The document discusses youth voter engagement and trends in the 2010 UK general election. It notes declining youth voter turnout between 2001 and 2005. Social media emerged as a factor, with over 150,000 tweets about the third leaders' debate and the Liberal Democrats gaining more Facebook fans than Labour. Surveys suggested Generation Y support for the Liberal Democrats and Nick Clegg could help produce a hung parliament outcome. However, youth voting intentions remained uncertain as young voters wanted change and might vote strategically.

1. #GE2010 #GENY The state of UK PolitYcs

2. Apathy? Only 4% voters had been on a political party’s website during the 2005 election. In the 2001 election, 46% 18-24 year-olds voted; in 2005 only 37% voted. More people voted on the 2009 series of The X-Factor (10m) than voted for Labour in the 2005 election (9.6m). #GE2010 #GENYProtected by Copyright © 2010 Naked Generations Limited. All Rights Reserved. Slide 2

3. Oh dear Gordon Brown admitted recently that he had invited Simon Cowell to help with the national policy form. …however, the X-Factor judge was too busy. #GE2010 #GENYProtected by Copyright © 2010 Naked Generations Limited. All Rights Reserved. Slide 3

4. The Social Media Factor Will social media, like Facebook and Twitter make a difference this time round? This kind of question was unthinkable in the 2005 election (even though Facebook had been around for a year). #GE2010 #GENYProtected by Copyright © 2010 Naked Generations Limited. All Rights Reserved. Slide 4

5. The Social Media Factor There were 154,342 tweets amongst 33,000 people on the third leaders’ debate. The Conservatives 80,700 have fans on Facebook; Liberal Democrats have 81,260 fans; Labour trails at 36, 350 fans. #GE2010 #GENYProtected by Copyright © 2010 Naked Generations Limited. All Rights Reserved. Slide 5

6. LiberallY Facebook is particularly galvanising Lib dem supporters. In a recent Facebook poll, in which nearly half a million people voted, 42% want Nick Clegg as PM, as compared with David Cameron (31%) and Gordon Brown (27%). The group ‘We got Rage Against the Machine to #1, we can get the Lib Dems into office!’ has 164,000 fans. #GE2010 #GENYProtected by Copyright © 2010 Naked Generations Limited. All Rights Reserved. Slide 6

7. Action? Facebook launched a campaign to galvanise the 18-24 age bracket into voting, but did it work? Will Generation Y be turning up to vote in the general election? #GE2010 #GENYProtected by Copyright © 2010 Naked Generations Limited. All Rights Reserved. Slide 7

8. Galvanised The Electoral Commission has said that those expressing an interest in registering were disproportionately in the youngest age bracket of 18-24. 40% of visitors to the registration form website were 18-24. #GE2010 #GENYProtected by Copyright © 2010 Naked Generations Limited. All Rights Reserved. Slide 8

9. Student Power The NUS has launched a campaign to stop the rise in tuition fees, gaining the support of 200 Labour, 400 Lib Dem, but only 13 Conservative candidates. There are 2 million student voters in the UK. Students count for between 10% - 30% in 45 seats in the UK and for the first time look set to swing these votes over the NUS’s campaign. #GE2010 #GENYProtected by Copyright © 2010 Naked Generations Limited. All Rights Reserved. Slide 9

10. Heading for a Hanging? As well as Facebook numbers, 64% of 18-24s are planning on voting Lib Dem, suggesting Generation Y could be instrumental in sending this country into a Hung Parliament… #GE2010 #GENYProtected by Copyright © 2010 Naked Generations Limited. All Rights Reserved. Slide 10

11. Or not. Young people want change and could vote strategically. For example, a youth poll put both the Conservatives and Lib Dems on top, plus the Conservatives have as many Facebook fans as the Lib Dems. Either way, Labour seems to have lost the Y vote. #GE2010 #GENYProtected by Copyright © 2010 Naked Generations Limited. All Rights Reserved. Slide 11

12. More commentary? www.nakedgenerations.com/blog @nakedgen_heledd @nakedgen_chris @nakedgen #GE2010 #GENYProtected by Copyright © 2010 Naked Generations Limited. All Rights Reserved. Slide 12

13. References Slide 2The Independent Voter’s Handbook, 2010 Slide 3The Independent Voter’s Handbook, 2010 Slide 4http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/apr/30/social-media-election-2010 Slide 5http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/apr/30/social-media-election-2010 http://www.facebook.com/libdems http://www.facebook.com/libdems#!/conservatives?ref=ts http://www.facebook.com/libdems#!/labourparty?ref=search&sid=506493147.3972892522..1 Slide 6http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=4028251&id=370142048888 http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=113749985304255 Slide 7http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/election-2010-tech/2010/04/facebook-tv-and-the-web-get-thousands-more-to-register-to-vote.html Slide 8http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/apr/22/surge-voter-registration-election-volatile Slide 9http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8645705.stm http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=411370 Slide 10http://www.u.tv/election2010/Guardian-ICM-poll-Labour-support-could-fall-below-20/ada6a0cd-3fde-4625-a913-bd20f3542b65 Slide 11 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7111092.ece http://www.politics.co.uk/news/general-election-2010/clegg-chases-youth-vote-$1372036.htm #GE2010 #GENY Protected by Copyright © 2010 Naked Generations Limited. All Rights Reserved. Slide 13

14. #GE2010 #GENY Protected by Copyright © 2010 Naked Generations Limited. All Rights Reserved. Slide 14 www.nakedgenerations.com Experts on Generation Y