THERESA May’s reign of hyper-secrecy reached a new peak with her snap election proclamation coming as a surprise to the public, the press, and… her own colleagues.

Britain will return to the voting booths for the third time in as many years (four in four for those north of the border) to decide which government will guide Britain through the Brexit negotiations and into the Utopia that is pure, uninhibited isolation.

That’s unless, of course, the Lib Dems defy polls, gravity and common sense to win a majority, in which case we’ll back to the stations a week later for another crack at Brexit.

Sound like a deranged merry go round? Certainly feels like one.

Brighton’s reputation as a flashing, Gatsby-esque Green beacon has seen it return the party’s only MP, Caroline Lucas.

However, the decision to reprise her role as leader alongside Jonathan Bartley may potentially open the backdoor for Labour.

Assuming she runs again for her constituency seat, simultaneously fighting the regional and national battle will undoubtedly lead to sacrifices being made locally; if Labour pours in adequate resources then a redward swing is far from impossible.

The student vote – both here and nationwide – will be an essential facet for Corbyn.

If we match the turnout of older generations, then the election may not be as clear cut as those notoriously fickle polls suggest.

Yet the timing of the election – slap bang in the middle of the exam season – will leave many students unable to participate in campaigning.

With graduate employment conditions bleaker than the marina on a November night, achieving a good grade will, understandably, take precedence over leafleting and door knocking.

An unforeseen accident from Mrs May, or a pragmatic disempowerment of a demographic which has a long history of voting Left?

With many students returning home to revise (and when they finish, work), the university bloc will fracture further, debilitating the influence of political societies and student led pressure groups.

Achieving the necessary balance will be demanding, but our response must be emphatic: register, for wherever you will be on June 8th, and vote.

  • Glenn Houlihan is the editor of The Badger, the student newspaper for the University of Sussex