Political disengagement in the UK: who is disengaged?

What is political disengagement?

People are politically disengaged if they do not know, value or participate in the democratic process. Research suggests that while some people are unhappy with the way democracy functions and would like to have more opportunities to participate, others share their unhappiness but do not want more involvement.

These attitudes to politics, along with behaviours such as voting and participating in different forms of political activity, indicate how politically engaged someone is. In the UK, political disengagement takes different forms and is more prevalent among certain groups than others.

Age and political disengagement

Younger people were less likely to register to vote, vote and be elected, but some older age groups tend to have more negative attitudes about politics and participate less in political activities. The average age of MPs has been around 50 in recent decades.

Ethnicity and political disengagement

People from minority ethnic groups were less likely to be registered to vote and to vote. They were also less likely to participate in political activities, though their attitudes to politics did not differ substantially from those of White people. The number of candidates and MPs from ethnic minority backgrounds has increased over time.

Social grade and political disengagement

People in unskilled, partly skilled and manual skilled occupations were more politically disengaged than people from other occupational backgrounds, both in terms of political attitudes and behaviours such as voting and political activities.

Not much is known about the socio-economic backgrounds of councillors, candidates and MPs, although the number of MPs from a lower-skilled background has decreased in recent years.

Gender and political disengagement

There are no substantial gender differences in political attitudes or participation in political activities. Men and women are equally likely to register to vote, but men were more likely to vote in recent elections.

Despite significant increases in the proportion of female MPs, women remain underrepresented in Parliament relative to the population.

Disabilities and political disengagement

Disabled people have more negative attitudes to politics than people without disabilities. However, disabled people were no less likely to participate in political activities, with some studies suggesting they are more likely to participate than non-disabled adults. 

Voter registration varies by type of disability and disabled people are less likely to vote. Disabled people are underrepresented in Parliament.

Tackling disengagement

Declining participation in formal democratic processes are partly driven by a lack of trust in politicians and political parties and a lack of understanding in political institution is contributing to disengagement. Increasing intimidation and abuse towards candidates and elected representatives is also seen as a growing threat to engagement and participation in political life.

The response of the government and others has focused on improving registration, reducing barriers to participation and strengthening public confidence in democratic institutions.

The UK Government has introduced legislation to allow for more automated electoral registration to remove barriers to people registering. It will also lower the voting age for UK Parliament elections to 16 and for all other elections where the current voting age is 18. Evidence suggests that voting at 16 or 17 can help establish long-term voting habits, although effective citizenship education is considered essential to support informed participation.

The Elections Act 2022 requires returning officers to follow statutory guidance on making election accessible for voters with disabilities. Evidence suggests that the awareness of the assistance available for disabled voters needs improving. The Electoral Commission has recommended that online and offline information should be made available about what support voters can expect in polling stations, and how they can request additional equipment or support.

The 2022 act also introduced photographic voter ID. At the 2024 general election the Electoral Commission recommended the list of approved ID for use in polling stations should be reviewed as some groups are less likely to have ID, including people from a lower social grade (C2DE), disabled people, and those who are unemployed. The UK Government’s legislation includes provisions to allow bank cards to be used as voter ID.

The rise of intimidation and abuse directed at candidates, elected representatives and election officials is another significant challenge. While rules about candidate selection rest with political parties, measures included in the government’s legislation include proposals to allow courts to increase sentences for those committing offences where the motivation is the hostility towards candidates, campaigners, elected representatives, or electoral staff.