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

There was no reason why Mr Cameron couldn't have taken the referendum as an indication of the country's feelings and used it as a lever to renegotiate our status within the EU.

Nfk, I agree that, particularly in view of the closeness of the result, that would have been the sensible thing to do. But the idiot Cameron had already exceeded his powers and promised to respect the result. So locking us into this lunacy from the word go.

Chewbacca

Nor did she refer to the fact that a percentage of the older generation voted to remain

As one of that percentage I can live with that...

And what of the percentage of her own generation who voted to leave Maizie? What sweeping generalisations should they be grouped in? Perhaps if they'd dragged themselves to the polling station the outcome of this debacle could have been avoided. Or is it more convenient to dump the blame on older, ageing, dying population?

Perfect analysis by Orjan Pettersen .
Does anyone have any idea who Orjan Petterson is please?

And rather a flawed, one-sided 'analysis' - in fact it's a viewpoint, not a true analysis in any sense of the word.

It was hardly a 'rubbishy piece' LG. You don't agree with her, but don't dismiss it as rubbish. I could wish that more English people were as articulate.

It's articulate, but I think talking about the world where colour, creed and so on won't matter, whilst dismissing a whole section of society as not worth anything much because they're aging or 'dying' isn't exactly perfect.

If she did, she'd see that 36% of the "older, ageing, dying generation" voted to remain. Whilst she's at it, perhaps she could have a quiet word with the 29% of 18 -24 year olds, and the 46% of 25 - 49 year olds ,who voted to leave.

Thanks for the figures Chewbacca
Can we drop the anger issues now of the young, because it seems many of them actually saw a brighter future for themselves outside the EU.

"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.

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.

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.

Thank you WK - really helpful post and data.

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.

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?

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?

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?

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.

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

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?!

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.

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

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?

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.

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.

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.

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

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.