Richard, when I read your posts about the state of the the UK and the attitudes of UK voters, I feel really depressed.
Then I think, maybe you are a bit of an old fart, like me, and the people you connect to, are mostly old farts too.
Brexit voting,imperialists! Lots of old farts are!
Maybe your peceptions are out of date, and now there are less old farts on the electoral register now.
The demography of the UK is changing pretty rapidly.. Not only are there more younger voters, but they have become more politicised
by the climate change campaigns, and are now more likely to vote. They also want to travel and study in Europe.
There is some hope.
Sometimes I have to admit I do feel like a a bit of an old fart
Although I have a fairly negative view of what is currently happening in the UK, you may be surprised to learn that I have an optimistic view of the future.
The demographics are indeed changing but I doubt whether the effects will kick in for a couple of years. Brexit voters were largely represented by older folk and if the pollsters are to be believed that element of the Brexit vote has been gradually shrinking. In my humble opinion that is one of the reasons why Brexit politicians would not be keen to have another referendum on the outcome of the negotiations with the E.U.
The next election in some ways is difficult to predict. I believe the conservatives will lose many seats in Scotland and also lose seats to the Liberal Democrats in the South and South West. However, given their current polling they are likely to do well in the Brexit constituencies of the Labour Party. A complicating factor might be the Brexit Party who could split the Brexit vote and allow the Labour Party to hold on to some of these seats. Another complicating factor is the turnout of younger voters who tend to be anti conservative and anti Brexit. Although they tend to have a relatively low propensity to vote, if they did turn out in numbers that may turn all predictions on the outcome of the next election on its head. Having said all that I would have to accept the wisdom of the pollsters who predict that the conservatives will increase the number of seats they currently hold.
Although I think the Conservative party are likely to win the next election I believe that this will be their high point and their fortunes will decline thereafter. As their natural base shrinks through what I shall euphemistically call natural forces they will have great difficulty attracting younger voters.
And as you rightly point out successful parties of the future will have to attract younger voters. They will not do so with the current outdated policies of the two main parties.
I also believe that as the current older generation is replaced by a younger one this country will again look towards Europe as a close partner.
Richard
