Age

• The link between age and voting behaviour is apparent as when people age they are more likely to be at the top of their earning so they are more likely to favour traditional Conservative policies such as lower taxation on higher earners therefore showing links with social class.
• In the 2019 general election 67% of voters nationally who were aged over 70 voted Conservative whereas 56% of those aged 18-24 years old voted Labour.
• YouGov says that age is the biggest dividing line in British politics and has been in the EU referendum and both the 2017 and 2019 general elections. For every 10 years older a voter gets their chance of voting Tory increased by around 9 points and their chance of voting Labour decreases by 8 points. The age at which voters switched from Labour to Conservative was 39 in the 2019
• In the Scottish Independence Referendum 2014, 62% of 25-29 year olds voted yes and as the groups aged the support for independence declined with only 33% of those aged 70 and above voting yes. 16-19 bucked this trend with only 46% voting yes.
• In the EU Referendum 2016, the older voters were more likely to vote no than the younger voters. 18-24 29% of voters chose leave compared to 64% of those in 65 and over.