EU referendum: Prime Minister David Cameron appeals to younger people to back Remain
Young people should vote to remain in the EU as their future opportunities are linked to membership, the Prime Minister will today say.
As David Cameron shifts his focus onto younger generations, he will also press them to back continued EU membership as they will be the hardest hit in the event of a downturn caused by Brexit.
"The jobs you’ll do, the prices you’ll pay, the chances you’ll get to work, study and travel – so many of your future opportunities are connected to whether Britain is in or out of Europe. And remember: it’s widely accepted there would be an economic shock if we left," the Prime Minister will say as he launches the Brighter Future IN campaign.
"Who gets hit hardest by those shocks? Young people," he will add.
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The Prime Minister will point to evidence that shows the unemployment rate for young people is twice as sensitive to economic fluctuations as older people, which he will say means younger people will be the most affected by an economic downturn caused by leaving the EU.
And in an effort to confront the issue of turnout, Cameron will also plead with young people to get out and vote come 23 June.
"The facts are these. Young people are less likely to vote than older people. Yet you’re the ones that are going to be most affected by the outcome – more than any other vote in your lifetime," Cameron will say.
"So get out there. Register. Vote. Tell your parents, grandparents, friends and colleagues: this referendum will really help determine whether your generation is stronger, safer and better off."
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Cameron may well be trying to rally the troops, given his speech comes after a poll from OBR which indicated that the outcome of the EU referendum will be dictated by which side can better get its supporters to turn up and vote on the day, as there are few undecided voters left.
Polling has shown that younger Britons are more likely to want to remain in the EU.
British universities have largely come out in favour of remaining in the EU, with over 100 university vice-chancellors signing an open letter in February outlining the role of the EU in supporting the UK's higher education institutions.
The speech by Cameron comes after he said leaving the EU would be an "act of self-harm" earlier this week.