The author, born in 1962, reflects on whether the late baby boom generation is the luckiest in history, focusing on England and three key areas: higher education, pensions, and housing. They argue that while the student loan system may appear unfair, it has been designed to facilitate the growth of graduate numbers and provide fairness between generations, not across them. The author acknowledges the advantage of buying a flat in London in 1988, benefiting from rising property values and low interest rates, but notes the inequality within the baby boom generation, with London and its catchment area experiencing more significant gains than other regions. In terms of pensions, the author highlights the generosity of defined benefit pension schemes offered by employers during their working years, contrasting it with the defined contribution pensions now offered to millennials and Gen Z employees. They express a sense of privilege and gratitude for these advantages, while also recognizing the challenges faced by younger generations, such as student debt and housing affordability. The author concludes by emphasizing the importance of economic growth and addressing the decline in per capita economic growth, suggesting that it is a shared sense of material deprivation that has led to intergenerational arguments about equity.
