Students at Maltings Academy have been talking about who they will vote for on May 7- even though some 18-year-olds admit they will not be voting.

They have been enjoying lively political debates in the run-up to the General Election.

Psychology student Joss Blackmore said she sparked a row when she told friends she was thinking of voting for Ukip.

She said: “I don’t agree with all their policies. I do think immigration is going to be a problem if we don’t do something about it now.

“There were a couple of comments about it being a racist party, which I am not at all.”

While we were talking, 17- year-old Ejaz Miah approached and the Times asked him what he thinks of Nigel Farage.

“Not a lot,” he said.

“There is no point in voting because they all go against what they have said.”

However, he may not mean what he said, because he added: “I do think you should be able to vote at 16.”

Georgia Creasey said she was voting Conservative, partly because her parents do and also because she thought they stand up for “hard-working people”.

The sociology student said: “There’s something about Nigel Farage. He doesn’t want foreign people using our services, but then he says he wants to make the NHS private.

“He’s sort of contradicting himself before he’s even in power.”

She added: “Some people want to vote Green, but they want to get rid of nuclear weapons, which isabit mad.

“If we didn’t live in such a dangerous world it would be different.”

Sean Sheldrick is 18, but did not register to vote because he does not feel knowledgeable enough.

He said: “My mum and dad don’t really speak to me about it. I will probably regret it in a few years if something goes wrong.”

Georgia Raby, who studies sport, travel and PE, said she had also failed to register to vote.

She said: “I haven’t really had that pathway of knowledge.

"If you don’t turn on the TV you wouldn’t know anything about it.

“I think they should do more things with schools because I haven’t really been aware of it until now.”