Do politicians grow old?

Yesterday Shimon Peres was ousted (or kicked out in normal talk) as leader of the Israeli Labour Party. Reasons given included Peretz's (his successor) trade union base, leftist disillusion with the Peres/Sharon alliance, and support for Peretz - a Moroccan Jew - among the sephardi, rather than traditional ashkenazi Labour types. The fact that he is 82 was apparently not an issue. Say what you like about Israelis, and believe me, I do, but it seems they are not ageist. Ken Clarke tried running as Tory leader, and being 65 was counted against him (well, a bit). Can anyone name a country where voters mattered and someone ran for election as head of state over the age of 80? Obviously Peres wouldn't have got it in, but still unusual that he might even have been considered.

Peretz seems encouraging from the little I've read of him - refusing to support Sharon, wanting to return the Labour party to its socialist roots and making peace with the Palestinians a priority. I'll believe it when I see it. Which I won't.

Amir Peretz is 53.