Survey finds nine out of 10 students who are entitled to vote have now registered, in a potential boost for Jeremy Corbyn

High voter registration rates among students suggest their vote could play a significant part in next month’s general election, with more than half currently intent on voting Labour, according to a survey.

More than nine out of 10 participating students (93%) who were entitled to vote had registered and most said they planned to use their vote on 8 June, offering some hope to the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn.

Corbyn’s leadership appears to have boosted student support for Labour, which is up from 23% in 2005 to 55% in 2017, but analysts say that may not translate into votes as many who are concerned about Brexit are considering voting tactically.

There is also a lack of trust on Labour’s earlier pledges to abolish tuition fees and bring back maintenance grants, with fewer than half of Labour-supporting students convinced their party would follow through on those promises.

Support for the Conservatives is low with Theresa May less popular among students than her predecessor David Cameron. Just one in six (18%) of those polled would vote Tory, while the Liberal Democrats, once the most popular party among students, enjoy just 12% support, the Greens 6%, the Scottish National party 3% and Ukip 2%. Men are more likely to be Tory supporters than women – 25% versus 13%.

The student vote took a hit when the government introduced individual electoral registration in 2014-15, but it appears efforts since to boost registration among students may be paying off. As a result Labour will be hoping for a bigger turnout among students than in the last election when it was 69%. Student turnout in the EU referendum was 87%.

The survey of 1,000 full-time undergraduates, published on Thursday by the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) and YouthSight, found students were most concerned about the EU and the NHS, while student debt and the environment were much lower priorities.



Asked to pick their top three issues facing the country, two-thirds of students (66%) highlighted both the EU and the NHS, followed by education (30%), jobs (24%), the economy (22%), terrorism (17%), housing (16%), immigration (14%) and the environment (13%). Just 4% flagged up personal debt as a top priority.

On Europe, almost three-quarters of those polled who are likely to vote said Brexit would influence their decision and almost a third expressed some support for the idea of tactical voting.

How do you register to vote? You must be registered to have a vote in the election.

You can register at gov.uk/register-to-vote, which requires you to answer 11 questions including name, address, national insurance number and whether you want a postal vote. The deadline is midnight on 22 May. To ​qualify ​register you must be a British, Irish or ​ citizen, a ​qualifying Commonwealth citizen resident in the UK, ​or a n EU UK citizen resident in the UK EU . ​or a UK citizen living abroad who has been registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years. If you are a student you may be able to register to vote at both your home and term-time addresses, but remember that it is illegal to vote more than once.

Hepi’s director, Nick Hillman, said: “There are over a million undergraduates entitled to vote at this election and they are concentrated in certain constituencies. They are an important group of voters, but only if they choose to wield their power.



“This time, students have registered to vote in large numbers but they are less likely than the electorate as a whole to back the Conservatives. An overall majority of students who have made up their mind support Jeremy Corbyn.

“But it is not a forgone conclusion that this will win Labour extra MPs on 8 June. This is partly because students want more information, partly because their vote could be more dispersed than usual and partly because many students are willing to vote tactically.”

While previous elections have been held in May, during term-time, the June election means more students are likely to be at home. Two-thirds of those who plan to vote (68%) say they intend to do so in their home constituency, potentially watering down a block vote in a marginal university seat.

The survey will offer little comfort to Tim Farron and the Liberal Democrats, whose record on tuition fees still dogs them, despite their clear line on Brexit, which they might have to expected would garner more support from students.

Ben Marks, YouthSight’s managing director, said: “Given the strong support from students for the remain side in the referendum and the centrality of Brexit at this election, it is most surprising that the Liberal Democrats have benefited so little from their unequivocal opposition to Brexit.

“They will have to work a lot harder to try and cleanse their brand of the damage inflicted by their volte face on student fees seven years ago, when most of the current undergraduate electorate was below voting age.

“Before 2010, the Lib Dems regularly enjoyed a 30% to 40% share among students, which puts their current 12% share, and the negative net popularity ratings for Tim Farron, into perspective. They have a big task ahead of them.”