to think the ageism because the old voted for Brexit is disgusting.

[mamamea]

It is 2016, the over 60's voted resoundingly in Brexit.

The young voted for Bremain.

However.... in 1975 today's over 60s were young people, and they voted heavily for Bremain, to stay within the Common Market. Those youthful Bremain voters have had the benefit of 40+ years of experience and have therefore changed their minds. Same people, different opinion.

AIBU to think it that the criticisms of the old for voting for Brexit are ageist nonsense (e.g., I have seen things such as saying that the young have longer to live, so their opinion counts more than some old people whom we will shortly have to bury anyway), and that elderly votes are every bit as valid as young ones.

[mamamea]

Some ageism samples: this from the Indescribablyawful

indy100.independent.co.uk/article/how-old-people-have-screwed-over-the-younger-generationin-three-charts--W1AA_n4nEb
Huffington Post

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/eu-referendum-results-age-data-young_uk_576cd7d6e4b0232d331dac8f

Lots more of this stuff around.

[SideOrderofChip]

They have once again screwed it for the next generation. By the time alot of the policy will be introduced they will be beyond caring.

Its not them that has to live with it.

[branofthemist]

How is it not them that have to live with it? Over 60s may be here for a long time. I bloody hope so. My mum is only 61.

Do we think people with terminal cancer shouldn't be allowed to vote, because they won't be around in 5-10 years?

I don't think the older vote is any less valid than anyone else's.

[cosytoaster]

I don't think the older vote is any less valid than anyone else's. - agree with this.
I think older people are more likely to vote, maybe more young people should have actually made the effort.

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

There was a piece in yesterday's paper about Glastonbury - a huge percentage of young people there had not voted because either they hadn't bothered to register or hadn't got around to getting a postal vote.

[Whisperingeye1]

I think people are angry that the over 60's that benefitted from affordable housing, good pensions etc have not truly considered the impact that leaving will have on the younger generations. For example it is predicted that there will be a 20% drop in house prices this will certainly put a large percent of the younger generations who are lucky enough to be on the property ladder in negative equity. There has been a lack of consideration for the fact that other people will be living with the long term consequences. However they are entitled to vote and have used it which is their right to do.

[YourPerception]

Having listened to Sheila Hancock on Ch 4 I believe we should listen to those with experience more. People who know what life outside the EU think it's ok.

[Binkybix]

No ageism from me - I think everyone who voted leave has made an idiotic choice.

[Brexit]

With age comes wisdom.

[mamamea]

"For example it is predicted that there will be a 20% drop in house prices this will certainly put a large percent of the younger generations who are lucky enough to be on the property ladder in negative equity"

Are you actually for real?

The average first time buyer is aged 37.

The percent of younger generations 'on the property ladder' is vanishing small. In 1991, 35% of the 16-24 age group owned a house. Now it is only 8%.

Those with most to gain from falling house prices is the younger generation.

[ThenLaterWhenItGotDark]

The majority of them voted Brexit. The majority of younger people voted Bremain.

It was always going to be like that.

In elections, the older generation are more likely to vote for the conservative (small c) than the younger generation.

What has happened here, and what the psephologists are now working on, which I think will be very revealing, is how many traditional "working class" presumed "Labour" policy voters, have voted for Brexit, and how many traditional non voters did. That's where this vote was won. Not the older generation who were ever thus, and ever will be as a group. But on the two-fold complacency from Bremain that a) they had it in the bag and b) the "working class" would not vote for a right wing inspired ideology.

[ThenLaterWhenItGotDark]

PS Sorry for multitudes of inverted commas etc. Don't want this to look like Labour v Conservative. Because it very much was never that!

[ImperialBlether]

It doesn't make sense that the elderly are responsible for the exit from the EU. Over 50% of the voters voted to leave. They can't all have been old, ffs! I'm in my fifties and not one of my contemporaries have voted to leave - we're old enough perhaps to know just how bad it's going to be.

[Batteriesallgone]

In the 1975 election was it the young that voted for the EU?

I thought the older population in 1975 was heavily in favour of the EU?

Also - it's not ok to make sweeping statements about the actions of the over 60s now, but it is ok to make sweeping statements about 'how they voted' in their 20s? Im happy to make generalisations and sweeping statements myself btw I'm just confused by the rules.

[GhoulWithADragonTattoo]

Retired people do have less at stake than people at the start or middle of their careers. I think a lot of them should have thought how it will impact on their kids and grandkids before voting out with no clear idea what that means. Of course their vote is worth the same but they should not have exercised in a selfish way disregarding the impact on younger people.

[Ailicece]

The irony is that in 20 or so years, England-Wales (all that will be left of the UK) will come crawling back to the EU as the electorate will by then be overwhelmingly pro Europe. Unfortunately we won't get special treatment but will have given up all our special clauses in exchange for the breakup of the UK.

That's if the EU itself doesn't break up which after this is a frighteningly real possibility. The possible consequences don't bear thinking about, with right-wing populists fuelling nationalism all across the continent, just like in the 1930s...

[Mrskeats]

No ageism from me
I believe all people you voted out are stupid

[howabout]

18-24 year olds were 75% remain I believe? However there is a reason that I think the driving age should be 25. This age group are demonstrably bad at assessing risk.

I have 2 teenagers and a toddler. Housing moving down towards having some affordable link to earnings and the prospect of a sensible real return on savings look like positives for my DC. This is what I benefited from in my 20s. ( I was in London during the 90s with the erm exit and negative equity and 15% interest rates - the sky did not fall in).

[YoungGirlGrowingOld]

I didn't vote - there was nothing remotely edifying about either campaign. But I find the ageism pretty horrifying.

The outcome may well have been different if there was higher turnout amongst the youth. Who's fault is that?

[YoungGirlGrowingOld]

Sorry, whose....

[OvariesBeforeBrovaries]

18-24 year olds were 75% remain I believe? However there is a reason that I think the driving age should be 25. This age group are demonstrably bad at assessing risk

The irony of reading that on a thread about all us naughty youngsters being ageist against the baby boomers.

[SuburbanRhonda]

With age comes wisdom.

For some people, not for all.

[mamamea]

Batteriesallgone it's not about generalizations. It is a fact that the 18-34 generation went more than 2 for 1 for Remain in 1975 (source: contemporary polling).

There wasn't, it has to be said, a significant generation gap at that time - all ages went for Remain in similar numbers, but nonetheless the youth of 1975 who then endorsed the European Community, have lived through 41 more years of it and have changed their minds.

[Britnyspears]

I agree. What about people in their 30s? Not young or old. Don't we exist? Why domwe assume young people know everything? I thought life was very simple and straight forward then. Politics today is all about likes and funny memes. The amount of crap on both sides on social media- young people are hardly informed. The economy was fuct for them anyway. House prices, uni fees, jobs for life etc etc were all ready a joke.

[RaeSkywalker]

I think the problem is, it's easier to vote for the idealised version of the future sold by Brexit, when you have little to lose by voting that way. My grandfather (who I love dearly) voted Leave, based on the 'idealised but not a drop of substance' "Take Back Control" slogan. But he has a final
Salary pension, a house he bought for £12,000 which is now worth £400,000, and is retired. The fears of Remainers about what this vote means simply aren't relevant to a lot of the Leave voters. I do despair at "well we were fine outside the EU before". Yes, but time has moved on, the world is getting smaller.

I'm not ageist, and anyone saying anything horrible about older people in light of the referendum, or any other issue, would get short shrift from me. Nonetheless, most of the Leave voters I know are 70+, and unconcerned about the effects of the referendum in the way that I am, because most of the older people I know are far more financially secure than I am. I appreciate that not all older people are financially secure btw, before anyone calls me up on that.,