to tell people that the Conservative party are only really popular amongst older voters

[chomalungma]

The headline figure is 40% support for the Conservatives. But that hides a real truth - support is low amongst younger people and higher amongst older people.

And older people are more likely to vote.

This is from You Gov - it's based on 11,500 people - so a much bigger survey - and more reliable.

yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2019/10/31/2019-general-election-demographics-dividing-britai

So basically, if you want to get rid of the Conservatives, get younger people out to vote.

Seems like you are suggesting a system where only the most uncontroversial policies could ever be implemented. I dont think that is better

I know - it's got lots of pros and cons. Have a strong Government which got voted in by a minority of the people but can get things done and through Parliament, or who have a Government that needs to get consensus and may not be able to be extreme in either direction.

It does work in many other countries though.

I'm 29, I've always voted conservative & will at the upcoming election. I'm Surrey/London based and know plenty of 20 & 30 something conservative voters - who've always voted conservative. A minority overall perhaps but not a total rarity.

@PaquitaVariation I haven’t, their Dad earns a good salary (not vast but ok) and pays a large amount of tax. He has worked his backside off to get to this point and will do until he retires. My DC recognise that it takes a level of dedication, investment and work to do his job but why would anyone bother if they earn no more than someone doing a job that doesn’t require this. There has to be some reward to motivate people. The joy if simply paying more tax to cover the shortfall for people that don’t want to isn’t going to inspire anyone young or otherwise.

I’ll only believe in the whole socialist state thing when the people in charge are taking home the same as someone on minimum wage. I mean if we’re all equal and working for the good of society alone that that seems fair doesn’t it?

A minority overall perhaps but not a total rarity

Of course not - and I am sure I never suggested otherwise. It's just interesting to see how the polling changes with ages.

When I was in my late teens, I voted Conservative in a council election. I also planned to join The Countryside Alliance, having been given a highly selective leaflet about them at a country fair. I was strongly anti-EU and didn’t understand why we gave them so much money. I don’t remember reading anything positive about EU membership back then, only crap about wasted billions and bendy bananas.

But then I read more about UKIP and was disappointed that I didn’t like their other policies. At 19, I moved to another EU country for two years and learned more about the EU and about all the opportunities outside the UK. I was so naive before I left. It hadn’t even occurred to me that I couldn’t just live and work wherever I liked.

Oh, and I also learned more about what the Conservatives and The Countryside Alliance actually DO, and nowadays I wouldn’t touch either of them with a barge pole.

DC recognise that it takes a level of dedication, investment and work to do his job but why would anyone bother if they earn no more than someone doing a job that doesn’t require this

Pretty certain that's not the plan...

So what’s your point? Ageism and bigotry against the over-40s? A purge of the oldies?

Sounds like some typical divisiveness from the left.

The only thing that's keeping Torys in power is Jeremy Corbyn.

For those wanting PR and some sort of coalition - take a look at Belgium. In 2010 (iirc) they went over 540 days without a government.

This time round, they have gone over 100 days, and now have a new PM(who is Francophone and female), but how long her government will last with the Flemish NVA not hugely in favour will be interesting.

A Dutch friend once explained how their system works as voting for the party you want and has the policies you like, but knowing you might end up with only 25% of that being enacted, depending on whom they are in coalition with. That doesn't appeal to me.

So what’s your point? Ageism and bigotry against the over-40s? A purge of the oldies

Can you point to any ageism or bigotry in this thread?

It's interesting to see the difference in voting intentions between young and old.

And older people are more likely to vote...

So if you are a young person and you want to make a difference, don't just say you support a party, go out and vote for them.

@chomalungma and I couldn’t quite believe my ears when I listened to the interview, I think it was Emma Barnett who did the interview and she sounded gobsmacked at what was being said.

I would guess many younger voters will vote Green, they probably realise by now the student loans thing won’t happen. And Corbyn has been pretty unclear over Brexit

It does work in many other countries though
But you claimed it was 'better'. I accept other countries use it but where is the evidence it is better?

Every country is different, does the UK really want a different system?
Would it create less democracy? The public would have no idea what policies they were voting on because coalition policies are created after an election, in 'dark smoke filled rooms'.

It's interesting to see the difference in voting intentions between young and old.

Yes, the older generations are more likely to have experience of how destructive socialist governments are, and vote accordingly. The fact that almost everyone who grew up alongside Jeremy Corbyn despises him should give you a clue.

But you claimed it was 'better'. I accept other countries use it but where is the evidence it is better

Better in my opinion - because of the fairness of it all.

Other people have different opinions - I am sure that many Conservative voters were fine with Labour getting a landslide victory in 1997 with only 43% of the vote.

Yes, the older generations are more likely to have experience of how destructive socialist governments are, and vote accordingly

And many people grew up with Thatcher and remember her legacy. They remember what the Conservative party really is.

It's always been the case that people vote Conservative when they grow up.

And many people grew up with Thatcher and remember her legacy. They remember what the Conservative party really is.

Yes - an engine of economic growth and opportunity for millions of people. We’d be a benighted backwater today if the far left had won in the 80s, and may yet become one if we let them win now.

I reckon people secretly vote conservative as well and lie to save face.

I agree SnowJon

Yes - an engine of economic growth and opportunity for millions of people

And also someone who did fuck all to tackle inequality and caused a lot of economic hardship in parts of the country.

And now the Conservative party have woken up to these neglected parts....after years of neglect.

Inequality is an abstract problem at best - what people really want is opportunity for themselves and their families. If they get that, concerns about “inequality” tend to melt away...

I am 47 from an ex mining town in the north I vote Conservative. My son and his pals 27-35 all vote Conservative too...

'If a man is not a socialist by the time he is 20, he has no heart. If he is not a conservative by the time he is 40, he has no brain.'

Yeah but older people vote.

I reckon people secretly vote conservative as well and lie to save face.

Undoubtedly. The Tory vote on election day is always significantly higher than opinion polls predict. Pollsters try to correct for this, but there is a limited amount they can do when large numbers of people lie to them because they think it socially unacceptable to admit they vote Tory.