Jeremy Paxman says 'no votes for pensioners'

I'm not sure there is such a great divide between the generations - or at least there wouldn't be were it not for the media trying to stir things up.

As others have remarked, it's a Paxo wind up. Nuff said.

Maybe he should disenfranchise the young. They were the ones who couldn't be bothered to vote in the referendum and then complained that the result was all the fault of 'pensioners' voting to leave. I'm fed up with hearing its the pensions fault, of our 20 strong oldies walking group, only 2 voted to leave and they were severely castigated!

It seems that Jeremy Paxman is missing the limelight and looking for a new role.

And saying something outrageous may sate him for a week or two.

I hope he receives an offer to make better use of his talents soon.

This argument doesn't hold water, there are exceptions to every generalisation. I know of at least three young men (in their 30s) who voted to leave the EU and if my late MIL who was in her 90s could have got to the polling station she would've voted to stay. It's really not as clear cut.

I am well over 65. I cannot think of anyone who voted for Brexit of any age. The vote where I live in London was overwhelmingly in favour of REMAIN. the Remain campaign was unconvincing and high jacked by ignorance.

There seems to be a basic lack of logic in the argument that pensioners voted selfishly.
Teresa May said she couldn't guarantee the triple lock or the winter fuel allowance and that pensioners would have to pay more towards their care. Jeremy Corbyn promised to keep the triple lock & winter fuel allowance & pay for care. So surely a selfish pensioner would have voted for JC? Whereas we are told pensioners mainly voted for TM - thereby being unselfish.
I dislike the sort of argument that tries to cause division - "young people" suffer because of "old people" - there are rich and poor in all age groups. I think Paxman's comments may have been publicity seeking - has he got a book coming out?

Yes, true maryeliza.

Fan the flames and stand back. (Many threads on GN work in much the same way.)

And it works

It’s a pity that the DM (and GNHQ) didn’t bother to provide the context within which these comments were made or the arguments made against. It’s a classic gutter press/tabloid journalist technique. It’s designed to fuel the inter generational war and detract out attention from the real issues such as pensioner poverty and lack of affordable housing in large areas of the country - to get us instead to fulminate against JP and the young rather than to demand that the Government do something about such problems. Pure Trumpian.

"Day6 you were lucky - some of us had to get a job and then go on day release then years of night school to get our qualifications"

This is true Jalima. My siblings had to go down that road. We were a poor family and I was the only one who got to stay on to do A levels. I think my teachers persuaded my Dad and I did a bit of pleading too. I realised how much I was costing the family by not bringing in an income. I worked every weekend to support myself and asked my parents for almost nothing in my student years. I envied my student friends who had parents who were better off than mine. I was most definitely the poor relation amongst my peers. My siblings got their qualifications at night school and then, much later polytechnics.

I agree lemon. Paxman knows there is a hornet's nest to be stirred and publicity is always good for those in TV/the public eye. More interviews, more column inches, more social media chattering. Kerrching! Paxman's profile takes a boost.

People who vote, whichever way we choose to vote, do it because they think that particular party will do the best for the country at large.

Some do, some don’t

Sigh!
You seem to be going off at a tangent yourself trisher making a party political broadcast ( presumably for The Great High Lentil)
‘Absolve any of us of the responsibility’ !
Have conditions ever been right for everyone ? No, and they wouldn't be under any political party.
Paxman is quite capable of intelligent thought, but chooses to be controversial at times to get himself talked of......which we are doing!

I didn't ask you to vote for anyone lemon but you have as usual gone off on a tangent. If any of the things I have posted aren't real then challenge them. Unfortunately they are real. And if Paxman is capable of analysing historic situations he is also quite capable of looking at the situation today. The fact that you don't like the reality of things, or choose not to see them doesn't change a thing or absolve any of us of the responsibility.

So we have to vote for Corbyn do we trisher in order to act responsibly?
You may wish to feel guilty if you like, but I suspect most of us don’t! No reason for us to, either.
People who vote, whichever way we choose to vote, do it because they think that particular party will do the best for the country at large.
Paxman writes good books, The Great War was excellent, and I am enjoying his presentation of The Victorians on tv, but he seems to go OTT when being interviewed.

It seems that JP is right judging by the majority of the posts on here- at least in his "It's never our bloody fault". Accepting some responsiblity might be a good beginning. Young people inhabit the society we built. A society where there are homeless families living in appaling conditions, people working zero hours contracts unable to properly organise their finances, there are dedicated NHS workers struggling to keep their families fed, students with massive debts unlikely to ever get on the property ladder. It isn't right is it? And if we are not responsible who is? Of course we shouldn't be denied our vote but we should vote for a society which would improve the lives of everyone, young people included.

As I said oldwoman70 I do understand that most people would not accept such a proposal, and I merely put forward the thought that I could see some merit in the argument.

ps Paxman is just doing what he has always done stirred the shit invited controversy.

Day6 you were lucky - some of us had to get a job and then go on day release then years of night school to get our qualifications; some of us were lucky to find an employer who would fund a degree (gained part-time as well as working).

I should add that Jeremy Paxman has always had plenty to say for himself (more than enough some would say) and now he wants to deny others the right to have their say.

No vote - no tax! Hurray!

We will be richer than ever

(that was tongue in cheek as I am a non-taxpayer anyway)

one of the panelists was an inarticulate shouty man (some sort of celeb or broadcaster who I'd never heard of?) who supported Remain.

Yes, Terry Christian. He was awful - Momentum (the worst, shouty, aggressive, sneering aspects of it) personified.

What would the outrage have been if he had suggested the disenfranchisement other groups of people in British society ??

Ageism v Paxmanism

Pitting generation against generation

I don’t understand why there have never been proposals to move eligibility for bus passes, winter fuel allowance, free prescriptions and so on to 75, perhaps in two stages. And to make an annual charge for bus passes, like rail cards - could be collected via council tax. Exceptions of course for those benefits. Or if there have been such proposals why they don’t get off the ground. Money thus saved to go into adult social care. That might help the generation battles, which are becoming unpleasant.