Politics is normally something I would avoid discussing at all costs.
There is no surer way to upset friends, alienate yourself and kill off an otherwise successful dinner party than by opening the door to politics.
For those who support a political party, there is an unswerving loyalty to the cause, and a stubborn refusal to even consider that there might be an opposing point of view. For the rest of us, there is a deep seated cynicism that it wouldn’t matter who was running the country, they’re only in it for what they can get out of it.
The continuing saga of MPs (and MEPs) expenses does nothing to dispel this notion – ditto the monotonous regularity with which politicians seem to be caught with their trousers down – so starting a conversation about politics is tantamount to lighting the blue touchpaper.
But hang on a minute........if you are over 50, then you should sit up and pay attention to this next bit, because you have considerably more power than you may realise, and your vote could just make the difference in the 2010 General Election.
General elections don’t come along that often. In fact there have only been 28 of them since Queen Victoria died. And history tells us that the turnout of voters at each election is roughly the same each time – certainly in more modern times.
But in the last few years, the UK population has been ageing at an accelerating rate, and more than 30% of us are now over 50 – the highest percentage ever.
So if the turnout at this year’s election is about the same as the 61% we saw in the 2005 election, and if, as expected, the percentages in each age group stay about the same, then it will be the over 50s who decide who takes control.
Traditionally, the older age groups have a much higher percentage turnout. So as the numbers in these age groups has increased rapidly, it is the “grey vote” which will carry the day.
It is predicted that one in every four voters will be over 65 – about 1.5 million more in total than those aged under 35. Just over 51% of all votes cast are likely to be by the over 50s. Something we have never seen before in an election of this importance.
So that should make issues such as the raising of the retirement age, reforming the pensions system, funding long term residential care, upgrading the NHS, and addressing inheritance tax thresholds, central to party policy.
Well, no, not quite.
If you can be bothered to look at the websites of the three main parties, you will see that both Labour and Conservative have indicative policies on “older people”. The Lib Dems don’t separate it out.
Labour and Conservatives have given about 400 words each, the Lib Dems about 100.....added together that is little more than the length of this article. Not a lot of meat there then.
I know from my own experiences and conversations, that many of us in our 50s still have dependent children at school, college or university, so education is still a high priority. And income tax, the cost of motoring and VAT are all important.
But it is issues such as how long we will have to work, how we will fund our retirement and what level of healthcare we can expect in later years that have become top of mind.
And it is the politicians which address these issues the loudest, longest and clearest that will benefit from the votes on May 6 – if that is indeed the historic day.
Saga, the brand most closely associated with older consumers, has published its own “Saga Generation Manifesto” calling for a fairer society for the over 50s and taking a pop at the “cult of youth, which affects all political parties.”
The obsession with youth among all politicians is, of course, a real irony, since most of them are pushing hard for a bus pass themselves. Of the 634 MPs elected in 2005 554 of them were over 40....and 114 of those were over 60. If ever there was a group of people which should have an empathy with the 21 million voters over the age of 50 it is them.
So...what is to be learned from all of this?
In my view, all of us are, at heart, a little bit selfish, and we really only want what is best for us and our families first and foremost.
So, if you are over 50, then my advice is, unless you have an unshakeable political allegiance to one party or other, when the starting gun is fired and the manifestos are published, take a long hard look at who is promising what, then give your support to the party which has really taken our issues on board.
But whatever your feelings...just make sure you vote!
• Dick Lumsden is Managing Director of Senioragency, one of the few companies specialising in marketing and advertising to the 50+ group. If you have any views, or are over 50 and would like to take part in some informal consumer research, please contact him on dlumsden@senioragency.co.uk or sign up on his website at www.senioragency.co.uk
