Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party has received a rejuvenating shot in the arm as more than 100,000 Britons, mostly youths, registered to vote amid the country being dragged toward a possible general election.
Remain campaigners, as well as those within the Labour Party, received good news this week as a majority of those who registered to vote were youths and sided with Labour.
According to government figures, 52,408 applications were submitted on Monday, followed by 64,485 on Tuesday. Of these 58% of were from those aged 34 and under.
The figure on both days was significantly above the typical number for weekday applications, which has averaged about 27,000 for the past month.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has failed in his bid to trigger a general election next month. The premier was thwarted three times this week by members of the House of Commons, consisting of both the opposition Labour party as well as numerous Tory rebels.
Moreover, Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn said he would refuse to endorse a general election until the pertinent proceedings have made their final rounds in parliament.
Experts say, nonetheless, that if a general election is later held, young voters could make a significant impact in marginal seats with large student populations. A grassroots Labour campaign is to focus on a target list, including those situated in Boris Johnson’s own Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
Figures show that during the 2017 general election, there was a step-change in youth political participation, as young people were attracted in large numbers to Jeremy Corbyn’s message.
As things stand, the UK would leave the EU without a deal on 31 October, unless a deal is agreed before this deadline.
Mr. Johnson has remained determined to keep a no-deal Brexit a viable option and has said he would pursue this strategy even without the support of the majority of MPs.
What may prove to be the downfall of no-deal Brexiteers is not just new voters but young voters, as they join the peoples’ chorus at the House of Commons, who have made themselves clear that Boris Johnson’s brand of politics is deemed unfit for the future of the UK.