YCN’s first policy-centred polling of our members highlights both areas of contention amongst young
Tories, and policy areas where there is broad agreement. Whilst these results should not be taken as
representative of the entire cohort of under-25s who have a vote in the upcoming leadership
election, they are useful for gaining an insight into the views of some of the more politically active
Young Conservatives.
The policy which saw the greatest split in our members, and the highest percentage of participants
answering “don’t know” (12.5%), was on whether to unilaterally scrap the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Around 35% of responders either supported scrapping the protocol, just over 25% were against the
measure, whilst over one quarter of those responding were neither for nor against the policy. Brexit,
and how to make a success of leaving the European Union, is clearly still an issue which divides YCN
members. Any new Tory leader will have to find a way to persuade their opponents from both sides
of the political spectrum that their chosen approach to the Protocol is the right one.
Leaving the European Court of Human Rights, suggested by the ERG-backed Suella Braverman, was
also somewhat contentious, albeit far less so than scrapping the NI Protocol. A quarter of those answering opposed the move, whilst a further 21.6% neither opposed nor backed the move. However, that means that over half of the received responses supported leaving the ECHR, with one-third strongly in favour of the move. This result leads to the question of whether these sentiments
are reflected across the broader Conservative membership and voters.
Our member’s favourite government policy is the plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda. Just
under two-thirds support the policy, whilst only 20% are opposed to it, with 12.5% neither for nor
against. This result should come as no surprise. Immigration is consistently a top issue for
Conservatives, with taking back control of our borders a major motivation for those who supported
Brexit. Our poll suggests that YCN’s members reflect the mood of the Party on the Rwanda policy
and attempts to control the UK’s immigration.
In contrast with the high levels of support for the government’s Rwanda policy, YCN members are
almost unanimously against Rishi Sunak’s policy of increasing National Insurance by 1.25%. Over 80%
of responders were opposed to the move, with 56.8% strongly opposed to the move. Only 3% of
those responding showed any support for the increase. This anti-tax position is reflected clearly in
the current leadership contest. Tax cuts have been promised by all candidates, bar Mr Sunak, with a
return to more conservative fiscal policy seemingly on the horizon. Judging by our members views, it
is about time too.
YCN members seem to fall on the more socially conservative side on social issues too, with nearly
70% of responders disagreeing with the statement “trans men are men, and trans women are
women.” Nearly half of all responses strongly disagreed with the statement, too. One in five of those
polled agreed with the statement; only one in ten strongly so. If these views are reflected across the
political party, it may spell trouble for one of the frontrunners for leader, Penny Mordaunt. In a
Conservative Party seemingly determined to fight the so-called culture wars, her social liberalism may come to haunt her.
