Labour considering Shadow Cabinet post to win ‘over 47s’ - report
2 min read
Labour could introduce a Shadow Cabinet post tasked with appealing to those over the age of 47, according to a report.
YouGov found that while younger voters favour Jeremy Corbyn’s party, those beyond their mid-to-late forties tend to opt for the Conservatives.
The pollster’s findings reveal a marked change from the beginning of the general election campaign however, when the age at which people were more likely to have voted Conservative than Labour stood at 34.
A senior Labour party insider told the Sunday Times that bringing in a specific Shadow Cabinet post to broaden Labour’s appeal among the the older generation could “carry the party across the line” at the next general election.
“We can’t just sit back and hope that one last heave will deliver us to victory; we have to win the support of more voters,” the insider added.
“That means not only proving that we are credible on the economy and security but appealing to older voters who are not natural Labour supporters.”
The paper says the party will ramp up efforts to appeal to older voters later this autumn, with moves specifically to take on the pension arrangements for women who have been affected by changes in the state pension age.
Conservative and DUP MPs are among parliamentarians to have sponsored a bill aimed at pressurising ministers into reviewing the pension arrangements for women born in the 1950s.
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