Why Is The Election Divided Between The Old And Young?

In this battle for votes, it is often said there isn’t much difference between Labour and the Conservatives, especially on the broad thrust of economic policy. But one of the more striking features of the campaign is the very different ways the two main parties are chasing the support of particular generations.

- SEAN O'GRADY

With every fresh policy announcement, the Conservatives seem to be targeting older voters while Labour is targeting the young. It exacerbates what has been a growing intergenerational divide. The latest in a long list of demographic dividing lines is Rishi Sunak's pledge to scrap "ripoff" or "Mickey Mouse" degrees. This polarising trend carries some important implications for the future of British politics.

How deep is the divide between old and young?

As deep as it can be. For example, the latest YouGov poll of overall voting intention puts Labour on 47 per cent to the Tories' 20 per cent, which is fairly normal these days. But among the 1824 age group, Conservatives only have 4 per cent support vs 65 per cent for Labour. In fact, it's not unusual to find the Conservatives languishing in fourth or fifth place behind the Liberal Democrats, the Greens and the SNP/Plaid among younger voters. Nigel Farage's Reform UK, it must be added, is even less fancied by the teenagers than the Tories.

Only among the over-65s does Sunak's party enjoy a lead, and even then a slim one - 36 per cent to 32 per cent. That age O is also Reform's strongest base, and why the Tories are working hard to peel them back by pointing out that a vote for Reform will put Starmer into No 10.