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Young vote jumps from 43% in 2015 to 72% in 2017

Early reports have suggested that the number of 18-24 year-olds voting in the General Election has jumped from 43 per cent in 2015 to 72 per cent in this year’s snap election.

A surge in registrations to vote was noted in the run-up to the election but it was unclear how many would turn out on the day.

As it was there was a phenomenal turnaround on 2015’s number, with an estimated 72 per cent of young people casting their vote yesterday.

And what an impact they have had.

Theresa May woke this morning to prospect of a hung parliament. Her party LOST seats on David Cameron’s slim majority, which they had looked to strengthen when they first called the election.

Labour, meanwhile, has been making massive gains across the country and currently has 261 seats.

The success has been largely accredited to the turn out of young voters.

One of the seats it gained was Sheffield Hallam, which it took from former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg – who remains infamous among young voters for backtracking on his pledge not to raise tuition fees in 2011.

Jack Peat

Jack is a business and economics journalist and the founder of The London Economic (TLE). He has contributed articles to VICE, Huffington Post and Independent and is a published author. Jack read History at the University of Wales, Bangor and has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

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