AIBU to be concerned about the growing political gender divide.

[willingtolearn]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/22/reform-uk-most-popular-party-among-gen-z-men/

"A survey found that 31 per cent of men aged 16 to 25 would support Nigel Farage’s party at a general election if it were held tomorrow.

Only 24 per cent of Gen Z men would back Labour, which has traditionally enjoyed a lead among young voters, while 14 per cent would vote Green."

So this report from Onward and some earlier Yougov polling suggests a real and growing political divide amongst young men and women - with men moving towards Reform and women toward Green.

I really worry that young people are being driven apart from each other - not just in this way but also along other ideological lines.

Don't we all need to start pulling together, not apart to fix the political problems we are facing? Any ideas on how we can help young people find common ground?

So YABU - It's just youth, they will find their way on their own.
YANBU - We need to help young people find common ground

What would 'pulling together ' look like? There's such division these days, with each side convinced they're right.

Both of those stats relate to men. Where are the stats for women?

People voting differently. What’s new?

@NellieElephantine I wish I knew. I'm trying to find a 'bigger picture' sort of narrative to discuss with my children that shows how we all need each other, especially when times are hard.

@WallaceinAnderland sorry - was trying not to put too much info:

Among women aged 16 to 25, Labour is narrowly in the lead on 27 per cent of the vote.
The Green Party is just two percentage points behind on 25 per cent, while Reform is in third on 18 per cent.

@WildLimePoet Do you think young men and women have always voted differently?

Do you think there is a bigger division between them than historically, about what they want, what they think, what's important to them?

Any ideas on how we can help young people find common ground.

opportunities, it’s all about resources. Many young people are all scratching the bottom of the same barrel. It’s no wonder there is division.

The government needs to concentrate on growing the economy, and get on with it. We are rudderless at the moment.

In order to get our young people to find common ground, we need to get much better candidates standing for election. I think the reason for much division is the woeful state of the two main parties.

Red pill content for men and tiktoks featuring the 4B movement for women - algorithms are driving them apart.

They’re both shite options. What’s happened to the young people of today?

The Internet and social media

People in general are becoming more right wing. Men are particularly becoming more right wing. Young people are becoming more right wing. It's all going wrong.

Its not that big of a deal to most people. So what if they would vote this way or that? Doesn't mean they are driven apart.

Yes, this polling holds true outside of the UK as well, So I think it's about deeper things than just UK based issues.

I do think it's a worry. I suspect it's reflective of differernces in university attendance to a large degree. But it isn't good for political differernces to be mapped on to sex like this, imo.

It's definitely not just the UK and unlike some who think it's a small insignificant thing , it definitely is not.

In the US the division is really obvious, because you had all these young men voting for republicans who were instrumental in stripping back women's reproductive rights which in turn made getting pregnant potentially dangerous for women and girls . Why risk it ?

It's tough...I'm Gen Z & female myself but I do have some sympathy with Trump-voting young men. For economics, but other stuff too.

I am strongly supportive of the right to choose. But otoh the Denocrats in many places were advocating very dangerous policies like 'defund the police' & 'open borders'. The trans stance was also crazily dangerous. So while I loathe Trump & most of his cronies, I would probably have vored for him if I'd been US because I think Democrat policies were on balance more dangerous.

If a woman got pregnant and wanted an abortion, she would hopefully be able to go to a state that allows it. I'm sceptical of the way the very pro-life states actually implement rape exceptions & danger to life exceptions (a lot of states don't even HAVE rape exceptions) but I do think most women are probably able to access a termination somehow.

Whereas stuff like the trans policies (esp towards teens) was definitely going to cause severe harm if not stopped. The disastrous policies towards no-police zones, unchecked immigration & fentanyl were all a larger risk fir potential deaths. I prioritise what puts most people in danger.

It was a very hard election. I do think the situation. Is less bad here, the only real parallel is migration.

I want to stand for election one day, & that's partly why.

Otoh I worry it'll be draining if everyone's like Boris/Keir/Rayner etc I suspect a big part is that sensible people are focusing on their own constituencies and put off by the stagnation at the top.

Women of all ages are in general more left wing than men.

Tbf that wasn't always true.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=theconversation.com/women-used-to-be-more-likely-to-vote-conservative-than-men-but-that-all-changed-in-2017-we-wanted-to-find-out-why-214019&ved=2ahUKEwjUxf60obmQAxVBV0EAHc86HUMQFnoECCMQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3p-nLs-ng5Qqp2ZsBidO2z

I don't like the AEI very much, and this article is US focused. But it does have some good points on why married women, esp those with kids, vote more conservatively on average.

https://www.aei.org/articles/the-rise-of-the-single-woke-and-young-democratic-female/

https://www.psa.ac.uk/psa/news/gender-and-generational-shifts-uk-voting-trends-what-should-we-think

It changed with women born after 1955.