Local Elections 2023: 'Politics is not something we talk about'

Like thousands of other 18-year-olds across England, Isobel Calnan-Faint is able to cast her vote for the first time on 4 May. Despite having strong concerns for the area in which she lives and her own future, she feels disengaged from politics. She is not alone.

"I've not been brought up with politics ever; it is not something people in my house talk about," says Isobel.

The 18-year-old has already ruled out voting next month.

Isobel, who is studying travel and tourism, was one of a number of students at Stansted Airport College in Essex who shared their views ahead of the local elections.

Asked how those seeking election might reach her, Isobel, who lives across the border in Hertfordshire, says there is only really one way - they have to reach her through her social media feeds.

"Maybe they need more coverage on social media because that is the main thing I do and use in my free time. I don't think I have ever seen anything about it [the elections].

"They would need to be on Instagram, TikTok, SnapChat, those sort of things."

And yet one of Isobel's key concerns - the prospect of home ownership - is an area closely tied up with local councils in their role as planning authorities.

"Ideally I would have liked to move out when I am about 20," she says. "That is not going to happen.

"Perhaps in 10 years, but I think it will have to be with somebody else, using two incomes.

"I will vote in the future when I know more about it."

Jordan Cumberbatch, 18, is studying aviation operations and wants to be a pilot.

Like Isobel, he feels disconnected from politics.

"People my age are not really too interested in politics and we don't really focus on it," he says. "We rely on social media for information.

"I will vote, but at the moment I am not sure who I will be voting for.

"I don't think there is anything specific that I would want them to say; it is more about whether they will fulfil what they say they will do."

He is, however, certain about the major issue facing people at large - the cost of living.

"It is not the best at the moment," he says. "I am hoping to get a place of my own sometime next year, but I don't think it is that easy at the moment."

Sean Foster, 19, is studying aeronautical engineering and says he is currently a floating voter.

"I will be doing my best to look at what the different candidates offer and what appeals to me most," he says.

"I don't think I hear much from the local authority - maybe they could find different ways to communicate with the younger generation."

Key issues for Sean include the price and availability of housing and the environment.

"I want to make sure that everybody is OK and has money they can spend and a place to live," he says.

"I know housing is very expensive at the moment and things are not easy for first-time buyers, so getting those prices down would be a good thing.

"I want politicians to do whatever they can to make it easier for first-time buyers to get on to the property ladder and into the housing market.

"More support is always good.

"For the foreseeable future I will be staying at home."

He says is also interested in other areas of politics.

"The environment is important to me - it is the place in which we live and it is our responsibility to protect it for future generations," he says.

"I know there are lot of initiatives in place to make the aviation industry more environmentally-friendly."

Ross Waddingham, 18, lives in the the Bishop's Stortford area near Stanstead and wants to be aeronautical engineer.

"I don't really know much about politics - they don't make it easy for younger people to understand," he says.

"It all just goes over my head.

"I think they [politicians] only care about the older audience.

"If I don't know what I am doing, then I won't vote; if I see something that is worth my time, then I will vote for it."

A keen car owner, his chief concern is potholes which, he says, are a major issue where he lives.

"Roads are a nightmare," he says. "All they do it put a highlight around the hole - it doesn't actually get fixed for a long time until multiple people report it."

Would a firm stance tackling road defects earn Ross's vote?

"Funnily enough it would - I just don't want to pay for new tyres really," he says.

Bella Farey, who is studying aviation operations, is not happy.

Poised to turn 18 in June, she has missed out on voting this year by a matter of weeks.

"I am disappointed that I am missing out. I feel like there's a lot of change that needs to happen, especially around where I live," she says.

"It would be nice to have more things for younger people to do where I live so that their behaviour has an outlet.

"There's a real issue with housing - I think the prices are astronomical for young people and they don't seem to be coming down any time soon.

"I think the voting age should be lowered - it strikes me as weird that you can drive a car at 17, but not vote for things that affect your country."

She is adamant she will be voting at the first opportunity after she turns 18 in 2024.

Photography: Laurence Cawley