While concerns surrounding the environment and global warming have emerged as among the most prominent political issues of the first decade of the 21st century, the welfare of older people may become increasingly prominent as the century goes on.

Turnout among older voters is relatively high; when set against the voting records of younger members of the electorate, those over 65 are twice as likely to use their vote. 

In recent years, however, successive cohorts of young people have shown declining levels of political participation, and there is uncertainty as to whether that trend will continue. 

It is an issue that has already been raised by the Electoral Commission, which has expressed concern that the younger voters of today may "learn" the behaviour of not voting. 

"Both older and younger voters could settle into non-voting habits," Age Concern warns in the Maggie's Children report. 

"Today's younger generations would reach old age having never acquired an appetite to vote and future generations of younger people would stay away from the ballot box because disengagement had become a societal norm."

John Curtice, professor of politics and director of the social statistics laboratory at Strathclyde University, believes the issue of the grey vote will become increasingly prominent as time goes by. 

He said: "Whether older voters take more notice about who is better able to advance the interests of older people may well depend on whether they think there is an important choice to be made between the parties in that regard.

"What we can say is that if choice is not on offer in future elections, turnout will continue to fall, while those who do vote are unlikely to take much notice about what the parties have to say about the needs and interests of older people. 
"Such an outcome might well not be thought the most desirable for an ageing society."

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