Leader of the Intogether campaign and Isle of Wight Liberal Youth, Nicholas Belfitt has called for young islanders to vote to remain in the EU after he argued that the Leave campaign had ignored young people’s futures.

The 23-year-old spoke at a StrongerIN event with Treasury spokesman Greg Hands last Monday, where he put forward an impassioned concern for safeguarding young people’s future via the free movement. Nicholas said that young Islanders needed to make a statement by voting to remain in the EU in order to safeguard their future in the European community.

Nicholas explained:

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“Young Islanders have to let their voices be heard and should be encouraged to get registered to vote. But for me the Leave campaign has ignored the cost to young people that an out vote will bring. “The loss of the Free Movement with the right to work and study throughout Europe is something lots of young people depend on for their opportunities. The fact that there will be a loss of £50 million pounds worth of Erasmus grants to young people would be a disaster for new students. Along with loss of the European Social fund which provides support to young people working aboard and the end of European health Insurance, this all means that young people working in the EU or for EU businesses will find their costs higher and opportunities cut. “We should be supporting young people seeking opportunities to build the lives they want without barriers. Being a part of EU has continued to provide opportunity for young people even when it seems our own government has increased costs. I believe young people need their voices to be heard, they need to send a statement to protect their future by voting to remain in the EU.”

The Isle of Wight Lib Dem Intogether campaign has been working hard as part of a Liberal Democrat national campaign to help more young people register to vote. The date of registering to vote is the 7th June and many young people often are impeded to vote by not registering. The Liberal Democrats were in favour of further giving 16-17 year olds the vote for the EU referendum claiming the outcome will affect their futures the most.

Nicholas added:

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“It was a shame 16-17 year olds were not allowed to vote on decision that will affect them. But 16-17 year olds now be convincing their grandparents and parents to consider their own futures and produce the evidence how they can succeed in the EU. This is a vote on their futures after all.”

You can find the information to register to vote on the government website www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.