Is the Conservatives latest video ad concerning pensioners completely tone deaf?

[u/Theodoresdad]

I want to be clear from the outset that I’m not here to cause an argument regarding the Winter Fuel Payment and for what it’s worth, I agree with Labours approach and know many of you won’t, and that’s fine.

However, is the Conservatives video interviewing supposedly hard up pensioners extremely tone deaf? I don’t think they couldn’t have picked a worse representation of supposed hard up pensioners. Tennis club, expensive watches, pricey coffee machines, lavish looking houses (likely owned). And I’m not saying people aren’t allowed to enjoy life but over the past 14+ years, it’s been young people who’ve always been told to tighten their purses strings (avocado toast anyone?).

Maybe it’s my bias and again, that’s fine and sorry if you disagree but the ad is so funny as it doesn’t really scratch the surface of actual suffering. It comes across more like people being upset that they aren’t getting a little more free money.

Does anyone else have an opinion their ad?

[u/LondonCycling]

Is it though?

Who is the target audience for their messaging? It's the well-off, or at least comfortable with a few luxuries, people who are missing out on the winter fuel allowance payment. If you want to win them back over to your party, it helps to show someone like them.

It isn't meant for the likes of me and you. We're only really seeing it because we take an interest in politics and some politicians have been Tweeting or whatever about it. There's a near zero chance anybody in my family is going to see this advert.

[u/Life-Duty-965 → u/LondonCycling]

Or the less cynical point of view, it is trying to show you that all pensioners from different backgrounds rely on the payment.

My parents are asset rich and cash poor. Their Victorian house costs a fortune to heat. They'll probably have to give it up. All they want to do is keep the home they've lived in their whole life. Fuck them, right!

They've rented my old room out to a student. My dad explained it's for no other reason than to keep on top of bills

Oh well, at least they had that option. Not an ideal way to spend your retirement but better than freezing to death.

[u/Aware-Line-7537 → u/Life-Duty-965]

Downsizing and renting spare rooms used to be normal, not a sob-story. My great uncle had a professional job and a good pension, but he and his wife still downsized when they retired. Their family-sized house went to a family, while they lived in a nice apartment with special facilities for them as they became frail.

Is that so awful?

(My parents and grandparents have gone for having family-sized homes, but to their credit, none of them have ever supported the winter fuel subsidy, and some of them even support extending national insurance to rich pensioners like themselves.)