In this General Election, more than any other in recent memory, the status quo has once again been challenged. With no clear winner it falls to all the major parties to now reflect, review and look for lessons to be learned.

One notable feature from a relatively gruelling campaign is that preconceptions of the younger generation have been well and truly shattered. In the past it was perhaps all too easy to overlook ‘millennials’ as too selfie and self-obsessed to care or turn up to vote. After all, many thought, they couldn’t even be bothered to turn up to vote for Remain when David Beckham and JK Rowling told them to.

But the aftershocks of the Referendum result are still felt today and for thousands of youngsters up and down the country, that morning on the 24th June served as a serious wakeup call.

With voters aged 18-24 turning out in smaller numbers than expected compared to 90% of over-65s, many Remain voting youngsters soon began to blame the result on an elder generation which had ‘stolen their future’.

This June, although exact figures are still to be confirmed, YouGov estimates over 60% of this age group turned up to be counted. Of those at least 66% of voters aged 18 to 19, 62% of voters aged 20 to 24, and 63% of voters aged 25 to 29 voted Labour.

Students also played an important role in seats such as Bath Spa and Canterbury and ITV reported that constituencies with the highest proportion of students gave Labour a 14-point rise in the vote share.

Despite the Liberal Democrats firmly positioning their party as the party of choice for Remainers it was Labour which grabbed the attention of youngsters, regardless of how they voted last June. Corbyn and his team dazzled with old style political rallies, appearances on stage with rock bands, savvy social media and even ‘Jez we can’ t shirts and pillows.

The Conservatives, on the other hand, simply didn’t offer anything to get this generation excited. With fox hunting and a decision to drop a push for a total ban on ivory trading, the left-wing press and social media soon dug out the ‘nasty pasty’ rhetoric. Whilst the catchy reggae anti-Tory song ‘Liar Liar GE2017’ by Captain Ska surged to second in the charts, viewed by almost 2.5 million people on YouTube.

It is simply wrong to assume that youngsters weren’t fully aware that Labour’s promises of free university education didn’t add up, many were savvy enough to know this was impossible but still chose to vote for an optimistic and brighter future – whatever the cost.

Manifestos must offer everyone something to aspire for and liberal, cosmopolitan youngsters will now be demanding, and expecting, targeted policies which they can get behind.

It is time for all the parties to take note, if a low turnout in younger voters is a blessing rather than a curse then, simply put, your campaign isn’t working. Here is an energised and motivated voter base which has decided to stand up and be counted. As London takes to the polls next spring in local elections, parties will overlook them at their peril.

James Baker is a donor club member of Bright Blue and a senior consultant at Bell Pottinger. The views expressed in this article are those of the author, not necessarily those of Bright Blue.