The 11 million children of the postwar baby boom are marching, or more often waddling, towards retirement. Already, of the 60 million people in Britain, 20 million are aged over 50. There are more over 60s than under 16s and their numbers are going to shoot higher.
writes Nick Cohen in this morning's Observer and the consequences for policy have been recognised by David Cameron in his call for more help for savers as interest rates plummet.
But there is more to this strategy than meets the eye as Nick says
To generalise, we are in danger of becoming a gerontocracy where the old vote and the young do not.
At the last election, over 55s accounted for more than 10 million votes cast - 40% of the total. In 24 constituencies, they accounted for more than half the votes cast (and there will be more constituencies like them when we next go to the polls). Compare their determination to influence politics with the paltry 37% turn-out of 18- to 24-year-olds, who made up a negligible 7% of all voters.
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