Politicians ignore young people to chase the 'silver vote' because older people are more likely to turn out on election day, a senior Labour frontbencher has admitted. Sadiq Khan, the shadow justice secretary, said older voters were being targeted by the major political parties because they were more likely to vote than 18 to 24 year olds. He warned the problem meant more people in their twenties and thirties were becoming disengaged from the political process, believing parties will only govern in the interests of the elderly. Turnout has fallen must steeply among 18-24-year-olds, according to research of elections dating back to 1964 . Barely half of 18-24-year-olds voted in the 2010 election, compared to almost three-quarters of the over-65s. In the last 50 years total turnout has fallen from 77 per cent in 1964 to 65 per cent four years ago. In the sixties turnout was highest among 35-54 year olds, but social change and a sense of duty among the post-war generation means that 5 per cent more of of the over-65s voted in 2010 than the next highest age group. Mr Khan told the Independent: 'If you speak candidly to a campaign manager of any of the mainstream parties they will say that they concentrate their energies disproportionately on those they know are going to vote. 'If you've got a candidate with an hour spare and a choice to go to an old people's home or a sixth-form college, 99 per cent of campaign managers will say you've got to go to an old people's home. That's because 94 per cent of them are on the register and 77 per cent of them will vote. That's not true of the younger generation. 'You look at any empirical analysis of this government's policies and you can see they are going for the silver vote.' Sadiq Khan, the shadow justice secretary, said older voters were being targeted by the major political parties because they were more likely to vote than 18 to 24 year olds . Mr Khan, the MP for Tooting, called for the voting age to be lowered to 16, a longer polling period and online voting. 'We as politicians have to understand the responsibility on us to engage young people in politics. If someone is not voting that is a problem,' he added. Today sees the first full day of general election campaigning, with all the main parties setting out their stall to voters. Labour leader Ed Miliband will use a speech in Manchester to warn the NHS is not safe in the Tories' hands. Five senior Conservative cabinet ministers are expected to tell an event in London that Labour has committed to an extra £20billion in spending commitments for the first year of the next Parliament. And Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg will use his monthly press conference to urge people who would prefer another hung parliament instead of single party rule to vote Lib Dem. A House of Commons research paper said: 'The decline in young people’s engagement in politics has been a common theme of late. 'Voter turnout has been low among young people relative to older age groups,but in the context of falling overall turnout at General Elections, the decline has been sharpest amongst voters aged 18-24.'
Sadiq Khan says campaign managers focus on wooing older voters .
In the 2010 election 75% of over-65s voted, compared to 52% of under-25s .
Shadow justice secretary warns young people are becoming disengaged .
Politicians ignore young people to chase the 'silver vote' because older people are more likely to turn out on election day, a senior Labour frontbencher has admitted. Sadiq Khan, the shadow justice secretary, said older voters were being targeted by the major political parties because they were more likely to vote than 18 to 24 year olds. He warned the problem meant more people in their twenties and thirties were becoming disengaged from the political process, believing parties will only govern in the interests of the elderly. Turnout has fallen must steeply among 18-24-year-olds, according to research of elections dating back to 1964 . Barely half of 18-24-year-olds voted in the 2010 election, compared to almost three-quarters of the over-65s. In the last 50 years total turnout has fallen from 77 per cent in 1964 to 65 per cent four years ago. In the sixties turnout was highest among 35-54 year olds, but social change and a sense of duty among the post-war generation means that 5 per cent more of of the over-65s voted in 2010 than the next highest age group. Mr Khan told the Independent: 'If you speak candidly to a campaign manager of any of the mainstream parties they will say that they concentrate their energies disproportionately on those they know are going to vote. 'If you've got a candidate with an hour spare and a choice to go to an old people's home or a sixth-form college, 99 per cent of campaign managers will say you've got to go to an old people's home. That's because 94 per cent of them are on the register and 77 per cent of them will vote. That's not true of the younger generation. 'You look at any empirical analysis of this government's policies and you can see they are going for the silver vote.' Sadiq Khan, the shadow justice secretary, said older voters were being targeted by the major political parties because they were more likely to vote than 18 to 24 year olds . Mr Khan, the MP for Tooting, called for the voting age to be lowered to 16, a longer polling period and online voting. 'We as politicians have to understand the responsibility on us to engage young people in politics. If someone is not voting that is a problem,' he added. Today sees the first full day of general election campaigning, with all the main parties setting out their stall to voters. Labour leader Ed Miliband will use a speech in Manchester to warn the NHS is not safe in the Tories' hands. Five senior Conservative cabinet ministers are expected to tell an event in London that Labour has committed to an extra £20billion in spending commitments for the first year of the next Parliament. And Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg will use his monthly press conference to urge people who would prefer another hung parliament instead of single party rule to vote Lib Dem. A House of Commons research paper said: 'The decline in young people’s engagement in politics has been a common theme of late. 'Voter turnout has been low among young people relative to older age groups,but in the context of falling overall turnout at General Elections, the decline has been sharpest amongst voters aged 18-24.'
becoming disengaged from the political process, Barely half of 18-24-year-olds voted in the 2010 election, compared to almost three-quarters of they are going for the silver vote.' Sadiq Khan, the shadow justice secretary, said older voters responsibility on us to engage young people in