Lesson video

Hi, I'm Mrs. Allchin, and I'm going to be taking you through this citizenship lesson today.

I'm going to give you all the information that you need to be successful, and I'm also going to pause and tell you when to complete a check for understanding or a task.

I hope you enjoy the lesson.

This lesson is called "What Does Population Have to Do with Politics?" And it's taken from the unit of lessons, "Synopticity: How Do Different Ideas and Concepts in Citizenship Interconnect?" By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to describe the link between politics and the population of the UK.

Keywords for this lesson are "monitor," which is to keep track of something over time to see how it changes or if there are any problems; "population," which is all the inhabitants of a particular place or region; "ageing population," which is the proportion of older people increasing relative to other age groups, particularly the working-age population; and "increasing population," a population where the number of people is going up.

Our lesson outline for "What Does Population Have to Do with Politics?" is we're going to look at why does the government monitor the population, and then how political decisions shape population? So let's start by looking at: why the government monitors the population? So Sam is asking, "How does the government monitor the population?" Do you know? Can you remember? Pause and have a think.

The Office for National Statistics, ONS, is the UK's official statistics agency.

It collects, analyses, and publishes data about the country's population, economy, and society, and therefore helps the government to make decisions based on evidence.

The ONS carry out the census, and that is a national survey of every household in the UK.

And they usually do this every 10 years, and this provides lots of population data.

So Sam's asking, "What sort of questions does the census ask?" And you might even remember this being in your own household.

So pause and have a think.

Remember, the government uses this to really help them think about decisions they're making.

So what sort of questions do you think the census asks? So we ask questions about people's age, their occupations, ethnicity, religion, their health, the type of education they've had, or the housing they live in.

And it gives a real complete picture of the makeup of the population in the UK.

And it allows the government to see how the population is changing because it takes place every decade, so every 10 years, and therefore the data can be used to effectively plan for services and infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, roads, and housing.

The census provides lots of population data, but the government also uses other data collections from a range of public services and voluntary surveys, such as the birth and death registrations from the NHS and local councils, school enrollment data from the Department for Education, migration and visa data from the Home Office, GP patient lists from the NHS, as well as health surveys and labour force surveys, which people can choose to take part in.

Let's have a check for understanding.

Complete these sentences about how the government monitors the population.

So: a census is completed every 10 "something." The ONS collects, analyses, and publishes data about the country's "something." The ONS carries out the census, which is a national survey of every household in the "something." And lastly, population data allows the government to see how the population is "something." So pause and have a go.

Let's see if you got that correct.

So the first word was "years," we then had "population," We then had "UK," and lastly, we had "changing." The government monitors the population size, as this supports with decisions regarding resource allocation.

So if a town's population increases rapidly, so it suddenly gets bigger quite quickly, more funding might be given to local councils to expand public transport, 'cause there's going to be more people, build new schools, 'cause there might be more children, or to open more GP surgeries, 'cause there'll be more people needing a doctor.

So, for example, when Leeds saw an increase in 16- to 18-year-olds, which would mean a projected gap in the number of further education, so FE places available, the government took action.

It has been announced that Leeds will receive 10 million pounds of funding to help provide additional further education places due to the increase in 16- to 18-year-olds.

So that's why data about the population, how it's changing is really important for the government.

The government also monitors the healthcare needs of the population, as different groups may have different health needs which the government will need to meet.

So, for example, monitoring birth rates, ageing populations, and disease trends helps with NHS planning, such as providing more maternity units in areas where there are younger populations.

Because in areas where there are younger populations, there's more chance there's going to be more people having babies, so therefore there needs to be more maternity units.

So it's thinking really strategically about the population, who is in that area and what might they need.

As populations change, demand also changes.

So the NHS Fair Shares method ensures that places with greater need are supported, helping to fund GP services, community health teams, and hospital capacity as is needed.

The government needs to monitor populations so they can adequately plan for housing and other areas of urban planning to try and limit housing shortages or overcrowding.

So areas with fast-growing populations may need additional government funding to ensure there is adequate infrastructure, so, for example, to ensure that there are enough houses for all of these people to live.

So, for example, data highlighted that Kirkby in Ashfield in Nottinghamshire had housing needs due to an increasing population, and therefore the town secured 14 million pounds to create the North Kirkby Gateway, which is a project that included a housing-led development as well as commercial space.

True or false? The government can simply provide the same levels of funding to every area in the UK.

Is that true? Is that false? And can you tell me why? And that's false.

Why? The government needs to consider population data to ensure that resources are meeting the different needs of communities.

These examples highlight how monitoring the population has a direct impact on government decisions regarding how resources and services are funded and distributed.

Sam is asking, "How does the government ensure public money is used efficiently?" Government decisions regarding funding are difficult because they use money from citizens' taxes to meet various demands from different populations and plan for future changes or emergencies.

And these are emotive decisions.

And what that means is these are decisions that can make people feel really happy, really thankful, but also really angry or really sad.

And this is because funding levels may decrease or increase based on need, and it is really difficult, almost impossible, to please all citizens all of the time.

And that's why these decisions are really emotive.

An example of how the government managed public spending occurred when national surveys and opinion polls showed that many people were feeling stressed about high energy bills.

While these surveys did not measure the whole population directly, they helped the government understand how people were feeling.

In response, in their 2025 Spending Review, the government chose to protect and maintain the 13.

2 billion pounds Warm Homes Plan, which offers grants and subsidies for energy improvements across millions of homes, stating that no cuts would be made.

And this highlights how population data is used to make strategic and high-profile government decisions.

The government might also need to refer to population data when making decisions regarding national emergencies.

And we saw this during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During early 2021, regional surveys showed significant variation in vaccine acceptance across UK regions.

They were able to see really what was happening with the vaccine.

And this meant that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the JCVI, considered detailed population and geographic data to decide on rollout order, so in what order the vaccination should be rolled out, and also the location of vaccination sites.

And this helped to make sure that vulnerable people were protected quickly and fairly.

The government depends on population data to make informed, fair, and efficient decisions about how to run the country.

Data about how many people live in the UK, where they live, their ages, backgrounds, and needs helps the government do this effectively.

And this highlights how the population and the government are closely linked together.

Let's have a check for understanding.

Which of these are not a type of decision that population data helps the government to make? Is it A: informed, B: misinformed, C: fair, or D: efficient? And it's B: misinformed.

For task A, I'd like you to explain the relationship between the government and population data.

Your answer should include how and why the government monitors the population.

And Sam is saying that "You might want to mention some of the case studies from this lesson." When explaining the relationship between the government and population data, You may have included: The government and population data are closely linked because the government's job is to provide services that meet the needs of citizens.

To do this properly, the government needs to monitor the population, collecting data about how many people live in the country, where they live, their ages, health, jobs, and more.

This information helps the government make important decisions, like where to build schools, how much money to give the NHS, or where more houses are needed.

For example, in Kirkby in Ashfield, the government invested 14 million pounds in housing because they saw the area needed this because of an increasing population.

You may have continued: Population data is also used in emergencies.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government used health and location data to roll out vaccines to the most vulnerable areas first, making the response fair and fast.

Population data is also used to make fair and important decisions about how public funding is spent, for example, the Labour's government 2025 decision to protect and maintain the Warm Homes Plan.

The government also relies on accurate population data to plan, spend, and protect.

And this shows how important the link is between the population and the key decision-makers: government.

So we've looked at: why does the government monitor the population? We're now going to look at: how political decisions shape the population? So the population of the UK can be described as increasing and ageing.

And Lucas is asking, "What does this actually mean, and how might politics might impact this?" So just pause and just consider: what does it mean to have an increasing population and an ageing population? And how might politics impact this? An increasing population means the total number of people living in the country is going up.

This can be caused by higher birth rates, people living longer, and immigration.

In the UK, political decisions like encouraging immigration after World War II or joining the European Union in 1973 led to population growth.

Net international migration remains the most significant factor for population growth for all four countries of the UK.

An example of how political decisions have impacted the population can be seen with the Windrush generation.

These migrants from the Caribbean were invited to help rebuild Britain after World War II.

And between 1948 and 1971, it's estimated that around 500,000 migrants came to the UK as part of the Windrush generation, and many brought their families or started families in the UK.

So this contributed hugely to population growth, and this migration also had a significant impact on the UK's population size and diversity.

Another example of how political decisions have impacted the population can be seen with the joining and then the later leaving of the European Union, the EU.

The UK joined the EU in 1973, which allowed people from other EU countries to live and work in the UK.

And this caused an increase in migration from countries like Poland, Romania, and Lithuania.

And this free movement policy contributed to population growth because citizens were more freely able to come and live and work in the UK.

The UK has since left the EU, and as a result, EU citizens migrating to the UK are faced with much more restrictive immigration rules, which did not apply under free movement.

And the ONS predictions, which are based on past migration patterns and current government policy, show migration is falling but continuing to add around 500,000 to 600,000 people to the population each year predicted until 2026.

So whilst migration might fall, and in part, that's because of Brexit, it will still remain a factor for the overall UK population increase.

Let's have a check for understanding.

What are the missing words? The ONS predictions show migration "something" but continuing to add around 500,000 to 600,000 people to the "something" each year until 2026.

So, whilst migration might fall in part due to "something," it will still remain a factor for the overall UK population "something." Pause while you have a go at this check for understanding.

So the missing words were: "falling," "population," "Brexit," and "increase." An ageing population refers to a population where people are living longer and therefore there are more older people, so 65-plus, than working people.

The UK has an ageing population, as over the last 40 years, life expectancy in the UK has generally been increasing.

So Lucas is asking, "What does this have to do with political decisions?" Pause and have a think.

These increases in life expectancy have been caused by advances in healthcare and improvements in living and working conditions, which are all impacted by laws and policy, all of which are political decisions.

So you can really, really start to see that link between the political decisions and ultimately how that shapes population and what it looks like.

Some of these decisions are historical, created by previous governments, but they all still link to politics and include: the creation of the NHS, health and safety laws, and improved housing and welfare.

So the NHS, which was implemented by the Labour government in 1948, made healthcare free at the point of use for everyone.

And this meant that more people, regardless of their incomes, how much money they had, could access doctors, hospitals, and treatment, leading to earlier diagnoses, better care, and fewer deaths from preventable diseases.

And this universal-for-everyone access to healthcare increased life expectancy.

Let's have a check for understanding.

What are the answers to these questions? So, one, the NHS, which was implemented by the Labour government in 1948, made healthcare free for who? Two, the NHS increased what? And three, what will the impact on the population be? So question one, it was for everyone; it's universal.

And for two, increased life expectancy due to improved healthcare.

And the impact on the population, that it will increase and also be an ageing population.

Laws on workplace safety and changes to the law relating to smoking have helped to reduce illness and injury, leading to increased life expectancy.

So the Health and Safety at Work Act was made in 1974, and this was passed by a Labour government, but initial groundwork for the act was completed by prior Conservative governments.

This law helped to reduce the number of annual workplace fatalities in the UK from 651 in 1974 to 135 in 2023.

So it shows how that law is making workplaces safer.

And over the years, there have been many changes to legislation regarding smoking passed by both Labour and Conservative governments.

So some examples include the banning of televised cigarette advertising in 1965, and that was a Labour government.

Before that, cigarette companies could advertise on the television.

Raising the age to buy tobacco from 16 to 18 in 2008, again, that was by a Labour government.

And then, more recently, implementing plain cigarette packaging in 2016, which was by the Conservatives.

So it means that now cigarette packaging is plain, whereas before it could be sort of bright and branded.

So you can see there are lots of changes happening over time to try and tackle smoking.

And statistics from NHS England show a 3% decrease in smoking deaths when compared to 2018 and a 9% decrease when compared with 2009.

So it's very plausible to suggest that these changes to law and policy made by politics and government ultimately are having an impact on life expectancy.

Government policies on better housing, heating, and social support, such as pensions, have also improved the quality of life and health outcomes for many citizens.

For example, the Housing Act 1985 formalised the legal standards for adequate housing, including proper ventilation, which is linked to respiratory health, so ultimately how well someone can breathe.

The Winter Fuel Payment, which was first introduced in 1997, helps elderly people pay for heating during winter months, which has reduced cold-related deaths amongst older people.

And different State Pension Acts have helped to support elderly citizens in their retirement.

And this has reduced poverty amongst older people and improved their health and quality of life as the population ages.

In 2008, the Pensions Act required UK employers to automatically enrol certain employees into a workplace pension scheme and contribute towards it, which will continue to provide further financial support for citizens as they reach retirement age.

Political decisions by both past and present governments have directly shaped the UK's population, making it both larger and older.

This shows a strong connection between government policy and population change.

Let's have a check for understanding.

Identify and correct the three mistakes: So, political decisions by only the current government have directly shaped the UK's population, making it both smaller and older.

This shows the weak connection between government policy and population change.

So identify and correct the three mistakes.

Let's see how you got them.

So here they are.

These are the mistakes in green: So political decisions by only the current government have directly shaped the UK's population, making it both smaller and older.

This shows the weak connection between government policy and population change.

And this is what it should have looked like: Political decisions by both past and present governments have directly shaped the UK's population, making it both larger and older.

This shows strong connection between government policy and population change.

For task B, I'd like you to explain how political decisions have led to the UK having an increasing population and an ageing population.

And Lucas is reminding you that you may wish to consider immigration policy as well as legislation which has improved health outcomes.

So when explaining how political decisions have led to the UK having an increasing population and an ageing population, you may have included: Political decisions have shaped why the UK's population is both increasing and ageing.

Firstly, immigration policies like inviting the Windrush generation after World War II brought lots of new people to the UK, helping the population to grow.

Later, joining the EU allowed even more people from European countries to live and work in the UK, which also led to an increase in population.

Political decisions about healthcare and social support have led to an ageing population.

For example, the creation of the NHS in 1948 meant more people could get medical help for free, and legislation relating to better housing and benefits helped people live healthier, longer lives, ultimately resulting in an increase of older people in the UK's population.

In summary of the lesson "What Does Population Have to Do with Politics?" The government collects and uses population data to make informed, fair, and efficient decisions about how to run the country.

Data about how many people live in the UK, where they live, their ages, backgrounds, and needs helps the government do this effectively.

Political decisions made both by recent and historical governments have significantly impacted the population in the UK in terms of creating an increasing population and an ageing population.

These decisions include law and policy linked to immigration, housing, and healthcare.

That brings us to the end of the lesson.

Well done for working hard, and I hope that you'll come back for some more citizenship lessons in the future.