Generational respect works both ways

Drawing on the abandonment by the media of older female TV newsreaders and the fact that two of the main political parties are led by 42-year-olds, he was highlighting an apparent paradox that, despite the number of older people increasing dramatically, society was becoming more ageist.

It is not an unreasonable perspective to adopt, but it is highly selective. Tell a young "hoodie" hanging around harmlessly in public space that we worship at the altar of the young and he would look at us in disbelief. Say the same to those unable to follow their educational choices or get a position in the labour market and they would laugh in our faces. I suppose it all depends on what Heseltine means by "young". The discarded female newsreaders, to those of pensionable age, probably look strikingly young, while David Cameron and Nick Clegg, to teenagers, almost certainly look middle-aged. So it is a debate that will roll on.

Heseltine made some important observations, not least about those going into politics without any wider life experience and the fact that older people, because of their weight of numbers and their greater likelihood to vote, should in fact command greater political clout. But the real issue is a broader one: that of what some call the "generational contract". Over-celebration or over-condemnation of either the "old" or the "young" is a fairly futile exercise. We need to look at the links and relationships between them. For sure, the young (may) have looks and energy on their side, while older people (may) have greater knowledge and experience on theirs.

It is how these are harnessed and distributed that is the crucial question. Right now, many young people may well feel that an older generation is pulling the drawbridge up behind them on matters such as job security, pension rights, home ownership and social security entitlements. Whether professors or plumbers, people of a certain age do have greater securities than their younger counterparts. Of course, there are always exceptions but these tend to prove the rule. The "young" people who, according to Heseltine, have taken over in the media and politics, are hardly typical of most of their contemporaries.

In principle, we may say it is a good thing for older people to work longer if they wish to, but if they hang on to work there are implications for young people being able to access it in the first place. Respect for the old, soon to be enshrined in law through the forthcoming Equality Bill, may produce resentment in the young. And resentment could, one day, turn into revenge. But instead of viewing the issue in terms of generational battle lines, we should be thinking about how to construct mutuality and reciprocity within a robust intergenerational contract.