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Two-faced David Cameron begged young people to sign up to vote in the EU referendum – just six months after his own Government knocked them off the electoral register.

The PM admitted he is now “worried” about low turn-out among the young voters he needs to secure a ‘Remain’ vote on June 23.

Polls show young people are overwhelmingly in favour of staying in the EU , but are far less likely to vote than older generations.

Part of the reason is Mr Cameron’s own shameless gerrymandering, after the PM rushed through a shake-up of electoral registration rules last year to improve the Tories’ election chances.

Thousands of young people were swept off the voting register as a result – but the PM now needs them to re-register before the referendum deadline on June 7.

(Image: FameFlynet)

“Probably my greatest concern is doing everything we can in the next week to get people to register to vote – particularly young people,” Mr Cameron said, speaking at the G7 summit in Japan.

“That is definitely something that is concerning me.

“At the last election turnout among young people was in the 40 per cents, not the 60 per cents.

“This is a vote for their lifetimes and so we’re going to do everything we can to encourage people to register.”

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Official stats show that at the last general election in 2015, only 43% of 18-to-24-year-olds voted - compared to more than 60 % of over-25s and 78% of pensioners.

But since then Mr Cameron’s decision to rush through sweeping changes to voter registration have seen an estimated 770,000 people – mostly young people, private renters and ethnic minorities - fall off the register altogether.

The PM overruled advice from voting watchdog the Electoral Commission and brought the changes forward so Parliament’s next boundary review would be based on the new-look voter figures – boosting the Tories’ chances of staying in power.

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The watchdog said it was “disappointed” by the decision and warned young people have been particularly affected by the new rules forcing them to register individually online.

Previously people could register by household, meaning parents or university halls of residence would typically ensure new voters were registered in time for polling day.

The watchdog said the number of 16 and 17-year-olds registered in time to vote when they turn 18 has fallen by 40% as a result.

Labour’s shadow minister for voter registration Gloria De Piero said: “It is vital that young people play their full part in this referendum, so David Cameron ’s call to action is very welcome.

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“However, it comes after many months of the Government ignoring our warnings that young people are the least likely age group to be on the electoral register.

“They ignored all our advice to tackle this - Cameron is playing catch up.”

Nick Ryan of Hope Not Hate added: “Obviously, it’s welcome that the Prime Minister is highlighting the need for the young to register and vote.

“This is something we’ve long been calling for and until now many politicians have been silent on the issue.

“The Government itself was warned by independent experts not to rush through voter registration changes last year – sadly it didn’t listen.”