OAPs demand general election amid warnings of 'two years of decline and drift'
Pensioners have piled pressure on the Tories to trigger a general election.
Nearly nine out 10 over-60s polled by campaign group Silver Voices threw their weight behind calls for a ballot this year which could oust the Conservatives after 13 years in power.
Some 893 out of 1,016 members - an overwhelming 88% - who took part in the SurveyMonkey study last month were in favour of an election.
They backed a ballot “so that all political parties can lay out their detailed solutions to the multiple challenges facing the country, and voters can make their choice on the composition of a new UK Government with a fresh policy mandate”.
Just 123 - 12% - were opposed.
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The next election does not have to be held until January 2025 - and voters are not expected to go to the polls until mid-2024 at the earliest.
The next election must be held by January 25, 2025 (PA)Silver Voices director Dennis Reed said: “The Conservative Government seems intent on hanging on to the last possible moment, which could be as late as 2025, but it appears to have run out of ideas for tackling the cost-of-living crisis, the collapse of the NHS and other public services, and rising pensioner poverty.
“The Prime Minister has a weak political mandate and no discernible vision for the future of the country.”
The group has launched an online petition calling for a ballot.
The change.org demand says: “With collapsing public services, a cost-of-living crisis, rising poverty, a stagnant economy and continuing scandals, this Government is incapable of meeting the challenges facing post-Brexit, post-pandemic UK.
“Long-term damage is being inflicted on the British public, including millions of older people represented by Silver Voices, with countless avoidable deaths caused by the health and social care crisis and fuel poverty.
“The country cannot afford another two years of decline and drift and a general election must be held in 2023 for a fresh start.
Keir Starmer's party enjoys huge poll leads (Getty Images)“It is high time for all political parties to lay out their solutions to the challenges and for voters to decide on a new government with a fresh policy mandate.”
Mr Reed told the Mirror: “The UK cannot afford two more years of drift, and we must recognise that no matter how hard we campaign, this Government is very unlikely to make substantial changes on pensions, social care, the NHS, cost-of living support and all the other issues which our members care so deeply about, before the next election.”
Nearly 150,000 people have signed a Mirror/38 Degrees petition demanding a general election now.
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We told last week how a Redfield and Wilton online poll of 1,500 adults for this newspaper found 52% of voters believe Parliament should call a general election now, with only 32% opposed. Four in 10 think Mr Sunak - who became PM after he was backed by Conservative MPs having lost the Tory summer leadership race to Liz Truss - does not have a mandate to govern.
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