That the old and the young vote differently is true. Which is why we should all be giving thanks to Granny. For it’s only at about the age when one is likely to be enjoying that second generation of fecundity that one is mature enough to be voting Tory. As these two show:
Lord Knows we’re not entirely enamoured with the Tories around here these days but it’s better than this:
As the Mail goes into detail upon:
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] The Generation Why? report by centre-Right think-tank Onward found that every generation and ethnic group, including Remain supporters, back curbs on immigration. The policy is supported by 38 per cent of 18-24 year-olds, 68 per cent of over-65s, 40 per cent of Asian voters, 45 per cent of Black voters and 40 per cent of Remain voters. Only 16 per cent of under-35s said they would currently vote for the Conservatives. Just 17 per cent of Tory voters are aged under 45, and only 4 per cent are under 25. [/perfectpullquote]There’s a thing we need to understand here though. Why the menopause? It appears to occur only in humans and certain cetaceans. So, why does it? The usual argument being that having some mature types around – also not obsessed with raising their own children – leads to a better outcome for all in the society, especially that second generation of their own offspring.
Which is rather what we’d say about those voting patterns, isn’t it? It’s only after three decades of being exposed, as an adult, to the promises of politicians that we gain the wisdom to vote for the people who promise not to do anything. Yes, Granny does indeed keep society more conservative – if not Conservative – than it would be with only young people around. And Thank The Lord for that.
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Remind me, which party am I supposed to vote for to get a conservative into parliament?
“There’s a thing we need to understand here though. Why the menopause? It appears to occur only in humans and certain cetaceans. So, why does it?”
Because the primary function of any organism is to reproduce. Once it has done that in evolutionary terms it is no longer required, which is why many organisms have very short lifespans. Humans too used to have short lives; survival past 30 years was rare.
The Human body is not fully developed until about 18 to 21 years old, the period of maximum reproductive capacity, then it begins to die, it has done its job.
Menopause is just part of that post-21 decay, as well as other degenerative conditions of body and mind which appear with advancing age. It only occurs in Humans because other animals do not live long enough for it to appear. Humans were just not ‘designed’ to live long, so menopause would have been a rarity among our ancestors.
The reason for short lives is so that an organism having fulfilled its reproductive duty, does not live to compete for resources, particularly food, with the new generation.
N'être pas socialiste à vingt ans est preuve d'un manque de cœur ; l'être après trente ans est preuve d'un manque de tête.
Georges Clemenceau (1841–1929) d'après François Pierre Guillaume Guizot (1787–1874)
A thought experiment - suppose everyone aged 67+ disappeared from Great Britain tonight. Would the Conservative party lose the next election or would it, being the more intelligent of the big operators, shift its policies in ways which still capture marginally more votes than the dependency party as it has managed to do so at the last 3 elections.
The question, if rephrased, is really about whether the Conservatives have moved policies in line with the increase in life expectancy, or whether Conservatism has stayed the same, but increasing life expectancy has brought more people under its aegis. I suspect the former, but can't suggest a proof.