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.

My parents are both 60+. One voted Leave, one voted Remain.

My Dad was 19 in 1973. He didn't have any say in joining the EU. Two years later, he voted leave. The country voted the opposite. He was a young person given a future that he didn't want or agree with, but he made the most of it and achieved a hell of a lot. This experience also inspired him to move into politics in later life.

Both my parents adore their children and would do anything for us. They are both highly intelligent and well-informed - both voted for what they thought would help young people the most.

Same with most older people I know - they love their children/grandchildren so why would they sit there and think "you know what, I'm going to vote to screw over my children/grandchildren".

It's ridiculous.

So the outters voted because of their fears over immigration isn't this is as simplistic as blaming it on the over 60s

It Narrow assuming blaming thinking

YANBU and I wonder how people think hurling abuse is going to persuade any old people to do things differently.

JamieVardysParty

Interesting post with some great points. My Mum who is 78 voted leave, but my Stepdad who is 80 voted remain. We aren't throwing hate around about it.

My mum is 81 and she wanted remain. Her reasoning was all related to war.

I'm 59. If these figures are correct - and I'm not sure how they've arrived at them - then I am appalled at what my generation seems to have done.

I detest ageism and have called posters out on it many times but I can understand the anger and I think we have to take it on the chin.

I am 60+ as is DH & most of our friends. I would say that 90% of people of that age I know voted remain.

I am so sick of the ageism on MN.

How are these stats arrived at if votes are secret?

If there's any 'anger' to be taken out on a section of the public it should be directed at the 10 million or so who were obviously quite happy with the current set up and decided not to vote!

Warning! Warning! Warning! Old person on thread! I am 60 and I voted to join in 1975 and I voted to remain on 23rd. I am struggling to come to terms with what has happened and feel like I have been punched in the solar plexus.

I agree OP, it makes me really annoyed.
Not all over 60s voted Leave (my Dad, for instance, is a very passionate Remain advocate - this campaign is the first thing I've seen him enthusiastic about in decades).
Not all 'working class' people voted Leave.
Not all people voted Leave for the same reason (xenophobia/ because the Sun said so/ because they think Boris is a jolly good fellow) any more that everyone voted Remain for the same reason (because we're liberal lefties/ capitalist patsies/middle-class Londoners who don't give a shit about the poor)

I find the generalisations going around about 'old people screwing the nation over' as worrying as I find the generalisations on 'immigrants taking our jobs'.

Yes it's disgusting. The fact that remain supporters are scrapping the barrel and trying to find hateful reasons why every body didn't vote the same way as them is madness.

Apparently if you voted out you are

Old and selfish
Unintelligent
Uneducated
Stupid
Brainwashed
Racist.

And this all means that you are not allowed a vote apparently. So if you vote differently from one party - you are not allowed to vote. Hmmmm and I thought we lived in a democracy.

Don't you get it Kimononono ? Only the remain camp are allowed to vote

If there's any 'anger' to be taken out on a section of the public it should be directed at the 10 million or so who were obviously quite happy with the current set up and decided not to vote!

^ this. They are also probably complaining about the outcome like one of my friends.

This referendum - originally an internal Tory Party squabble, to transfer power from one Bullingdon Old Etonian to another - has totally polarised the country, far more than a GE.

Old / young / immigrants / indigenous / people on benefits / homeowners / renters - all set against each other.
Divide & Rule has always been how the 0.1% keep control of the rest of us.

That is Cameron's "legacy": a Disunited Kingdom, that may soon become a disunited rUk

If Remain had won, there would be similar fury from Brexit:
When Farage thought he might lost, he said he would't accept a 52:48 vote for Temain, but would start campaigning right away for another Referendum.
Half of the country was destined to be angry & hurt, whichever side won.

I agree op, it is disgusting. The over 60 shod not vote etc. This referendum has really brought out the nastiness in some.

Pudcat -

"I don't believe polls - exit or otherwise. Votes are secret. I have always taken great delight in saying the opposite to how I voted in an exit poll. I tell every party canvasser that I will vote for them in all elections. My vote is my vote and it is my secret, even my husband does not know how I vote."

I agree. The majority of polls predicted the wrong result for the general election last year, and the outcome of the referendum.
Why does anyone still believe them?

A different way of looking at it is those over 60's who voted out even though they won't get the full benefit of it! The economy isn't screwed any more than it was two days ago. Bloody internet is full of fortune teller warriors, where were you when the 2008 crash happened? Nobody predicted that yet all of a sudden Britain is doomed.

I'm 50 and voted leave as did dh who is 55. Our view however was not influenced by fb/the Sun etc, but by the fact we live in Brussels whilst dh works here; he has worked for the EU and was so appalled by the opaque way in which it is run, the waste, the lack of democracy etc, that he wouldn't have voted remain ever.

I voted leave as I have been opposed to the EU for a a very long time anyway and have been appalled by its actions re: Greece.

howabout
18-24 year olds were 75% remain I believe

What percentage of the total number of 18 - 24 year olds actually voted?

What percentage of the total number of 18 - 24 year olds actually voted?

Not seen myself but widely being reported that it was low.

I voted remain and so did everyone I know, other than one person.

What would be pertinent to know, is what percentage of under 30s either didn't register to vote or didn't vote. If 70 odd percent voted, what did the other 20 odd percent want?

When we were young we bought a house. We paid for that house by me working as a teacher during the week and having a weekend job as well. The interest rate was 15% at least and people who were older be fitted from that for their savings. Now, I have very little in savings and what I do have gets less than 2% interest. My income won't increase. At some point soon, we'll have to move because we won't be able to afford to live here. Of course, there are older people who have excellent pensions. I'm not one of them and my lump sum went towards providing my children with a house deposit.

I voted remain for my children and grandchildren. Not for me, but I've had no favours over the years and my DH who is self employed, started a pension when he was young, that went tits up a few years ago.

What would be pertinent to know, is what percentage of under 30s either didn't register to vote or didn't vote. If 70 odd percent voted, what did the other 20 odd percent want?

They had a chance to vote. They didn't. If they wanted either way they should have voted.

I'm surprised that more older people voted to Leave. There's an assumption that older people don't like change, seemingly disproved as they took a leap into the unknown.
Remainers were voting for things to stay the same. There were interviews with young people asking why they were voting to stay and many of them said they were too scared/not brave enough to vote leave because they didn't know what would happen. So it appears they were more risk averse than the older voters.

Not all of us over 60s thought it a good idea to leave. I voted to stay, I know someone of almost 90 who also voted to stay.

If a large percentage of 18 - 24 year olds didn't bother to vote then they can hardly complain now if they feel worried that their future is in jeopardy; it's too bloody late.

One of my DDs and her DP voted to leave and they have a very young family. He's written on fb about how proud he is that he voted to leave.

I want to ask him if he's happy that it's going to cost more to feed their family, petrol costs are rising so the cost of everything needing delivery will rise, the value of their house will go down and the cost of their mortgage will rise, that their children are going to grow up in a narrow inward thinking country unless by some miracle something changes.

But I suspect he doesn't care as long as he thinks our borders will be closed and he can start living his life as a 'Little Englander'. Idiot.

I'll keep my mouth shut though in the interest of family harmony.

Sorry, just needed to rant.