Rev Jesse Jackson Urges Londoners to Vote

Rev Jesse Jackson and MP Dawn Butler will visit Brent community radio station Life FM on Thursday to encourage residents to sign themselves onto the electoral register in order to utilise their right to vote.

The visit to Life FM - a radio station based in Stonebridge North West London - is part of Rev Jackson's tour of cities in Britain in which he aims to educate members of black and minority ethnic (BME) communities on the significance of voting.

Life FM has been an effective communication tool in reaching the Brent community, due primarily to what it says is its culturally diverse, community-focused programming.

Station manager, Gabriella Incalza said, "Everyone at Life FM is extremely excited about this visit. We hope to address the low level of voting in the area and other social issues as well give our audience the opportunity to phone in with their questions. We are proud to provide our listeners with the unique opportunity to come into contact with an internationally respected figure such as Reverend Jackson."

Brent is one Britain's most diverse boroughs and one of only two UK local authorities with a larger BME population than white. Brent currently has a low level of voter registration and Stonebridge has one of the lowest numbers of people registered to vote in Brent - with around one in four failing to register to vote.

MP Dawn Butler said, "One in four people in Brent are not registered to vote and that means that 25 per cent of people do not have a say about how the government operates. I think that it is symbolic that the reverend - who is an avid civil rights campaigner - will be addressing the residents of Brent in Stonebridge.

"Brent is the most diverse constituency in the UK and when we talk about inspirational role models many will place Jesse Jackson amongst them. It's a privilege to welcome him as the MP of Brent South."