Leaders Await Grilling On Issues Facing Young

Young people are to take on Britain's political leaders over issues that matter most to them as part of #AskTheLeaders.

Young voters have a unique chance to grill party leaders today in a series of live question-and-answer sessions hosted by Sky News and Facebook.

They have been given unprecedented access to Westminster's most powerful politicians as part of Stand Up Be Counted: Ask The Leaders - an all-day, multimedia event.

Today, Labour's Ed Miliband, the Liberal Democrats' Nick Clegg and the Green Party's Natalie Bennett will be interviewed one by one.

They will face questions from a studio audience made up of young voters - and from an online audience through the Stand Up Be Counted Facebook page.

It is being filmed at offices in central London and will be broadcast on TV and online.

UKIP's Nigel Farage was also invited to the event, which comes just three months before a General Election in which social media could play a decisive role for the first time.

In a campaign currently seen as too close to call by most experts, the winner could be the party that best gets to grips with new opportunities to speak to voters.

Memberships of the major parties are dwindling.

According to the House of Commons Library: "Less than 1% of the UK electorate is now a member of the Conservative, Labour or Liberal Democrat Party, compared to 3.8% in 1983."

But interaction with voters on social networks is soaring - with data reflecting the seismic changes taking place in British politics.

UKIP has surged ahead of Labour in terms of Facebook "likes" and is snapping at the heels of the Conservatives, while the SNP and Greens have overtaken the Liberal Democrats.

Nowhere is social media usage higher than among young people and questions they've submitted through Stand Up Be Counted's online platforms form a key part of today's Q&As.

Voters of all ages have also been sending their questions through Sky News' Facebook page.

The whole day's coverage will be streamed from 9am on the SUBC Facebook page, the Sky News Facebook page, the Sky News YouTube channel, on skynews.com and our mobile apps.

Throughout Monday, people can join the discussion online by using the #AskTheLeaders hashtag on the Stand Up Be Counted Facebook page, the Sky News Facebook page or on Twitter.

Send your reaction and comments throughout the day - just use #AskTheLeaders.