Making the Table: Why the UK Needs to Engage Young People in its Security

Defence has made an uncomfortable return to the forefront of British politics. The delayed publication of the Defence Investment Plan earlier this year garnered criticism for leaving the UK military “underprepared” while its contents prompted Defence Secretary John Healey to resign. Whether this represented a coup d’état for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s premiership or its coup de grâce is beside the point: the demands of defence are here to stay.  

Defence in the modern age has three core requirements: substantial finances, available personnel, and sophisticated industry. When it comes to getting defence right, an underappreciated component is young people. Young people represent the keystone of our defence system: working-age taxes are required to fund defence; the service of the youth is needed for credible readiness; and a pipeline of bright talent is necessary for relevant industries to remain innovative and competitive. 

As the UK’s Youth Delegate to the G20 under the Fragility, Conflict and Violence Track, I have spent the last seven months speaking to more than two hundred young people gauging their concerns and priorities in this volatile world we find ourselves in. What stood out is that, if we are to be insistent that young people sign on for their role in Britain’s security, we must ensure that the social contract works for them too.

Cold Shoulder

The present situation for youth is dire: UK youth unemployment currently sits higher than that of Spain or Greece while an older electorate guards a range of privileges such as the stifling triple-lock pension. Beyond the economics, there is also a general narrative bemoaning the character failures of the new generation of adults. Look to leading publications and there are no shortages of headlines disparaging our propensity for avocados, our lack of libations to the nation’s favourite pastime, and even our apparent aversion for amorous activities.

This environment is unpleasant but it relates to a distinct gap in generational perspectives. Those born at the turn of the millennium have gained awareness in a world grappling with the ramifications of 9/11 before its financial system then crashed under the weight of sub-prime mortgages. Compounding consequent instability are the sacrifices brought on by austerity, divisive referendums, and a pandemic while also enjoying front-row seats to the development of predatory social media algorithms and artificial intelligence. It is no wonder then that 57% of young people said they do not identify as patriots this year and have previously described the UK’s position as ‘uncertain’ and ‘embarrassing’.

Such circumstances, paired with stifled career advancement and increasingly-fanciful home ownership, fundamentally erodes the belief that politics is worth caring about because it can achieve something. Applied to the realm of defence, the outcome is a generational reluctance to fight for the country at the very moment the world seems the most insecure.

Fired Up

Within my role as the UK’s Youth Delegate to the G20 representing the Fragility, Conflict and Violence Track; I spoke to a wide range of young people on their priorities and concerns to properly represent them at negotiations. Across the country, from focus groups and surveys and interviews with youth in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the North of England, and London, there is one resounding lesson: young people care. 

There were, of course, differences in priorities and outlooks based on the geographical location of the focus groups as well as the composition of those who joined our studies. Regardless of the direction of their focus - whether this be climate change, Israel-Palestine, or AI’s developing role in military practice - young people care about what is happening to their country and the world beyond it. Indeed, many of them are chafing at the bit to do something that can help their country flourish with participants firmly in support of civilian resilience work. What steers their reluctance to take the step toward enlisting in military service is an overarching sense that their country is not inclined to listen, let alone care, about their priorities. BFPG’s annual survey further supports this point with nearly 70% of young people prepared to undertake civilian measures in response to an attack on the UK despite only 27% being willing to fight on the frontlines.

When policymakers demand something of defence, defence will demand the resources to make it happen. A Britain that is unable to answer defence’s ask is a Britain sharply limited in its ability to generate meaningful capabilities. Youth disinclination to support their country therefore represents a fundamental flaw in the country’s security strategy. Without the engagement of young people, Britain misses out on a range of competencies for grappling with hybrid warfare while reducing its capacity to defend itself. Such a challenge requires society to rise and meet it with intention and vigour. Fortunately, the potential remedies are actionable and readily-available to any with the will to make them happen. 

Plan of Action

The UK faces daunting prospects: an increasingly unsteady relationship with its cornerstone partner the USA; an emboldened yet desperate enemy in the form of Russia; a sensitivity to a range of crises; and volatile issues in the Middle East and beyond that tests its sense of responsibility and competency. In such a context, youth empowerment can appear frivolous instead of a priority. Yet, it may well be the very thing that determines whether Britain can see off the challenges ahead and chart a meaningful course for itself. 

Many defence professionals have been praising Finland for its defence strategy and point to its whole-of-society resilience as a model worth emulating. Crucially, Finland’s whole-of-society model is predicated on supporting those who have a role to play in the defence of the nation. It is therefore relevant that Finland led the way as the first developed country to have a Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) National Action Plan, with Italy joining its company earlier this year.

The YPS Agenda rests on the principle of ‘nothing about young people, without young people’ in the realm of defence and peacemaking. Largely developed for conflict and post-conflict settings, it was harnessed by Finland as a way of ensuring young people could provide their input — both their needs and their insights — into Finnish security policy. 

It would be laudable if the UK were to follow Finland’s path and develop its own context-relevant YPS National Action Plan. YPS, however, represents a mentality more than it does a policy. Those of you reading this piece can engage with YPS without waiting for government direction. Fellowships, mentor schemes, coffee chats, delegate roles, workplace youth working groups, and creating room for youth voices in publications all represent meaningful chances for young people to unfurl their talents and energy. If we want whole-of-society resilience, those with access need to start thinking about how they can do their part to support the areas of society that seem increasingly marginalised. 

Ultimately, all it takes to get youth engagement started is for those sat at the table to pull up an extra chair. 

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