The old are far more likely to vote than the young, and hence hold far greater political sway. According to Ipsos Mori, turnout among the 18-24 age group at the last general election was 44%. Among pensioners it was 76%. The median voting age – the point at which half the voters were above the age, and half below – was 49 years.
The bias cuts across all parties, but it particularly affects the Conservatives, who would be a hollowed-out shell without English pensioners. Policy after policy – affecting some crucial decisions for our future – is feeling the hot breath of grey power. We are becoming a gerontocracy.
Take the European Union. Nick Clegg on Sunday defended the right to travel to other member states if people – mainly the young – cannot find jobs here. About time, too. Over 100,000 British people live in Germany, some 150,000 in France, 390,000 in Spain. Overall, there are similar numbers of EU citizens living and working here as British citizens living elsewhere in the EU.
This freedom of movement is often cited as a reason to support the EU among the young: an ICM poll last week found that just 32% of 18- to 24-year-olds opposed EU membership compared with 60% of those over 65. Not surprisingly the Conservatives are now pushing an EU agenda that will curtail freedom of movement if they win the next election. Old: 1. Young: 0.
Take the benefit cuts, which reveal the boomerang effects of confrontational politics. Labour accused the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives during the last election of planning to cut pensioner benefits. David Cameron was forced to promise that he would protect them, and has refused to climb down.
Since more than half of welfare benefits go on pensioners, this left far worse cuts to be inflicted on the rest of the welfare budget that goes on people of working age. Winter fuel allowance for 33,000 on the Costa del Sol? Protected. Free bus passes and TV licences for millionaires? Protected. And now the Conservatives are trying to cut benefits for young adults altogether. Old: 2. Young: 0.
Then there is housing. There is only one way of making housing affordable, whether to rent or to buy. That is to build more of it. Any other cure is snake-oil. The "Help to Buy" scheme will get some people on the housing ladder by pushing others off it, unless supply increases. In theory, the government is set to increase housing supply, but its record is disappointing, stymied by vested interests. New towns? Nothing. Auctions for greenfield land so the public sector could afford social housing? Nowt. Offices converted to flats? Sabotaged by exclusion zones.
Who wants more supply and lower property prices? The young trying to get on the housing ladder. Who wants less supply and higher house prices? The old wanting to boost their retirement income. Old: 3. Young: 0.
Guess which age group cares most passionately about the National Health Service, and with good reason. Even if you are as rich as Croesus, your health insurance will not cover you for chronic illness. In the US, 30% of the Medicare budget goes on 1% of the population – people in their last year of life.
One of the Conservatives' key election promises was to protect NHS spending in real terms. More health spending means overwhelmingly more spending on the old, and more tax paid by the young. Old: 4. Young: 0.
Take climate change. For the old, the slowness of environmental ruin spells little lifetime danger. Instead, it means the inconvenience of wind turbines spoiling a view. So we have offshore turbines costing 60% more: it is more expensive repairing a turbine from a boat on the Dogger Bank than from a Land-Rover in Yorkshire. Old: 5. Young: 0.
Take education, where the Liberal Democrats promised no rise in tuition fees. Personally, I regret that we compromised on that promise without making Cameron compromise on rich pensioner benefits. Result: young people will leave university with £27,000 of debt when today's graduate pensioners had free tuition. Old: 6. Young: 0.
The cost of pandering to pensioners is social arthritis. A young Treasury minister was once sent out to public meetings to explain currency metrication from the old 20 shillings and 12 pennies. "Young man," said an old lady, "why can't you leave all these changes until us old folk are dead?"
Someone needs to fight the selfish, short-sighted old. They are the past, not the future. We are penalising our young. If you are young, do not expect shelter. Do not expect healthcare. Pay for your education. Do not bank on benefits. Thinking of emigration? Better hurry while you still can.
Chris Huhne is currently entitled to a free bus pass in 2020
Source: theguardian.com/
Author: Chris Huhne
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