Blog/Polling

Recent headlines have claimed that over half of Gen Z Brits believe the country would be better off with a strong leader who does not have to deal with parliament or elections. But is this really the case?

A new survey by King’s College London’s Policy Institute, supported by Focaldata, aimed to dig deeper into these claims. Focaldata conducted a nationally representative survey of 2,032 13-27 year olds in the UK from 7-14 February 2025. Respondents were shown one of three variations of a statement and asked to rate the extent to which they agreed or disagreed:

1. The UK would be a better place if a strong leader was in charge who does not have to bother with parliament and elections? (Identical to the Channel 4 wording)
2. The UK would be a better place if a strong leader was in charge WHO DOES NOT HAVE TO BOTHER WITH PARLIAMENT AND ELECTIONS? (emphasised with bolding and capital letters)
3. The UK would be a better place if a dictator was in charge who does not have to bother with parliament and elections? (measuring direct support for dictatorship)

To clarify their views, respondents who agreed were then asked if they thought this meant:

• It would be better for the UK if the leader faced no checks or controls from MPs.
• It would be better for the UK if the leader could avoid holding national elections altogether.

After analysing the results, only 6% of Gen Z genuinely agreed that the UK would be better off under a dictator. This suggests that the media narrative of a generation craving authoritarianism may be exaggerated.

This research challenges the oversimplified portrayal of Gen Z’s political views and highlights the importance of nuanced questioning in understanding public opinion, and reducing the perceptions of an exaggerated division between generations.

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Please use the two links below to access the full data:

• Full Sample: Nationally Representative Survey Gen Z
• Dictator Sample Only: Nationally Representative Survey Gen Z

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