Social attitudes

Generation gap

Why a resurgence in support for the welfare state won’t help Labour

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Readers' comments




Might this be because the older generation is almost entirely White British, while younger Britons tend to be of a browner hue?

Lord only knows that here in the US, the handouts received disproportionately by older whites (Social Security, Medicare, the mortgage interest deduction) are seen as sacrosanct, while those disproportionately received by minorities (e.g. food stamps, TANF, Medicaid) are seen as "parasitic."


Summing up this article. Pensioners want pensions. The young want opportunities. The recession-hit folks fear poverty for themselves and therefore want unemployment payments to match a decent standard of living. Big surprise. The only intelligent thing to come out of this article would be Labour's stance on siding with the young. The elderly do not swing elections. They vote how they have always voted. Labour knows the conservatives won't get the most votes. In the worst case a labour-lib coalition will please most. All in all the elderly will suffer the consequences unfortunately.

Cutters. in reply to rusholmeruffian

Poles are currently the largest immigrant population, there are more of them in the UK then Welsh speakers.

EU migrants are the reason for the pressures on the NHS and Schools and other social services, with money being diverted for translators and additional help for those that cannot be bothered to learn the language of the country they are staying in.

Younger Brits have also had to contend with the educational system playing politics.


The whole system needs resetting, the country must have a system that is financial viable while looking after the most at need while protecting the most productive.



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