Armando Iannucci warns young people - vote or your government will abuse you

Armando Iannucci, the creator of various political satires, has urged young people to register to vote in the upcoming general election – warning they have been "abused by the system".

In an interview with the BBC, Iannucci, who wrote The Thick of It, said: "I remember one very senior minister telling me that if it was the last day of an election campaign and he had a choice between canvassing a halls of residence or an old people's home, you do the old people's home any day because they're the ones who are going to vote.

"And as a result, young people have been abused by the system. it is young people who have had housing benefit cut, their education maintenance allowance cut, they're not part of the living wage until age 25. They're an easy target.

"So the more young people vote, irrespective of who they vote for, the more they have something that politicians are after which is a vote."

Last week, Iannucci implored young voters to cast their ballots in the June election on Twitter.

"18-24 year olds. I beg you on my gnarled and brittle knees; register to vote, and then vote. A solid 18-24 vote will make a big difference," he wrote.

Youth turnout for the 2015 general election – just 43% for the 18-24 age group. For 25-34s, it was 54%, according to Ipsos Mori.

You can register online at Gov.uk/register-to-vote which will take you through the necessary steps to register.