Are older people today out of touch politically with younger generations?

The Swiss referendum was very close indeed as well - 50.3% to 49.7% rejecting then EEA membership - in fact even closer. I understand that it has only fairly recently withdrawn its application for membership of the EU, so obviously whatever agreements are in place must be working to the satisfaction of Switzerland.

Would you like the Swiss Government to hold another referendum jura and, if so, what do you think the outcome would be after 25 years?
What was the demographic trend at the time and has it changed over the years?

Day6- tell me, as you have avoided to do, again and again, apart from attacking, personally and otherwise...
how YOU KNOW that this is not a fact? Please.

* thank goodness you voted remain and understand why being part of EU is so important to us and our future*

jura Tell us why YOU KNOW that this is a fact.

This will involve you and the young people you know having to consult their crystal balls.

Jura you seem to imagine the end of the world is about to befall us. It's all very melodramatic. The world will carry on turning you know.

Lack of EU directives gives us a different way forward, puts hundreds of billions of pounds in our coffers and gives us worldwide trading opportunities we can explore without restrictions. Theresa May has just completed a nine billion trading deal with China BEFORE Brexit.

Lack of acceptance and predictions of everything, absolutely everything, being dreadful because of Brexit isn't helpful, but stay stuck in that gloomy rut if it suits you.

I think the old people have totally spoilt it by looking for ‘the good old days

But BlueBelle, do you really think all old people keep looking back? I can only speak for myself and the over 60s I know, but we are all computer literate, active, involved and politically and socially aware.

Gone are the days of old people being restricted. We are the generation that appreciate that 'the good old days' weren't always good and there are MANY advantages in living in the 21st century.

Why paint a picture of older people being limited and backward thinking? You do us all a disservice and give ammo to Remainers and anyone who wants to tar everyone over a certain age with the same brush.

Active old people of today are a very different demographic to the stereotypical image you seem to hang on to.

The world is about to have more elderly people than young children for the first time in human history. Do not write us off as being useless and uninformed. It is a different world.

Wilma perhaps read that sentence again, it makes sense to me.

^ no I don't think it's because uni fees and find the idea that a large number of voters of all ages would base their votes in a general election on something like that ridiculous^.

From seeing some of the people interviewed on TV about immigration and their lack of understanding about why nothing has changed since the vote it is only to easy to believe that a promise of £27k would influence people's votes. I have seen quite a few people on the news commenting that we still have lots of brown people coming into the country since the vote and not being happy about it! Doesn't say much for the intelligence of the British voter.

At least 'young' people seem to be more interested and involved in politics now. Not long ago there was concern that very few bothered to vote at all.
By the way our eldest daughter and her partner both voted 'Leave'. They're not exactly young (40s), or uneducated, and thought that economically UK would be better off out. I think they're changing their minds now.

I think you can really only generalise GracesGran. Nobody can really know how anyone voted or why. But the results do show a big difference between the number of young Labour voters and older Tory voters last year compared to the 1987 election 30 years ago. My own opinion is that years ago young voters were more influenced by how their parents voted than today.

I do support lowering the voting age.

Please forgive missed 't's - it seems to be a sticky key.

I think young people in general do think older people today out of touch politically with younger generation and I think the EU referendum and the General Election last year reflects this opinion.

I wonder if that is any different to how it has always been WMKF. I certainly think they realised they need to have their say after Brexit although, of course, we now know it was not the very young but those up to 40/50 ish who were the main remain voters. I do think that each stereotype you can think of occurs in each age group.

Hopefully we will get votes at 16 and that will change the balance.

Put that wooden spoon away GGM2 it’s falling apart with over use.

I see telling someone "it's a rubbishy piece" as stirring Lemons. You rarely join in he actual debate just throw in the odd attack so please don't tell me what to do. I get the feeling you may be a failed teacher.

lemongrove thanks for the link. I must admit I'm not convinced by the study methodology, but in any case it is only comparing the 2015 and 2017 elections.

Nonnie no I don't think it's because uni fees and find the idea that a large number of voters of all ages would base their votes in a general election on something like that ridiculous. I don't understand what your last sentence means.

Younge grandchilder expressed the views
It was fascinating to hear such strong views from younger family members,

Nonnie
Someone up thread has suggested that you are a grandparent

It was me, I think, as that was the impression I gained from the OP. However, James could in fact be the grandchild he (or she) referred to - or anyone seeking the views of others without being forthcoming about their own. How do we know that anyone is what they seem to be on GN?

It’s a long read Wilma but go to ukpollingreport.co.uk
Which seems to say that there was no ‘youthquake’.

James I have read all the comments on this thread, have you? If so why did you not answer my question?

Someone up thread has suggested that you are a grandparent. Perhaps the young people at your lunch were reflecting their opinion of you. In the absence of any information about the other older people they know I am left wondering.

Wilma not disputing your figures in any way. Why do you think so many young voters came out to vote and why Labour? Could it have something to do with them being told they were going to be about £27k better off because they uni fees would be paid? Hmm I think so and I think it would also have influenced their parents and grandparents. Now it is not quite so clear that Labour knew where the money would have come from.

No, don't Tories, their new Housing Minister is MP for Esher and Waltong, what does he know about the average person?!

Put that wooden spoon away GGM2 it’s falling apart with over use.

Day6, I do agree that our own circumstances and the reactions to those around us can change our perception. Yes, some young people did vote leave. I don't happen to know a single one of them - and all the ones I know, family or friends say ' thank goodness you voted remain and understand why being part of EU is so important to us and our future- why oh why can't our own parents NOT understand that'.

WilmasKnickersFit post above gives a really good explanation of how people voted. The political divide has never been wider.

I honestly don't know lemongrove. I don't have any 'feeling' right now for how the voting would go.

Do you have a link about the questionable voting numbers?

What an interesting level of debate we have reached when the best someone can say about something they disagree with is "it’s a rubbishy piece anyway". Were the feet being stamped at the same time?

Wilma some doubt has been thrown on the ‘young voter’
Figures for the GE and referendum if you look online at the
Poll news.
There is no doubt that Corbyn and Momentum have recruited well from the universities ( the far left have always had a grip there) will this translate into anything meaningful
In terms of votes for Labour at future GE’s though?

Ginny42 ....I will and have dismissed it as a rubbishy piece of writing, and perhaps you should have said that you wish more British people were as articulate rather than English.
Being articulate, writing well, does not mean the content is not rubbish!
It reads like the sort of bile spewed out ever since the Remainers lost the vote in the referendum.

Thank you WK - really helpful post and data.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201802/medium-943801-screenshot-2018-02-01-022559.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201802/medium-618542-screenshot-2018-02-01-021140.jpg

I think young people in general do think older people today out of touch politically with younger generation and I think the EU referendum and the General Election last year reflects this opinion.

In June last year the FT reported young people turned out to vote in the 2017 UK general election in greater numbers than at any other point for 25 years.

The turnout of voters aged 18-24 was 64% and brings 18-24s into line with the 25-34 and 35-44 age groups, ending decades of a disproportionate number of young voters.

But turnout was not the only big change. Young voters have always tended to favour Labour and older voters the Tories, but a small and steady gap has become a huge gulf. In 1987 18-24s preferred Labour to the Tories by just 2%, while over-65s preferred the Tories by 14 points — i.e. a gap of 16%. Thirty years on in 2017, 18-24s preferred Labour by 35% and over-65s preferred the Tories by 36% i.e. the other way - a gap of 71%. The first chart shows the results by age and that this is reflected across all the social classes.

Last week the Guardian published the results of 5000 voters to find out if they'd changed their minds about leaving the EU. The second chart shows the results by age and social class, but this time the lower the social class, the more likely voters were to vote Leave.

I doubt the political gap has ever been wider.

young people do want to have doors opened to the world- they don't want YOU to decide they have to remain in Little Britain

Jura, you are an ardent Remainer but you do not speak for all young people. Don't you see that?

Many young people voted to leave. Many young people will take the future as it comes. There is very little we can do about the direction in which the government steers us and that has been the case over my lifetime. The people were given the vote on the EU. It was NOT an old versus young vote, every eligible person got the chance to say which course of action they preferred. but carry on portraying older people as villainous if it suits your agenda.

Try seeing leaving the EU as a breaking free from an organisation which has a stranglehold on its members (and expects them to pay billions every year for that asphyxiation.) Far from being Little Britain (again another Project Fear portrayal) we are OPENING our doors to opportunity and the world.

I believe other member states of the EU will follow our lead, in the near future.

"No (sic) we have the attack on the young. Very sad."

Keep stirring GGMK2. That seems to be your role.

If I attacked the young I'd be attacking my own flesh and blood. I have children in their 20s and we enter into many interesting discussions about the world and the way in which they see their futures. They are bright enough to appreciate that their parents and grandparents laid the foundations for many of the privileges in life they enjoy today - which is nice.

We all conclude we cannot bank on anything. Nothing in life is guaranteed, ever.
No one knows what the future will hold or whether it will be good or bad.
That's a more mature approach than yours, I'd suggest.