Brought up under Tory rule, the Big Mac generation takes a taste of polling power

They are the Big Mac Generation - young people who grew up knowing life only under the Conservatives. When they were born in the late-Seventies, the ubiquitous Big Mac had just started to appear on British high streets. Today, perhaps instead of getting an engineering apprenticeship, school- leavers are as likely as not to find work serving burgers.

Last October, The Independent visited a group of voters in Redditch, the West Midlands home of so-called Mondeo man, to monitor how the voters' views changed with the political currents.

Last week we returned to Redditch, this time to speak to a cross-section of young people able - but not necessary willing - to vote for the first time in next year's general election. We shall visit them again as the election looms closer to see if their views change.

Rachel Putt is typical of many young voters. Her opinion of political parties and of Westminster practices can be neatly summed up in one brief expression: a plague on all their houses.

"I think politicians should stop arguing and try to agree more and offer something together," she said. "It's the bickering that puts me off, I mean, what is the point of it?"

As an 18-year-old taking business studies at North East Worcestershire College (New College) her main concern is understandably education and how to make ends meet next year. "[At 18] you get all the help you need but when you're 19 you don't get much assistance from the Government and next year's going to be much harder," she said.

But this is where the link between issues and policies is broken for many of the first-timers; many do not know know who stands for what or what the different policies might be.

Sam McMahon, 20, a university student in Redditch for the Christmas holidays, is blunt about his cynicism. "I think whichever party gets in, nothing will change that much for the better." He added: "I'm not even sure if I'll vote."

The move towards abstention, in some cases as a deliberate protest vote, in others as a sign of indifference, seems a powerful one.

Andrew Davies, 19, an A-level student at Arrow Vale High School, typifies the view. "I think I will make a deliberate choice not to vote - I do not think the parties offer me anything." The Conservatives he regards as "pretty disgusting", a party that likes to make moral postures but "does not have a leg to stand on".

Nor is there much warmth for Tony Blair's New Labour. "Blair is too much like a Conservative, it's all just propaganda." But if Andrew did vote it would be for Labour.

This reluctant support for Tony Blair is quite widespread and may represent a real worry for his party.

Ian Wright, 19, a floor manager at McDonald's in the town, has little time for Mr Blair. "He's too smarmy isn't he?" This was not last reference to the S-word among our group.

Tim Halmshaw, 18, also from Arrow Vale, said: "Tony Blair seems to be full of ideas, but ... he seems to be saying anything he can to get in." Mr Blair was, said Tim, akin to a "salesman".

His fellow pupil Sarah Cox, 18 on Boxing Day, is also doubtful. "New Labour seem to have a lot of ideas, but whether they will follow them through is another thing."

John Major generally fared better than Tony Blair, and better than the Tory Party in general. Robert Bishop, 19, a student reading combined studies, thought him "likeable". Alice Melvin, 21, who works at the town's ABC cinema, thought him "quite nice, a decent bloke".

However, a significant minority concurred with Iain Farquhar's view of the Prime Minister. Iain, 18 in February, said: "I'm not that keen on Major, he doesn't seem to have much of a personality at all."

Apart from education, few issues dominate the imagination of the first- time voters. Europe, the issue that excites so much national debate, was barely raised as an influence on how people would vote. However, for those who did mention Europe and the single currency there was an underlying euro-scepticism - with a small `e'.

Adam Browne, 18, another pupil at Arrow Vale, has not made up his mind whether, or for whom, to vote, but he is sure of his mind on Europe. "I do not want a single currency," he said. "I think it would be bad for the country."

However, there is a general acceptance of, and in some cases support for, closer European ties. Michelle Oldfield, 18, from Arrow Vale, said: "I think we are going to integrate more with Europe, so we are not left behind."

Some of The Independent's group, though in the minority, had decided which way they would vote.

Richard Walker, 19, a bartender, said he would almost certainly be voting Labour. "I think it's time for a change," he said. Tony Blair's leadership was a factor in his views.

But, of those who had made up their minds, most veered towards the status quo.

Luke Davis, 18, a student at New College, said: "With Labour we would be going into the realms of the unknown." Tim Halmshaw said the Conservatives would also get his vote. "They have not done anything particularly wrong."

Fellow pupil Michelle felt the economy was an important factor in the Tories winning her support. "Unemployment is falling and things seem to be going all right."

One crumb of comfort for Labour may be that only one out of our sample had any passed-down notion of what the last Labour governmenthad been like; even if that one was far from flattering.

"The idea of a Labour government doesn't frighten me," said Ian Wright. "But from what I know, they were not very good at handling the economy, were they?"