Only The Over-70s Would Vote Tory, Poll Finds
Rishi Sunak gestures as he visits the village of Bainbridge to meet constituents involved in the renovation of a former chapel in North Yorkshire.The Conservative traditional grip on older voters appears to be slipping as research found only people aged over 70 back the Tories.
Pollster YouGov revealed that the age group most likely to vote Labour in the next election is 25 to 29-year-olds – at 59 per cent. And Keir Starmer’s party had an advantage over the Tories in five other age categories, with a lead among 18 to 24-year-olds up to the 60-69-year-old age bracket.
The only age category most likely to opt for the Conservatives are the over-70s, at 43 per cent.
Ahead of the last general election in 2019, the Conservative party was ahead of Labour in the four age categories from 40 years old and over.
Age will once again be a key factor in how people vote, and currently Labour are ahead among every age group except the over-70s
— YouGov (@YouGov) January 30, 2024
Labour / Tory vote by age group
18-24: 56% / 9%
25-29: 59% / 10%
30-39: 58% / 12%
40-49: 52% / 16%
50-59: 43% / 24%
60-69: 33% / 31%
70+: 23% / 43%… pic.twitter.com/MWMcSdq05J
YouGov’s Matthew Smith said: “Age will continue to be the key dividing line at the general election.
“The Tories are now the most popular party only among the over-70s, 43% of whom back the party. This is down from 67% in 2019, however, with Labour being the main beneficiaries, having increased their vote share among the oldest Britons from 14% to 23%.
“Britons in their 60s are split, with 33% backing Labour and 31% the Conservatives. The majority of Britons under-50 now say they will vote Labour.”
The poll also looked at voting intention by gender, education and class. “The coalition that won the Conservatives the 2019 general election has crumbled,” it summarised.
Polls have repeatedly give Labour a double-digit lead over Rishi Sunak’s party. Last week, the prime minister’s own pollster quit No.10 having concluded the country is on course for a “decade of Labour rule”.
