Making your vote count for older people

279 local authorities in England are holding elections on Thursday 5 May 2011. 31 million people will have a chance to vote.

Image from Juliette Culver via Creative Commons

As most councillors know, people in later life make up a significant proportion of those who vote in elections.  However a recent poll conducted by Age UK shows that concern for older people’s issues also runs across the generations.

With increasing emphasis being placed on the importance of local people holding their councils to account through the democratic process, these elections will be a critical opportunity for local people, of all ages, to ensure that they elect councillors who promise to improve services for people in later life.

Age UK has put together a series of questions for prospective councillors on a number of current issues which we believe councils need to address to secure better outcomes for older people.

We are asking for example…..

• As care services are being reduced or cut altogether, how will they make sure those who need care are protected?
• How will they make sure that older people are not disproportionately affected by cuts to public services?
• How will they tackle ageist attitudes in their council and in their communities?

You can read the full list of questions in our Local Election Briefing.

We are interested to hear what questions you have for prospective councillors on how they are working to improve their areas for older people. Please post your questions and comments below!