The Tories have a bad reputation with young people – here’s how they can win them over

The Labour Party’s recent election performance has been widely attributed to younger voters. Though research from YouGov shows that this has been somewhat exaggerated (voters in their 30s and 40s were also important), it is impossible to ignore and presents a long-term threat to the Conservative Party.

The notion that younger voters lean left whilst older voters lean right is well-established, but conceals a more nuanced reality. A 2013 piece in The Economist outlined how the younger generation are more socially liberal, taking a relaxed approach towards gay rights and immigration, but also more classically liberal, demonstrating a sceptical view of state intervention and an instinctive support for private enterprise.

In light of this, the sight of many younger voters supporting a Labour Party promising massive state intervention seems odd. There is a perception that Labour cares about these issues more, reinforcing the anti-Conservative identity of many younger voters and drawing them towards the socially liberal but economically interventionist position the party put forward at the last election.

To get more young people like me, to support the Conservative Party, they have to challenge this misconception. The philosophical link between social freedoms and the economic freedoms that support them should be made clear. To this end, the example of Emmanuel Macron is instructive. His economic policies are largely free-market and the model of embracing social and economic liberalism whilst advancing an outward-looking approach to the world could succeed. It is a question of style as much as substance. Too often, speaking positively about ‘capitalism’ is associated with individuals possessing reactionary views on issues like women's role in society and gay rights. There is no reason why this should be. It was after all a Conservative-led government that introduced equal marriage. Indeed the freedom to marry who you love and make the most of your abilities reinforces the freedom of thought and action that fuels the free-market economy. This link must be made. Repeatedly.

The Conservative Party must begin to answer the needs of young people. This was attempted in the so-called ‘dementia tax’ however it was poorly thought through and came across as cruel. The link to inter-generational fairness must be made clearly. This should be done by ensuring that the savings accrued by asking wealthier pensioners to make a capped contribution to their social care be channeled, in part, towards helping the younger generation own their own home. This should be aimed at those who do not have the luxury of wealthy parents who help them take advantage of existing help for first-time buyers. The Conservative Party has a history of promoting a ‘property-owning democracy’. This must be updated for the many young people who dream of owning their own home and having a greater stake in society but feel excluded by a system that unfairly redistributes towards wealthier older generations.

There also needs to be a change in the way the party communicates with its younger voters. The Labour Party’s message spread over social media through material that came across as genuine and unscripted whilst still delivering its core message. In contrast, the Conservative output came across as contrived, negative and boring. Though the content will differ, the style should be adopted. None of this means turning away from or demonising older voters. Indeed, if the aim of fairness is explained properly, many would support this for their children and grandchildren. There are many young people who feel instinctively aligned with a free-market, socially relaxed view of the world. There is no reason why many of them could not vote Conservative. Whilst the approach outlined here may not be a panacea, it would at least be a start.