Two thirds of the applications to register to vote have come from people under 35, meaning nearly 1.5 million young people have just registered to vote. According to YouGov, young people across the UK find that the likes of Brexit and the environment are the most important issues facing the country at this time. The Electoral Commission has said that there is a “real push” to get young people registered to vote in the general election, but how is that reflected in Sunderland’s voters?
We spoke to young people around campus at the University of Sunderland to find out whether they are voting in today’s election and what hot topics they are looking at.
Sam McBride
Did you vote in this year’s general election?
Yes
What were the topics important to you which influenced your vote?
“Firstly, the NHS.
“Secondly not getting a Brexit deal. That is probably going to ruin a lot of things such as the NHS.”
Finally, education.”
Kirsty Evers
Did you vote in this year’s general election?
Yes
What were the topics important to you which influenced your vote?
“The NHS, a poor Brexit deal – I’d like another vote on Brexit. Education and mental health policies.”
Owen Lynn
Did you vote in this year’s general election?
Yes!
What were the topics important to you which influenced your vote?
“The tuition fees, that’s big with me.
“Health care is pretty important to me, the NHS is good.” Because Owen is concerned about privatisation.
“Healthcare is the main thing I’d be voting for.”
Leon Heathley
Did you vote in this year’s general election?
Yes!
What were the topics important to you which influenced your vote?
“Things that will benefit the UK, myself and other people.”
Yasmin Malcolm
Did you vote in this year’s general election?
Yes!
What were the topics important to you which influenced your vote?
“The NHS and education.”
This student preferred to remain anonymous.
Did you vote in this year’s general election?
Yes!
What were the topics important to you which influenced your vote?
“Key issues like the poverty and austerity that everyone is experiencing in Britain right now, we need to look out more for ‘the little guy’ and obviously this whole speculation that’s being going around, like protecting our NHS.”
“It is something we should protect, because if it was taken away from us, then that takes away our liberties. It takes away everything that the NHS and the welfare state was introduced for, for the people. Everything should be for the people and only the people.”
Pascal Maguet
Did you vote in this year’s general election?
Yes!
What were the topics important to you which influenced your vote?
I think a lot of people get distracted with the whole Brexit stuff going on at the minute. I know that’s important but for me, things like the environment, the climate crisis, poverty, keeping the NHS in this country is really important.
Ashley Cameron
Are you voting in today’s Election?
Yes!
“It’s my first time vote.”
What were the topics important to you which influenced your vote?
“Well I think the NHS is really important, you know to keep it free, we’re a bit blind to the fact that everything is free and we don’t really understand how much we actually get from it. I think honesty is more important. It’ll be good if people actually stick with what they’re saying, they’re going to plan on what they are doing, but we’ll just see what happens.”