First-time voters make their choice

With the general election set to be one of the closest fought in history, winning over the youth vote could be decisive in determining who takes the keys to Number 10 and, should a coalition be formed, which political parties are involved.

While the exact number of young people eligible to vote for the first time is unclear, research suggests that many will not actually go to the ballot boxes on 7 May because they are sceptical about the ability of political parties generally to represent their views.

Data released recently by Ipsos Mori and the National Children's Bureau showed just 28 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds would vote if there was an immediate general election (see graphic.

To address this, a number of youth bodies have embarked on national campaigns to get young people to register to vote. One such campaign set up by the British Youth Council, the League of Young Voters, has aimed to get 1.5m more young people to join the electoral register and 1.2m more to vote by the end of 2015.

A strong youth vote at the general election would likely strengthen calls for votes at 16, especially after the widely acknowledged success of enabling 16- and 17-year-olds to vote during the Scottish referendum on independence last year, when around 85 per cent of young people eligible to vote did so.

The policy has already been adopted by Labour and the Liberal Democrats, as well as the Scottish Nationalists, and this is likely to be high on young people's list of priorities for the election. Other youth issues set to feature prominently include affordable housing, improving services for children and young people with mental health problems, as well as youth service cuts and school careers advice.

Alison McQuaid, 19 - not voting

I've made the decision to not vote in the general election. I feel that I don't know enough about any of the parties running and so don't think that I can make a meaningful decision. To add to this, the political parties don't live up to most of their promises and so I feel as though I cannot trust any of them. An example of this is Nick Clegg failing to keep his promise to oppose any increase in university tuition fees, which resulted in fees rising from £3,000 to £9,000 a year. If I were to vote, I'm more than certain that I'd be left feeling let down.

I believe that in order to get more young people to vote, politics should become a compulsory subject at school. This way, young people can learn about each party's general aims and may create interest among some. I believe that without educating young people about politics, reducing the minimum voting age to 16 would be far too young. It could lead to a lot of meaningless or uninformed votes, as well as people being more likely to be swayed by other people's decisions around them.

I do feel that the British Youth Council's call for the next government to introduce a youth minister is a good idea. The political parties are lacking proposals that are aimed directly at young people and I feel that this may encourage the youth of today to feel more involved in politics.

If I was to tell a young person if they should vote or not, I would say make sure that you are fully informed about each political party and not to vote unless your reason is truly meaningful.

Graham Findlay, 21 - voting Green

I have been a member of the Green Party for three years, and I believe the party represents my views perfectly, not just for their environmental policy, but with their equal opportunities work, transparent campaign funding and support of young people in politics.

I chose the party because they promote gender equality and actively involve young people within the party. Also, it's clear to see where their campaign funding comes from, making sure it is from ethical sources. It is also great to see there is support and protection for low-paid workers - a national minimum wage isn't enough anymore, it needs to be more relative to people's needs.

Another area I believe in is that no child should be born without a future, no person should be prevented from achieving what they want and no one should be put off from their dreams.

Giving every child the best possible chance in life is crucial in giving young people the level playing field which can help create generations of innovators, workers and people who can make the world a better place.

Labour's policy of reducing university fees is a great idea. The Conservative plans to increase the tax bracket to £12,000, while attempting a budget surplus is an achievable idea. The Liberal Democrats' plan to increase capital gains tax could also work really well.

I believe the current government has had a hard job to do, and one that no one would have been envious of; making tough decisions is never going to be universally popular. I believe they have made mistakes such as the bedroom tax, but I do believe that their intentions are for the best.

Campaigns around getting young people to vote have influenced my decision on who to vote for but I also believe they have influenced MPs. I feel they have helped raise awareness where the issue is being debated and is in the major parties' campaign manifestos.

I also believe Votes at 16 will empower young people to vote and give them a platform to have their voices heard and it could have the potential to increase voter turnout in local, regional and national elections.

Liam Cutler, 20 - voting Labour

I find no parties really fit my views or care much about young people, but Labour seems to do so better than most.

If a government wants to win my vote, it would need a credible plan for increasing the number of affordable homes, lowering the voting age entirely and abolishing tuition fees.

Labour's policy on votes at 16 matters to me in particular, as I believe 16- and 17-year-olds are capable of making an informed decision, and may improve current poor young voter turnout. Democracy isn't working for young people as a whole - but this would be a step in the right direction.

Another issue that matters to me is affordable housing - as it won't be long before I will be looking to buy my first home. The current government simply hasn't done enough to slow rising house prices - especially in London where I am at university. I believe Labour will do more regarding housebuilding to increase the number of affordable homes. The Green Party also seems keen on this, and I did consider voting for them, but their policies on airport expansion put me off.

The Labour policy on tuition fees isn't enough for me though. As a current student, I would be unaffected, but £6,000 is still too much to pay. Replacing tuition fees with a flat-rate graduate tax would be a better alternative. Plus, it has failed to address the biggest issue of the maintenance loan - which currently isn't enough to cover living expenses, and barely covers my rent. No party is really addressing tuition fees and university living costs at all unfortunately.

It's clear that in this government, young people have been forgotten about, with tuition fees trebling and house prices soaring. For parties to fully listen to young people, we need to get out and vote - but most young people don't understand that.

The only way parties are going to address issues such as tuition fees is if they have incentives to do so. Until then, they will just prioritise those who do vote - the old.

Martyn Bonham, 18 - voting Conservative

I'm voting for the Conservatives because I admire the determination of the coalition partners (yes, both of them) in sticking to the coalition agreement despite opposition. The Liberal Democrats might lose many seats this year and the Conservatives have had two defections to Ukip, but both parties have stuck with pragmatism and are doing their best to sort out the mess left in 2010 without giving in to populism such as "blame the rich/bankers/foreign property owners" or "blame immigrants/foreigners/Brussels".

Labour and its leader Ed Miliband have no constructive policies. They won't even acknowledge that the current economic policy followed by the Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer has led to unemployment falling almost constantly and the UK coming out of the "Great Recession". David Cameron's plans for the next five years will solidify this recovery, get the debt down and ensure a strong, stable economy for young people to thrive.

The issue that I feel is most important to the future of the UK is international engagement of all kinds. The government can encourage us to engage with more and more people - and engagement becomes friendship, which leads to trade, stability, and peace. We should be focused not just on the European Union, however; none of the top three economies (USA, China and Japan) are inside this trade bloc, and none of the top 20 fastest-growing economies are either.

Votes at 16 is to me a pretty pointless issue; 18 is just as arbitrary an age as 16. If the age is lowered, I don't think it will make much difference. As for having a youth minister - that's a little bit silly. The government does not need a minister for everything. Policy for young people can be dealt with by existing government departments. Having a new one won't change anything, just the branding and the number of people with taxpayer-funded ministerial cars.

Anton Georgiou, 20 - voting Liberal Democrat

The 2015 general election is set to be the closest, most unpredictable, for a generation. The youth vote will be more important in this election than any before. I'm voting Liberal Democrat because I fundamentally believe that only my party is able to secure our economic recovery, while also creating a fairer society, giving opportunity to all.

Our political system is fracturing, and while the Labour Party lurch to the left to satisfy nationalists who want to break our country up, and the Conservatives lurch to the right to satisfy Ukip, only the Liberal Democrats are standing firm in their convictions and occupying the centre ground where most UK voters find themselves.

The Liberal Democrats have a strong record in government, and while they have had to make some very difficult decisions, the party has delivered a number of policies that make me proud to be a Liberal Democrat voter. Some of these include: increasing the income tax threshold to £11,000 by 2016, introducing the pupil premium, ending immoral child detention and enshrining in law the UK's commitment to give 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product in foreign aid. All of this and more would not have been delivered had the Lib Dems not been in government.

My main concern going into this election process is housing. Successive governments have not adequately addressed the issue of affordable housing, particularly for young first-time buyers. I believe it is a fundamental right for all who wish to own their own home to be able to, and currently this isn't the case.

Young voters are often neglected by the political parties because we don't vote in the same numbers that older voters do. This election can be different, and due to its likely closeness we can make a huge difference to the outcome. The three biggest issues facing young people in my opinion are housing, employment and maintaining our quality NHS.

Dave Poole, 18 - voting Ukip

For a number of reasons, I will be voting for Ukip in May. When I was an A-level student I decided to look into politics and see where I stood, surveying each of the parties' manifestos. In doing this I was drawn to Ukip, initially because of their opposition to the EU and support for direct democracy, such as increased usage of referendums and effective MP recall.

Education, as a young person, is another area that has influenced my decision. The party's policy to introduce a form of grammar schooling would help social mobility, so that everyone, no matter their background, has the chance to aspire and achieve.

Ukip also has an excellent tuition fees policy. Having seen that abolishing all fees would not be possible, Ukip has proposed abolishing fees for degrees in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine - the areas in which the UK is in most desperate need of graduates. As a politics student I would not be one of those to have my fees cut, but I can see that this policy is in Britain's interest and that is, I think, what political parties must prioritise above all else.

Ukip is genuinely different to all of the other parties. It offers real and positive change from the status quo, whereas the other parties have a history of broken promises and have very similar policies on nearly all issues.

Change has become a buzzword for these old parties, but for Ukip it really means something.

You can see that in the way that a lot of Ukip's support now comes from those who have never voted before - some for 20 or 30 years.

To me it's a state of mind. If you believe in Britain, if you believe that Britain can do better, if you believe that Britain deserves better, then the only way to vote is Ukip.