General Election 2019: Poll shows age still significant dividing line in voting preference

A major new poll ahead of the December election has shown that age is still one of the main dividing lines in British Politics.

Boris Johnson's party has a lead among older voters.

A poll by YouGov of 11,590 people has found British voters are sharply divided on demographic lines, chiefly by age.

Britons are set to go to the polls on December 12, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson looking to win a majority to push through his new Brexit deal to ensure the UK leaves the European Union on January 30 'at the latest'.

The YouGov poll found 'clear patterns' on the lines of age, although did caution that the apparent ending of the age of two-party politics in Britain could yet be a significant factor in determining the outcome of the election.

Both the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party are looking to increase their representation in the House of Commons, while the Brexit Party - which one the European elections in June - remain a significant factor in leave-leaning seats.

The poll found Labour with a commanding lead among those aged between 18 and 30, with the party commanding 38 per cent support in the age groups 18-24 and 25-29.

In second place among those groups are the Liberal Democrats on 18 points among voters aged 18-24 and 19 points with the slightly older group between 25 and 29.

16 per cent of those aged 18-24 back the Conservatives, while 18 per cent of those aged 25-29 expressed a preference for Boris Johnson's party, which has a strong lead overall.

Labour's support is slightly less pronounced among those aged 30-39, but the party still leads on 33 per cent, with the Tories on 23.

A notable change from 2017 is that Labour's lead among younger voters is not as commanding, as the 'tipping point' at which a typical voter goes from Labour to Conservative is now at just 40 years of age - compared to 47 at the snap general election which saw Theresa May lose her majority amid a better than expected performance from Jeremy Corbyn's Labour.

YouGov partially attributes that to the resurgence of the Green Party, which is polling on 15 per cent among voters aged under 25.

The Conservatives are dominant among older voters, with 45 per cent support among voters aged 60-69, and 58 per cent support among voters aged over 70.

Labour's support in those age groups is 14 per cent and 9 per cent respectively, behind both the Liberal Democrats and the Brexit Party.

Jo Swinson's party are the only major group that don't have a significant age gradient, YouGov noticed, with the Lib Dems polling around 20 per cent of the vote across all age groups.