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Young people left furious over Brexit have had their revenge by voting in droves for Labour and helping secure a disastrous night for Theresa May.

Pundits believe a 'surge' of young people backing Jeremy Corbyn proved pivotal in the general election results.

Some estimates predict turnout among 18-24 year olds was a high as 72%. This compares to 43 per cent in 2015.

It helped the Labour leader confound expectations with huge gains in seats across the country.

Age breakdowns of Brexit referendum polling showed the vast majority of younger people backed Remain while older people voted Brexit.

Last night's result shows youngsters have gained some revenge, with claims Theresa May's 'hard Brexit' mandate has been destroyed.

(Image: AFP)

The result has left to many praising young people for getting out and voting.

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Labour's Paul Flynn, who was re-elected to Newport West, said : "I would like to say how thrilled, exhilarated I am about the welling up of idealism among young people."

"We can look forward with great excitement to the future of those young people, politicised now by hope, by idealism, by integrity.

"They will counter the politics of grab and greed of the present government.

"This election has been a piece of cheap, cynical opportunism by the prime minister and she will pay for it by the ending of her career in a very short time."

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

Many others believe a high youth turnout in favour of Mr Corbyn has influenced the results so far.

Labour promised to scrap tuition fees and increase the minimum wage in their manifesto.

Activist Sunny Hundal tweeted: "If this exit poll is correct it will be down to youth turnout. And if that is high then UK politics has changed forever."

And commentator Owen Jones linked the youth vote to former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg losing his seat.

"Few did as much to undermine young people's faith in politics in Nick Clegg. Tonight, young people struck back," he wrote.

The Mirror's Kevin Maguire agrees.

He wrote: "Jeremy Corbyn and Labour won the arguments in the campaign and could be on the verge of unexpected power on the back of a surge in voting by young people if Labour was able to do deals in Parliament with the SNP , Liberals, a solitary Green, Plaid Cymru and some of Northern Ireland's MPs."

(Image: PA) (Image: Adam Gerrard/Daily Mirror)

Mr Corbyn himself made reference to young people in his acceptance seat after holding his Islington seat.

"Politics has changed," he said.

"Politics is not going back into the box where it was before.

"What's happened is people have said they have had quite enough of austerity politics, they have had quite enough of cuts in public expenditure, underfunding our health service, underfunding our schools and our education service and not giving our young people the chance they deserve in our society."

People were "voting for hope for the future and turning their backs on austerity", he said.

In an attack on Mrs May he said: "The Prime Minister called the election because she wanted a mandate.

"Well the mandate she has got is lost Conservative seats, lost votes, lost support and lost confidence.

"I would have thought that's enough to go, actually, and make way for a government that will be truly representative of all the people of this country."