Party leaders back youth votes campaign

Prime Minister and Conservative party leader David Cameron, Labour party leader Ed Miliband, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg and other party leaders will appear in a series of pre-recorded videos throughout the week, with the aim of getting more young people to register to vote before the voter registration deadline on Monday 20 April.

The videos come as part of the British Youth Council’s (BYC) League of Young Voters #VotePower campaign, which aims to get 1.5m more 16- to 25-year-olds registered to vote.

Last year, the campaign identified a shortfall in voter registrations, while statistics from the last general election show just 44 per cent of those aged between 18- and 24-years-old voted compared to 76 per cent of those aged 65 and older.

A YouGov poll published by BYC found 71 per cent of young people are definitely registered to vote and 14 per cent think they are, which is expected to rise as the deadline day approaches.

Mita Desai, chair of the BYC, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have the party leaders join our campaign to get 1.5m more young people on the election register.

“The BYC and the hundreds of thousands we represent want to be a positive influence on our democracy,” Desai said.

Today, the BYC will release a video message from Cameron, followed by Clegg tomorrow, Miliband on Wednesday and finally other opposition party leaders on Thursday, ahead of the BBC's debate involving the five main opposition party leaders.

Desai added: “We are sending out a clear message to young people this week – get registered, vote and be heard.”

It is also believed that all political parties are to respond to the BYC young people’s manifesto in two weeks time.