Now more than ever, young people have voices and opportunities within politics that previous generations have not been afforded. But for many, disengagement between local and central government has left them feeling failed and caused them to disconnect from local councils and grassroots politics as a whole.
We interviewed Sir Stephen Houghton, Labour leader of Barnsley council, on the rise of the far right, the importance of local government, and where young people fit in politics.
Sir Houghton emphasised the importance of young people engaging with local politics. “Change starts at home,” he said. He outlined the positive impact that Barnsley council has had on the community: from delivering school uniform grants, to the recent Health on the High Street campaign, which …
He subverted the phrase “common sense politics”, commonly associated with right-wing ideology about combating progressiveness and radical social change, to identify his branch of thinking. He explained that for many, politics boils down to having food on the table, a roof over their head, and steady employment – common sense necessities that ultimately aren’t a given for everyone.
He emphasised the importance of local government in achieving these things for constituents. “80% of (local) councillors have a greater impact than backbench MPs,” he said. This means that local councillors have a real and accessible power to create positive change for people in local communities across the country, an influence greater than that of backbenchers in national parliament.
Barnsley Council has made good use of this power: uniform grants have eased the financial burden on many families in the area, and locally-available health services have increased access and taken some pressure away from larger NHS facilities with ever-increasing wait times.
The failure of national governments to prioritise these sorts of “common sense” policies can be seen as an indicator of the shift towards more radical politics, with memberships for both the Green Party and Reform UK having doubled in the last year. This has caused the collapse of the once impenetrable red wall, with northern councils that had seen decades of certainty for Labour suddenly battling right-wing opposition.
Sir Houghton voiced concerns that without increasing turnout, the May 2026 election will be “handed to Reform on a plate”, with previously lifelong Labour voters turning to Reform as they no longer feel represented by the Labour government.
Local government has more relevance than many realise, especially in the North of England and outside of London, where many cities don’t receive comparable opportunities and funding from the central government. In local politics, change comes from those within the Borough, who understand what matters to local people in a way that Westminster MPs who have never set foot in these towns and cities could never compete with. To fuel local growth, issues must be addressed at a local level.
Many young people have a passion for politics and a desire for change, with little idea of how to explore and implement it. One avenue is to become involved in local politics. Social and political change is certainly possible outside of the central government, and for change to occur, local politics has to see an active increase in participation through voting, education, and research.
*Barnsley Council offers a 2-year graduate scheme for students considering careers in local government. It allows recent graduates to gain experience with various departments to deduce which area of policy they prefer.
