The Young Conservatives

Average age of the Cabinet = 54
Average age of the Shadow Cabinet = 46

Comments

[Cllr Iain Lindley]

Labour Party = the past
Conservative Party = the future

[Chris]

Still sets the average age at 50 at the next election...

[Richard Allen]

Does anyone really think this is important?

[Welshtory]

Imagine what it would have been if Ken Clarke had won...

[Rob]

Though it shouldnt really matter, it is definately good to see the party with a younger (and better) team than Labour.

[Goldie]

The Shadow Cabinet is a lot less young and new than could have been.

These are actually cautious moves.

[James Maskell]

Whats the average age of a member of the Party? Im more worried about that than the age of the Shadow Cabinet.

[Samuel Coates]

I asked some young Lib Dems and someone called Chid12 obliged!

It rounds up to an average age of 50 - exactly four years older than the Tories, and four years younger than Labour.

Charles Kennedy 46
Norman Baker 48
Tom Brake 43
Vince Cable 62
Menzies Campbell 64
Ed Davye 39
Don Foster 58
Andrew George 47
Sandra Gidley 48
David Heath 51
Paul Holmes 48
Simon Hughes 54
Norman Lamb 48
David Laws 40
Tom McNally 62
Michael Moore 40
Mark Oaten 41
Lembit Opik 40
Lord Razzall 62
Lord Shutt 63
Andrew Stunnell 63
Sarah Teather 31
John Thurso 52
Steve Webb 40

AVERAGE 49.58

[Innocent Abroad]

Am I the last Tory left in the room? What ON Earth does it matter what the average age of the shadow cabinet is? Surely even in the current mood of wishful thinking no one is going to come to a thread like this, pretend to be right wing, and say, 'old is bad, young is better'? For believing that is the ONLY way you can start pretending that somehow our lower average age as compared to Labour is a good thing, as opposed to being a completely meaningless stat.

Grow up CH posters!

[Derek]

Quite agree, Innocent. Age should be irrelevant. In fact experience would be an advantage, though we need a blend of experience with new blood, which is what DC has given us.

Have I missed something or has Oliver Letwin been overlooked?

[Rob]

No derek, he is head of policy development.

[Samuel Coates]

Erm, noone was basing their entire belief that the new shadow cabinet is better than the cabinet on age alone, it is however an interesting statistic in terms of PR.
Politicians, particularly in the Tory party are seen as old duffers - superficial yes, but image not policy is our main obstacle at the moment. It's not that I don't value experience etc, I have that blog against lowering the voting age, but I think an average age lower than 50 is welcome.

[Henry Cook]

Agree with Samuel - its not significant, but it is noteworthy. Shows a generational shift. Labour looks tired and will look even more tired in 2009 - we will be a group of fresh faces.

[Ed R]

Yes, it's noteworthy because it represents a change of image of the party at a time when younger voters are turned off the Conservatives more than the other major parties, and a new generation of political leadership which isn't tainted by past governments and would be able to stick around and implement Conservative policies. It's nothing to do with 'old is bad' -- figures like Redwood, Duncan Smith and Clarke are all working to bring ideas to the party despite being over the average age of this group, and that's fantastic. But the party which wants to represent the future is in a position to govern in the future: nothing wrong with that.

(And I'd lay a fair bet that the average age will still be under 50 by the next election -- remember there's plenty of newcomers like Gove and Vaizey who can be hotly tipped to enter the Shadow Cabinet over the next four years.)