A SENIOR councillor is keen to spread the message about the EU elections in a bid to get more young people voting.

As part of Europe Day today Cyndi Hughes, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for young people, visited Darlington College to speak with students on how the EU works.

She handed out free information on the EU and spoke about its rights for citizens and initiatives aimed specifically at young people.

Cllr Hughes decided to take action after reading statistics that reveal that less than 32 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds say they are absolutely certain to vote in the next general election, compared with 74 per cent of over 65s.

Coun Hughes said: “The figures for the next European election on May 22 must surely be even worse.”

She added: “I wasn’t there to spread a party political message, I was there providing factual information to young people hungry for the facts rather than tabloid tosh.”

Despite the apparent apathy towards the general election, a European survey of youth engagement showed that British youngsters are more likely to be engaged in action to improve their local community than anyone else in Europe.

And 90 per cent of British young people - above the European average - say that voting is the right way to make political change happen.