief Executive, Lindsey Freeman.
“Our young people are a huge asset to the island, but it’s clear they’re experiencing difficulties when attempting to engage with local politics in Guernsey. Furthermore, there’s a lack of policy that engages with and addresses the needs of younger people. We hope to change that by building effective policies, drafted by local experts that don’t just appeal to young voters, they make fiscal sense for the whole community.”
Future Guernsey launched last year and intends to launch a manifesto which prospective politicians can get behind before declaring candidates in May, ahead of the election in June.
Research carried out last year included focus groups and telephone surveys with friendship triads used to gauge the views of youngsters between 16 and 18 years old.
Future Guernsey said that data is now highlighting the strength of political apathy among people under the age of 45, with the data showing reducing faith in the island’s system of government among the younger age groups.
The research also collated information on the priority issues facing the island with under 30s twice as likely to be concerned about the growing gap between rich and poor people when compared to their older counterparts.
While housing and the cost of living were the ultimate priorities among all respondents, younger adults were more focused on education, the ‘brain drain’ and on-island transport than older people.
Future Guernsey Political Adviser, Deputy Gavin St Pier, said these issues are all encouraging growing numbers of young adults thinking about leaving the island.
He thinks the island should instead be trying to encourage people to come back home.
“One thing we are seriously considering is a ‘welcome home’ package for islanders who have left Guernsey, often to gain qualifications and/or experience, and who subsequently feel that their route to coming home has been closed off due to the high cost of living and the housing shortage,” he said.
“Relocation packages are often available to those who come to the island from other parts of the world to take up key posts, but they are not available to local skilled returnees. We think this a “penny wise, pound foolish” policy. It’s an area where we believe we could level the playing field for islanders and begin to stem the tide of ‘brain drain’.
“Of course, Guernsey will often need workers from the UK and overseas to staff key services and industries, and islanders are grateful for the contribution they make. However, we have young islanders with key skills reporting that they are being priced out of coming home at a time when we have a declining birth rate, an ageing population and therefore a lower tax base. We need to increase the number of people in our population in work, particularly those in their 20s and 30s. Why not do so by levelling the playing field on relocation packages and potentially attracting more local, young, skilled people home to keep our key industries running? This policy would not only reunite families, but also help towards securing a sustainable future for the island.”