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Generation Z is prepared to embrace a dictatorship in Britain, according to a new survey.
Whether Brexit, austerity under the Tories or the climate catastrophe is at fault, one thing is clear – the young are losing faith in a democratic system.
Research by Channel 4 reveals the generation is accepting radicalism and authoritarianism amid ‘growing uncertainty’ on who to trust.
More than half of people aged between 13 and 27 said they believe ‘the UK would be a better place if a strong leader was in charge who does not have to bother with parliament and elections,’ according to The Times.
A third agree the country would be better off ‘if the army was in charge’.
And almost half think that ‘the entire way our society is organised must be radically changed through revolution’.
This compared to 33% of 45 to 65-year-olds. The concerning results were based on a sample of 3,000 adults of all ages.
Separately, the poll also shows that Gen Z has a greatly polarising view of women’s rights.
Dictatorships in 2025

A dictatorship is a form of government in which one person or a small group possesses absolute power without constitutional limitations.
The highest level of a dictatorship is the hard autocracy. All power is concentrated in a central place and, above all, any rights to freedom and equality are prevented.
When people think of such regimes, Hitler’s Germany comes to mind – but there are dozens of countries in 2025 that are also fall in the same category.
Ruled by the Taliban, Afghanistan tops the list of hard autocracies followed by Myanmar and South Sudan. North Korea ranks fourth.
Other nations considered ‘hard autocracies’ include Belarus, Saudi Arabia, UAE and China.
Almost half – 45% – of male respondents aged 13 to 27 believe ‘we have gone so far in promoting women’s equality that we are discriminating against men’.
A similar proportion agreed that ‘when it comes to giving women equal rights, things have gone far enough’.
This Is Not Right
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On November 25, 2024 Metro launched This Is Not Right, a year-long campaign to address the relentless epidemic of violence against women.
Throughout the year we will be bringing you stories that shine a light on the sheer scale of the epidemic.
With the help of our partners at Women's Aid, This Is Not Right aims to engage and empower our readers on the issue of violence against women.
You can find more articles here, and if you want to share your story with us, you can send us an email at vaw@metro.co.uk.
Read more:
- Introducing This Is Not Right: Metro's year-long violence against women campaign
- Yvette Cooper's message to abusers and rapists: The streets don't belong to you
- Remembering the women killed by men in 2024
- Stories about violence against women don't make an impact - this is why
- Men - we need your help to end violence against women
- What to do if your loved one is at risk from domestic abuse
The same percentage cited self-proclaimed ‘misogynist’ Andrew Tate and right-wing internet celebrity Jordan Peterson as people they trust.
A 25-year-old man from Penryn, Cornwall, told pollsters that he felt ‘targeted’ because he was a ‘regular straight white man who has had a cultural advantage in the past’.
This Is Not Right

On November 25, 2024 Metro launched This Is Not Right, a year-long campaign to address the relentless epidemic of violence against women.
Throughout the year we will be bringing you stories that shine a light on the sheer scale of the epidemic.
With the help of our partners at Women's Aid, This Is Not Right aims to engage and empower our readers on the issue of violence against women.
You can find more articles here, and if you want to share your story with us, you can send us an email at vaw@metro.co.uk.
Read more:
- Introducing This Is Not Right: Metro's year-long violence against women campaign
- Yvette Cooper's message to abusers and rapists: The streets don't belong to you
- Remembering the women killed by men in 2024
- Stories about violence against women don't make an impact - this is why
- Men - we need your help to end violence against women
- What to do if your loved one is at risk from domestic abuse
He said: ‘It is swinging back the other way, to a point where we potentially risk discriminating against us in favour of people in minority groups.’
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Alex Mahon, chief executive of Channel 4, said the results ‘should concern us all’.
She described Gen Z as simultaneously the country’s most authoritarian and liberal generation, adding: ‘They are media savvy, switched on and smart, but have been exposed to the full force of the polarizing, confusing and sometimes willfully since they were born.
‘Gen Z curate their own understanding of “the truth”. For many, this is exacerbating societal tensions and undermining the value of democracy.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
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