Britain has favoured the old over the young for too long
by Phillip Inman from Economics | The Guardian on (#4EY1W)
Rising pensioner wealth has muddied statistical measures of inequality and family poverty. It is time for fundamental change
Older people are a nervous, anxious bunch. We know this from the way they vote. By quite a large margin, the over-65s vote for the Conservative party.
Shoring up their wealth has become a priority during a period when Britain's economic outlook has become more uncertain and their own finances may need to cope with years, possibly decades, of failing health. A more enlightened viewpoint might have led them to vote for governments that proposed pooling a greater share of wealth to ease these fears. But they haven't.
Labour wants to prise pensioners away from the Tories with promises to match their generosity. That's a costly business
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