New polling from Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza, published the morning after the local elections, reveals half of 13 to 17-year-olds either do not know which party they would support in the next general election, or whether they would vote at all. A further 11% said they would not vote.

By 2029, an estimated four million young people currently aged 13 to 17 could be eligible to vote under plans to lower the voting age to 16, yet many are approaching this milestone feeling disconnected from politics. Nine in ten say they are worried about the future, with getting a good job and having enough money the top concerns.

In response, Dame Rachel launched The Big Future, her final large-scale national survey, to be sent to all schools and colleges in England, asking children about their voting intentions and what the government needs to do to improve childhood.

Dame Rachel de Souza said: “Hundreds of thousands of children will be eligible to vote in the next general election at 16 — but my polling shows teenagers are uncertain about voting. How we respond to children’s challenges will shape how a generation engages in democracy for years to come.”