By Jess Osbaldeston and Rosie Williams 

The Liberal Democrats dominated the student vote in Kingston yesterday, with overwhelming support from two out of every three students, an exclusive River poll can reveal.

Labour came second with 21 per cent of the votes and the Conservatives brought up the rear with 16 per cent, the poll of 220 students showed.

The figures showed that Nick Clegg’s party have dominated the student vote but this figure is not mirrored across the nation, with the Lib Dems trailing in third on most national polls. 

The same Liberal support was found across the south of England’s universities, with Winchester University also finding that two-thirds of their students voted for Lib Dem.

The Lib Dem’s six year plan to abolish student fees is a popular policy. In their manifesto they promise to scrap third year students’ tuition fees in their first year of power.

 “The abolition of student fees is a brilliant idea,” said first year graphic design student Ashley Wiltshire, 19. “It will encourage students in the future to go into higher education.”

The Lib Dem’s support boomed after the first live television where Nick Clegg charmed the younger audience with his progressive ideas, such as his intention to scrap the nuclear deterrent Trident.

First year journalism student Surena Chande, 18, agreed: “I like their policies on getting rid of tuition fees over a sensible period of time. If they got into power it would directly affect my education for the better.”

Suk-ha Kwon, a Lib Dem council candidate for Old Malden ward, commented on the support received from KU, saying: "Students are disillusioned with the two major parties. Now they are fed up, they are trying to find a third way. Young people are very passionate about us and our new type of politics."

 A Lib Dem HQ spokesman said: "This is a very encouraging result, but the only poll that matters is the final result. What the poll shows is that the students of Kingston University want a new kind of politics, and that change is the Liberal Democrats."

The poll was carried out at polling stations in the Kingston and Surbiton constituency and online.

The poll also showed that familiar claims about student political indifference are not true, with three-quarters of online respondents saying they voted.

Enthusiasm for voting grew in the final week, as a River poll a week ago showed that one-third were intending not to vote at that stage. The late swing was towards the Liberal Democrats as their backing went from 56 per cent a week ago to 61 per cent yesterday.