General Election 2015: 60% Of Youths Intend To Vote, As Labour Wins Support

60% Of Youths Intend To Vote, As Labour Wins Support
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As many as 60% of 18 to 24-year-olds say they are certain to vote in the General Election, a new poll has found - but their choice of party appears to be shifting.

The age group made up nearly a third of the huge surge in voter applications on the day before registers closed and the British Youth Council suggested the proportion signed up could double to around 80% compared with 2010.

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Any increase in the numbers of young voters going to polling stations on May 7 - only 44% cast a ballot in 2010 - is good news for Labour, which is backed by 34% to the Tories' 23%, according to the YouGov research.

That gap has narrowed since February, however, when Labour led by 36% to 19%.

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Ukip has shed support among young people, dropping from 17% to just 10%, while the Greens have moved from 16% to 20%.

Mita Desai, chair of the British Youth Council, said: "Despite those who say voting is a waste of time, we represent those who want to vote. Our strategy has been to mobilise potential young voters through registration - and challenge the parties to talk to us, not about us.

"Our campaign has been to turn the youth vote into a powerful lobby by mobilising the numbers to the point where politicians and media take us more seriously. Every vote counts."

YouGov sampled 1,138 18 to 24-year-olds between April 20 and 27.