GK Barry and Nish Kumar record political podcast at WestKing to encourage young people to vote

With the General Election less than a month away, influencer GK Barry is on a mission to get young people voting – starting with the students at Westminster Kingsway College.

Social media influencer and presenter GK Barry visited Westminster Kingsway College (WestKing) on 7 June to record the first episode of her new political podcast, The Turnout which airs twice a week until the General Election on 4 July.

The podcast aims to encourage young people to vote in the upcoming General Election on 4 July by discussing the current lack of political engagement among young people, exploring how politics influences daily life, and shining a light on issues that matter to young people.

GK Barry said: “I’m 24, I’ve always voted but loads of my mates don’t bother –  but this time round, I want it to be different. Only about 50% of young people vote – millions and millions of us who could go to the polls don’t get there. There was a recent report that said that 18-24 year olds think that voting in a reality TV show makes more of a difference than voting in elections, which absolutely blows my mind.”

During her visit to the WestKing’s King’s Cross Centre, GK Barry spoke to a number of students about their understanding of politics and discussed how political parties can make information more accessible to younger voters.

GK Barry was joined by comedian and political commentator Nish Kumar, who talked about how important it is for young people to vote on 4 July and shared his concerns about the upcoming election.

Nish Kumar said: “If we want to drag the conversation back towards things that affect young people like education, housing, the climate – that’s only gonna happen if young people vote en masse. He also said: “It feels like there’s a real sense of apathy around this election and I’m concerned that the turnout is going to be low.”

There are many ways to get involved in politics, if you’re over 18 and a British Citizen, one of the most important ways to be politically involved and make your voice heard is to vote.

The deadline to register to vote is 18 June and election day is 4 July. If you’re unsure about how to register, check out our essential guide on how to register to vote.

It’s also essential that you bring photo ID with you (e.g. passport, driving license) on election day.

Don’t forget to register to vote by 18 June so that you can vote in the General Election on 4 July!

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