#StrongerIn: Why young voters need to show up on 23 June

With the upcoming EU referendum on 23 June, it is more important than ever that the young voters make their way to the voting booth, writes Jane Booth.

At a recent campaign event targeting young voters, Prime Minister David Cameron said: "You have the most to gain by staying in a reformed EU, and you also have the most to lose if we leave."

Recent polls show that of voters aged 18-24 only 30% are likely to vote, but of those voters, approximately 75% would vote to stay in the EU. These numbers are in stark contrast to that of their parents' generation, who are 77% likely to vote and only 30% are likely to vote to remain.

As Cameron said, young voters have the most to lose by leaving the EU. With today's climate on terrorism, immigration and the economy, young people's future is full of uncertainty.

Brexit would cause more problems for young people, than it would fix. According to the treasury, more than 3 million UK jobs are linked to trade in the EU. Regardless of possible trade negotiations if the UK leaves the EU, these negotiations will take time, hitting the job market hard in the meantime. As young people are joining the workforce, there will be fewer jobs than ever.

At the moment, the threat of terrorism looms over all of Europe. As Europe unites to take on these threats together, it is undeniable that an EU membership is providing better security. Young people have never known their home or Europe in an unstable state, only the peace and security that the EU has provided. The age-old argument, "there are strength in numbers" holds true. With the future on terrorism in Europe unclear, it is too much of a risk for the UK to leave and lose that extra security blanket.

Not only would UK citizens lose benefits like cheaper and easier travel, low roaming charges and credit card fees, students would also be missing out on opportunities the EU can offer them. In the past couple years, the Erasmus programme has has had the highest numbers of UK students in its history, with more than 15,000 students taking advantage of it in 2013-2014. UK universities are also the second largest beneficiary of EU research funds, helping to maintain their status as world-leading universities.

In general, young voters cannot be bothered to go out to the polls, and with the referendum scheduled to interfere with summer holiday, young people may be less enthused than ever. But, Brexit would hit them and their futures harder than any other generation. If young voters come out in high numbers, they just might be the tipping point of the Stronger In campaign.

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