More than half of young people have considered leaving UK under Labour

Telegraph

6 days ago

More than half of young people have considered leaving Britain under Labour, a think tank has found.
Adults between 18-30 years old said they had 'serious concerns' about housing, personal finances and their future in the UK, leaving them 'overtaxed, underhoused and undervalued'.
According to The Adam Smith Institute poll, 28 per cent of young Britons are either actively planning (8 per cent) or have seriously considered (20 per cent) emigrating.
Meanwhile, a further 30 per cent have briefly considered it. Only 35 per cent of young people said they have never thought about leaving the UK.
The polling, which was part of the think-tank's Anxious Generation series, was carried out between July 8-10.
The research team concluded: 'With young people feeling increasingly disenchanted, it is clear that meaningful change is needed to prevent them from joining the UK's ongoing wealth exodus.'
Majority fear housing crisis will get worse
Responding to the data, Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, said: 'It's sad but not a surprise that ambitious young Brits are increasingly looking overseas for opportunities.
'High taxes and stagnant wages have crushed aspiration and punished hard work.
'This can't go on. We must give the next generation the freedom to thrive, raise families, and build a bright future here in the UK.'
Researchers found that 65 per cent believe it will become 'more difficult' to find affordable housing in the next five years, with a further 38 per cent saying it will become 'much more difficult' and 27 per cent saying it will become 'somewhat more difficult'.
In contrast, just 21 per cent think the housing situation will get easier.
Furthermore, these concerns cut across political divides. Voters from all major parties expressed similar fears about housing and financial insecurity, signalling a generation-wide erosion of confidence in the UK's economic future.
The think tank found that 63 per cent of young Conservatives, 65 per cent of Labour, and 68 per cent of Reform UK voters say housing access will worsen.
Emma Schubart, Data & Insights Manager at the Adam Smith Institute, added: 'The youngest generation of British workers are sending a clear message. They feel overtaxed, underhoused and undervalued. If our political class continues to ignore these warning signs, we risk exporting our talent at precisely the moment when it is most needed.
'The dead hand of the state'
'With the country already facing a wealth exodus thanks, in large part, to its reckless decision to scrap the non-dom tax regime, the Treasury can hardly afford to lose an entire generation of ambitious young people as well.
'Addressing these challenges is not just a matter of fairness – it is essential to securing Britain's long-term economic and social future.
'Young Britons urgently need evidence that ambition and hard work still translate into security and success in this country.'
Jack Rankin, Tory MP for Windsor, added: 'The Government's dismal failure to deliver growth, accessible and cheap housing, and record high taxation is not just crushing Britain, but it's driving our future away.'
He described the research as 'devastating' and said that it shows that 'Britain needs to be freed from the dead hand of the state'.
'Freedom should be the order of the day, so young people feel confident enough to stay in our country and reverse the fraying intergenerational social contract,' he added.
The think tank research comes after separate data from the British Council was published in December, claiming that as many as three-quarters of young people would consider moving abroad.
In its survey of more than 3,000 young people aged 18-30, 75 per cent would consider living and working abroad in the short or long-term future.
The researchers found that Australia, the USA, Canada and Italy were the most popular destinations for young people considering emigrating.
Two-thirds of respondents said their standard of living is worse than it was for their parents' generation, while more than half cited low wages as the biggest challenge.