'Give us a reason to stay', young voters say

Twenty years after the Isle of Man introduced votes for 16-year-olds, young people say housing, healthcare and opportunities are among the issues that will shape how they vote in Thursday's general election.

Sixteen students shared their views with BBC Isle of Man ahead of polling day, with one saying politicians needed to "give us a reason to stay" and another arguing the island could feel "more like a retirement plan" than somewhere to build a life.

Their concerns ranged from housing affordability and healthcare to youth facilities and voting participation.

Tashik (left) Robert (middle) Dylan (right) [BBC]

Speaking at QEII in Peel, students discussed housing at length.

For Robert Tomlinson, the cost of housing is a major concern.

Worried prices are "skyrocketing", he said: "I want to live on the island in the future but I'm not sure if I could afford it. The big work opportunities are overseas."

Dylan Addy called for more government-funded housebuilding and rent controls.

Tashik Chunder said cheaper house prices and lower taxes would make him more likely to return home after studying in the UK, which he plans to do after his A-levels.

Ciara O'Connor said private companies were buying up properties that would suit first-time buyers before young people got a look-in.

Charlotte Walker said uncertainty about being able to afford a home and achieve financial independence could have a negative impact on young people's mental health.

She said being able to socialise and afford occasional holidays was important for wellbeing, and warned the lack of those opportunities would "impact people" across the island.

Ciara (left) Charlotte (right) [BBC]

Matthew Ollis and Zen Perez said accident and emergency waiting times and lengthy delays for hospital treatment were among their main concerns.

"Sometimes you can have waits of six or seven hours," they said. "Manx ear, nose and throat waiting lists are stretching into years before someone can even be seen."

Abi Hughes and Bethany Dzvuke said mental health was among the biggest issues facing young people.

They pointed to long waiting lists and the challenges of living in a small island community where "everyone kind of knows your business" and "it's very hard to escape".

Treating a problem as though it "doesn't exist" simply because it is not talked about was "kind of ignorant", they added.

Matthew (top left) Zen (top right) & Abi (bottom left) Dzvuke (bottom right) [BBC]

Others argued the island needed to become a more attractive place for young people to build their futures.

Onnee Ayres said she felt "disincentivised" from returning to the island after university.

Charlotte Walker said she shared that frustration in Peel, where proposals to close a leisure centre used by "everyone in my year" and replace it with a cafe felt like further evidence that the island was being built for "pensioners".

She said the plans left young people wondering how they were expected to return, start a family and "have kids where there are fewer places for the kids to go".

Elsie Horton and Anastacia Schnetler said young people needed more places to meet, socialise and spend time together.

They said: "The Island needs younger workers as its population ages. Give us a reason to stay on the Island."

"What we need is more young people to stay over here, or more immigration.

"More affordable housing, more courses at the college - there's definitely things you can do to incentivise younger people."

Anastacia (left) and Elsie (right) [BBC]

Onnee Ayres said she felt it was a Catch-22 situation in which young people felt unheard, so did not vote, which in turn left them unheard.

Ellie Quirke said she had forgotten to register in time and was "annoyed" with herself.

Mya Perks believed schools should take more responsibility for educating young people about voting, arguing that campaigns often failed to reach the platforms they actually used, leaving many ill-informed.

Louis Watts, 17, was less convinced voting would make much difference, although he said it "should be pushed more" among young people.

Mya (left) and Ellie (right) [BBC]

Onnee argued voting itself was fundamental.

"It's the reason why we're a democracy," she said, adding that not voting only contributed to politicians overlooking young people.

Louis Watts said being able to vote before turning 18 was a powerful way for "the system to remember" that young people were there.

Onnee (left) and Louis (right) [BBC]

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