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Boris Johnson, Jeremy Corbyn and Jo Swinson unite in call: You’ve got 21 days to register

Hundreds of thousands more Londoners were today urged to register to vote because they could be crucial in deciding the historic election which will shape Britain’s future for decades.

Political leaders united to issue an urgent appeal to residents not to miss out on having their say at the ballot box on December 12.

The deadline to register for the first winter election since 1923 is midnight on November 26 — just 21 days away.

Voters face a choice between Boris Johnson’s Brexit plan, which many experts say will harm the economy, or putting Jeremy Corbyn, the most Left-wing Labour leader since Michael Foot, into No 10, despite warnings that this could hit the pound and send some investors fleeing the country.

Hundreds and thousands more Londoners have been urged to register to vote
Hundreds and thousands more Londoners have been urged to register to vote

Experts say the capital’s highly mobile population, particularly young people, and low registration levels among some ethnic minority communities, are key factors behind why fewer people in London have a vote compared with other regions.

Appealing to Londoners to register to vote, the Prime Minister said: “We need to get Brexit done so we can focus on delivering the people’s priorities — continuing to invest in our NHS and schools, tackling violent crime so people feel safe walking home, and making sure people can make ends meet at the end of the month. And to do this, we need everyone to get out and vote.”

Mr Corbyn stressed: “There is too much at stake in this election to stay on the side lines. This is your chance to save our hospitals, schools and public services from Tory cuts, get Brexit sorted by giving the people the final say — and it is our last chance to tackle the climate emergency.”

Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson said: “Young people have the largest stake in our future and need to have their voices heard louder now.”

Green MP Caroline Lucas said: “This is the climate election when politicians will decide whether to act with the urgency the science demands.”

Political turmoil means that many London seats could change hands. Marginals include Putney, Richmond Park, Kensington, Finchley and Golders Green, Hendon, Battersea, Chipping Barnet, Harrow East, Cities of London and Westminster, Hampstead and Kilburn, and Dagenham and Rainham.

An Electoral Commission study, published just over a month ago, found parliamentary registers across Britain were 85 per cent “complete”, a measure of the percentage of eligible people who are registered to vote at their current address. The figure was 82 per cent in the capital.

Hundreds of thousands of Londoners are entitled to take part in the election but currently would not be able to vote because they have not applied for a ballot or have done so incorrectly.

After the election was called, the number of people registering to vote surged, with more than 516,000 applications in the four days from October 29 to November 1, according to Cabinet Office figures, including nearly 166,000 under-25s.

Bob Posner, chief executive of the Electoral Commission, said: “Anyone not yet registered to vote should apply at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote before the registration deadline on November 26. It only takes a few minutes to complete the application.”

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the number of people registered to vote in UK parliamentary elections fell in 2018 for the first time since 2015, down by 0.8 per cent, or 372,000 people, compared with a year earlier.

The 2015 and 2017 general elections and the 2016 EU referendum had pushed electoral registration to a five-year high in 2017.

Election turnout in 2017 was 68.8 per cent, the fourth successive election where turnout increased, but still below the 71.1 per cent at the December election in 1923 and all elections between the Twenties and 2001, the latter being a low of 59.4 per cent.

In 2017, the constituencies with the highest turnout were Twickenham, 79.5 per cent, where Liberal Democrat Sir Vince Cable reclaimed the seat; Oxford West and Abingdon, 79.4 per cent; and Richmond Park, 79.1 per cent, where Tory Brexiteer Zac Goldsmith beat Lib Dem Sarah Olney by just 45 votes.

Residents can apply online or by completing a paper registration form if they prefer. They can contact their local authority’s electoral registration office for forms or download them from the UK Government’s website.

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