Student voters could win important seats for the Liberal Democrats at the general election and even eject ministers, Charles Kennedy declared yesterday.

The party has topped the last five opinion polls of students and hopes that large university populations could swing the vote to Lim Dem in several constituencies.

A Unite/Mori student survey last month put the Lib Dems on 34 per cent, Labour on 28 per cent and the Tories on 19 per cent.

The election is expected to be held on May 5, during the university term time, the 2001 election was held in June when most students had gone home.