The 1975‘s Matt Healy has some choice words for the older citizens of the United Kingdom who voted overwhelmingly to leave the European Union. While talking about the Brexit on Radio 5 Live’s Pienaar’s Politics, the alt-rock frontman briefly floated the idea of not letting old people vote.
“A lot of the people that voted are in their seventies, and I think when you’ve got a generation of people that you’re discussing whether they should have a driving license, I think if you don’t want to give them a driving license, maybe don’t give them the future,” he said.
Healy’s feelings on the issue follow demographic trends. The vast majority of people under 30 voted to remain in the EU. In fact, “Remain” won every age bracket up to 35 to 50-year-olds. Every age group from 50 and above voted “Leave,” with 65 and up overwhelmingly voting to Brexit.
“There seems to be this anti-compassionate sentiment amongst the older generation that’s now voted for a future the younger generation doesn’t want. I just think a generation has just been robbed of its opportunity for friendships and relationships and work opportunities. There’s so many things we’re missing now not being part of the European Union,” he said.
When the hosts pressed Healy on his “old people shouldn’t vote” idea, he walked back the strong position, saying, “No, of course I don’t think that.” Healy admitted that he’s just upset and more than a little confused about the future of his country.
“I’m just angry, young and probably irrational and naïve. But I have the right to be like that at the moment,” he said, sharing a story about his own uncertainty in the face of the Brexit.
“I was in a queue in Copenhagen to get on a plane back to London and I didn’t know which queue to get in,” Healy said. “All passports? All EU Citizens? Obviously I know we’ve still got two years, but it was a cold realization.”
(Via NME)
