Only half of young people in the UK say they feel European

Only half of young adults in the UK see themselves as European, a poll has found.

And one in five do not describe themselves as British, the survey revealed.

Researchers at think tanks Demos and the British Council conducted the study as part of the Next Generation series, interviewing 18 to 30-year-olds in the UK.

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Only one in three of those surveyed said they could speak a foreign language at a ‘simple’ level.

The research revealed that young people in Britain are not particularly well travelled, with only one in 10 saying they had been abroad for three months.

A similar number said they had campaigned to raise funds for an overseas cause.

Ian Wybron, head of social policy at Demos, told the Guardian: ‘Living, working and studying abroad offers clear benefits for young people, helping them to secure better jobs, as well as building confidence and intercultural understanding.

‘But our research found that a substantial number of young adults are currently being excluded from these opportunities – particularly those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

‘Government, employers, and civil society must do their part in opening up these valuable opportunities to a much larger number of Britons.

‘The aspirations for a “global Britain” will ring hollow unless is its benefits and opportunities are better shared.’

Researchers questioned 1,994 young adults from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and found that one in five didn’t feel British.

However, in the north-east, 93% identified as being British to some extent.

In Northern Ireland, 62% of young people said they felt British, while in Scotland the figure was 59% – both nations voted to remain in the EU in last year’s Brexit referendum.

People in London and Northern Ireland were more likely to identify as European (59%), but only 35% of young people in Wales felt the same way.

More than half of those surveyed said the NHS was one of the top three things that made them feel most ‘proud to be British’.