Scotland's youth will be crucial to the new independence campaign

There was a phenomenal level of engagement from the newly enfranchised voters, which culminated in the BBC’s “Big, Big Debate” at the Hydro in Glasgow, with thousands of young Scots passionately debating independence.

As was the case in 2014, support for independence today is the majority position among young voters and the minority position among older voters. There are many reasons for differential voting patterns among the age groups which are worth considering to ensure we maximise the Yes vote in the next referendum.

Firstly, the younger generations consume media and get their news in different formats, primarily online. A recent example of this new media is TikTok – its popularity skyrocketed during the Covid lockdowns and has been sustained since.

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Users watch short and succinct clips and, in part based on likes, the algorithm adjusts what content the user is recommended. The importance of TikTok for political campaigning cannot be understated. Even the Tories have now launched a TikTok account aimed at targeting younger voters in the run-up to any future General Election.

Facebook, Instagram and Twitter also remain important sources of young people’s news consumption. In 2014, Yes Scotland outplayed Better Together on social media sites, having overtaken David Cameron’s page in terms of likes by the day of the poll.

The content produced and published on social media by Yes Scotland and indeed other independence-supporting groups is likely to be one of the main reasons why support for independence was highest in the younger age groups.

The SNP government’s progressive policies also attract support among younger age groups. This is not only evident from polling but also from successive elections. Free tuition is an obvious example of a policy that improves the lives of many young people. It’s notable that in England, younger voters tended to be more likely to vote for the LibDems – until they sold their soul in government. Rather than abolishing tuition fees as promised, they helped oversee a £6000 increase in fees. This should be seen as a warning to those of us who support independence – do not take support among young people for granted.

Policies like free tuition and free bus travel for under-22s obviously attract support from young people, but ask yourself: what does a young person today worry about as they enter the world of work?

With the cost of living crisis putting pressure on everyone, the younger generations will also feel this squeeze. So, progressive policies are commendable, but a strong economic vision, particularly relating to job opportunities, will be vital for shoring up support among younger voters who are transitioning from education into employment.

Not just the availability of a job, but well-paying jobs with good opportunities for career progression and a work/life balance. This is even more important as we continue our Covid recovery. Many young people’s ability to get training and improve their employability has been hampered by several lockdowns.

Unfortunately, young people tend to be less likely to vote than older people – this gap in voter turnout must be addressed. Increasing the turnout in younger age groups will ultimately add tens of thousands of votes to the Yes tally in the next referendum – it could be what wins it. How we improve turnout among younger age groups I am unsure.

However, there must obviously be a targeted case for independence developed, aimed at explaining the immense benefits of voting Yes for younger generations while also being candid about the challenges and how they will be overcome.

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Joining the EU will allow us to restart the Erasmus programme and regain our right to live, work and travel across the continent – no doubt this will be popular with many young voters. However, we cannot forget that many young Scots do not go to university or cannot afford to travel to the continent, so we must have a unique selling point for those voters who may not directly experience the benefits of Erasmus or freedom of movement.

The final and perhaps most important point is that younger generations will also be vital to the Yes campaign whether it be as activists, sharing social media posts or having conversations with their friends and families.

I am reminded of the #RingYourGranny campaign during the Irish same-sex marriage referendum, which urged young Irish people to phone their grandparents and discuss why it was important that they vote “yes” to the proposal. A similar campaign here in Scotland during a referendum could have massive dividends, particularly considering that older generations who were once innately hostile to the SNP or independence more generally have softened their position, partly due to Nicola Sturgeon’s daily Covid briefings during the height of the pandemic.

For the reasons discussed above, I firmly believe that young people will play a pivotal role in delivering a Yes vote in any future referendum. After all, it is young voters who ultimately stand to gain the most from independence.