DMU students urge young people to use their vote - from on board Prime Minister's bus

Students from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) were invited to join Prime Minister David Cameron on his final day of campaigning ahead of the EU referendum.

Student ambassador Rio-Chanae Hayles and Dan Winney, President of De Montfort Students' Union, were given an opportunity to encourage students and young people to use their vote on the biggest platform possible - the final Remain rally, held at the University of Birmingham.

The pair, together with DMU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dominic Shellard, were invited onto the Remain tour bus, which was filled with eminent politicians and campaigners, like David Cameron, historian and TV presenter Dan Snow, Green party MP Caroline Lucas, former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown and current leader Tim Farron.

DMU was the only university represented on the bus and for the students, it was a unique opportunity to press home the importance of this historic vote.

Dan said: "It's been amazing. The youth vote is critical to the overall result tomorrow. Historically young people haven't gone out and voted but I think it's going to be different tomorrow.

"At DMU a lot of students have said how much they have been affected by the debates on TV."

Both the Remain and Leave parties had engaged in a heavy day of campaigning, taking in wide tours of the country, but Remain finished the day at the University of Birmingham in front of hundreds of supporters gathered outside in Chancellor's Court.

After the bus arrived, the passengers - including Dan, Rio and Prof. Shellard - hopped off and joined the supporters around the temporary platform erected for the speakers.

A total of nine speeches were made, delivered by, among others, Labour MP Harriet Harman, Cathy Warwick, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, Paddy Ashdown, Tim Farron and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who recently delivered a high-profile Remain speech at DMU.

The Prime Minister was the last to take the stage, saying: "This is the choice of a lifetime for young people.

"We don't want to cut them off from the world; we don't want to cut them off from the opportunities. We want to give them the best chance and that is why we should vote Remain."

Rio said the speeches had been a great inspiration.

She said: "It was a privilege to sit on the Prime Minister's bus. There were some really interesting people there, a real broad selection: farmers, nurses, midwives, teachers.

"It is a great opportunity to sit and speak with them and have a say and go on this journey with them."