Warning of ‘doom’ for the Tories as major new poll finds middle-aged think more like their children than their parents on issues like LGBT rights, Brexit, ‘Britishness’, public services and the cost-of-living crisis
- New poll finds middle-aged think more similarly to their children than parents
- Britons now holding ‘young’ views later in life than their parents or grandparents
- Warning of ‘doom’ for Tories after research based on survey of 9,000 people
The Tories have been warned they are facing electoral ‘doom’ after a major new poll found the middle-aged think more similarly to their children than their parents.
Research based on a survey of nearly 9,000 people found that, on a range of issues, Britons are holding on to ‘young’ views much later in life than their parents and grandparents did.
The report by Portland Communications revealed that people were ‘increasingly reaching middle age with the views they developed in their youth’.
Those in their 40s and 50s were found to share the same beliefs as younger people about whether businesses should take a stand on social issues, or about discimination against LGBTQ+ people.
Britons in their early and late middle-age also differed to older generations in their views on the cost-of-living crisis, Brexit, public services, and ‘Britishness’.
The Conservatives were warned the findings showed the party could no longer rely on voters becoming ‘more Tory’ as they become older.
The breakdown of the traditional Tory coalition of middle-aged voters and those much older ‘spells doom’ for the Conservatives, the party was told.
The Conservatives were warned the survey’s findings showed the party could no longer rely on voters becoming ‘more Tory’ as they become older
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Cabinet ministers are today discussing the Tories’ strategy for the next general election – but they’ve been warned they face a more long-term challenge
Two-thirds of under-60s (66 per cent) thought it was important to fight discrimination against LGBTQ+ people – but only 48 per cent of those aged 60 or over felt the same
Just 58 per cent of those aged 35-59 said they were ‘proud’ to be British, compared to 70 per cent of the over-60s
The survey found that two-thirds of under-60s (66 per cent) thought it was important to fight discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, but only 48 per cent of those aged 60 or over felt the same.
More than half (51 per cent) of those aged 45-59 believed businesses should take a public stance on the Black Lives Matter campaign, but this fell to 39 per cent among the over-60s.
Just 58 per cent of those aged 35-59 said they were ‘proud’ to be British, compared to 70 per cent of the over-60s.
Only 39 per cent of 45 to 59-year-olds said they would vote against re-joining the EU, while 56 per cent of those aged 60 and over still backed Brexit.
More of those in their 40s and 50s said they were liberal (31 per cent) than said they were conservative (20 per cent), which was reversed for over-60s (27 per cent conservative, 22 per cent liberal).
Amid the cost of living squeeze on households, only 43 per cent of 35 to 59-year-olds said they were better off than their parents were at their age, compared to 61 per cent of those aged 60 and over.
The Portland report said: ‘Simply put, the difference in views of the oldest and the youngest is becoming ever more polarised, with the middle aged increasingly leaning more towards the young, than the old.
‘It’s a trend which looks set to grow in years to come and carries major implications for businesses and organisations operating in the UK.
‘It matters to brands, and for employers. It could also represent a post-dated death certificate for the style of politics which the current Conservative Party has depended on for decades, with voters getting reliably more Tory as they become older.’
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Cabinet ministers are today having an ‘away day’ at Chequers in Buckinghamshire, where they are expected to discuss the Tories’ strategy for the next general election.
And while the Conservatives are facing an immediate challenge in overhauling Labour’s consistent poll lead over recent months, the party is also being warned of a longer-term hurdle.
In an article for the Huffington Post website, Gabriel Milland, a partner at Portland, said: ‘Without the “grey” vote, lumping the middle-aged in with those much older, there would not have been Tories in government since 2010.
‘But if this coalition of the merely-getting-on-a-bit and the wrinkly is in the process of breaking down, then that spells doom for the Tories.
‘The Conservatives won a majority in 2015 with just a quarter of the 18-24-year-old vote, fewer than half of whom bothered to turn out anyway.
‘But the much bigger win in 2019 was greatly helped by winning half the 55 to 64-year-old group. And they vote in much larger numbers too.’
He added that a ‘cultural shift’ in those in their middle age ‘suggests that turning to the Tory fundamentals of faith and flag is not going to cut the mustard in retaining this group’.
Source: Read Full Article
