Tony Blair has called on young voters to "realise the importance" of the election and vote on Thursday.

In an exclusive interview with this website, the prime minister said that politicians had to get the message across that politics still matters.

"It's vital young people realise the importance of this election. As politicians we need to show the link between politics and change on the issues which matter most to people. And that's what we are working hard to do," he said.

He dismissed claims that politics doesn't matter as "nonsense" claiming that the Labour government had made a real difference in some areas.

"If people hadn't voted Labour in 1997, Britain wouldn't have a minimum wage to tackle poverty pay. We wouldn't have banned handguns or landmines. Britain wouldn't be giving the lead in the world on tackling third world debt or global warming," he said.

Despite claims that all the political parties had ignored young voters during the campaign, Blair told ePolitix.com that Labour would "continue to address the issues that concern them".

He warned voters of all ages not to be put off voting by Conservative claims of a Labour landslide.

"No one should fall for the Tory ploy that voting doesn't matter. This election is vital for the country's future. And what's at stake is the future of our schools, hospitals, environment and public transport system," he said.

The prime minister also signalled that he would consider a system of electronic voting.

"I am always interested in new ways to make people engage with politics and get involved in general elections. But we must make sure that any new developments are safe and secure," he said.