With the UK heading to the polls this week we wondered what 18-year-old first-time voters make of the election and the parties.

Alan Smith headed to Maidstone Grammar School, while Jess Sharp spoke to pupils at the town's Invicta Grammar School.

Astrid Finlay, from Invicta Grammar School, will be giving her vote to the Conservative Party in the Faversham and Mid Kent constituency.

“We cannot ignore the fact we are in the political state we are in because of how long Brexit has taken and this election would not be happening if Brexit was delivered when it was supposed to be.

“We cannot ignore the fact this is going to be not a protest election, but dominated by Brexit.

“That is important because it needs to get done before we focus on other things because the country has just been at a standstill for the last three years.

“We need to focus on the NHS and national security.

“We are in a two-party system essentially due to the first past the post system and there is no point in me voting another way.

“I will be voting Conservative as I whole heartedly disagree with the Lib Dem stance on Brexit and I think to completely disregard 17.4 million votes because you think it is incorrect is a disgrace and the Labour Party is very weak.

“The only way to carry out a democratic mandate is to vote Conservative and I say that as a Remainer.”

Anjali Parmar, from Maidstone Grammar, lives in the Faversham and Mid Kent Constituency.

She hopes to study medicine at university and is voting Lib Dem.

“For me, the big issue is who we can trust; I’m concerned about all the anti-semitism stories around Jeremy Corbyn, and for Boris Johnson, there are the stories about his affairs and plans to sell the NHS to the US.

“Jo Swinson (the Lib Dem leader) seems quite forceful and bold. I like that about her. I suppose there might be occasions when I would vote for a candidate, rather than the party, but not this time.

“I’m afraid I don’t even know who the Lib Dem candidate is.

“I can’t say I’m supporting the Lib Dems because they are pro-Remain. I’m a bit conflicted.

“I’m not sure it’s right to ignore the previous referendum result, but that’s not stopping me voting for them because I know Jo Swinson is never going to be prime minister anyway, so they won’t be able to implement that policy.”

Gemma Bealey, from Invicta Grammar, lives in the Faversham and Mid Kent constituency.

She does not know who will get her vote in a week’s time.

“Brexit is important, it needs to be discussed and sorted but hopefully it won’t take the next four years.

“I think the London Bridge attacks, terrorism and crime is at the forefront of everybody’s mind.

“At the moment we have terrorists being released halfway through their sentence so we need stricter rules and regulations or more to help them reintegrate into society.

“I would like to vote Lib Dem, but I don’t like Jo Swinson; she wants to believe it is still the party it was in the coalition but that’s not the reality any more and she hasn’t accepted that, she needs to make something new of it.

“I don’t particularly like Johnson or Corbyn either and I don’t trust them.

“Any vote that isn’t Conservative around here is just wasted.”

Invicta Grammar pupil Rachel Beck, lives in the Faversham and Mid Kent constituency, and is still unsure how to vote.

“I think Brexit is definitely a main issue because it still hasn’t been sorted out and I think it should be at the forefront and the parties should be talking about it a lot so we can sort it out and get it done.

“I think there are other issues as well like the NHS and education that should be focused on as well.

“I don’t know yet and nothing has really stood out for me as a deciding factor.

“Nothing has made me really want to vote for a party and I don’t think there will be one because the election is next week.”

Jonah Diomede attends Maidstone Grammar School and lives in the Faversham and Mid-Kent constituency.

He wants to read philosophy and politics at Oxford and is interested in a career in politics himself.

He is voting Conservative.

“For me, it’s about Brexit: so the Conservatives.

“Corbyn can’t even tell us what he would do. But I like them for their meritocratic policies too. I’m in favour of a free market.

“I haven’t read the manifestos but have kept up with the TV debates and the news and I watched a lot of the House of Commons debates before the Brexit votes.

“Climate change isn’t really a big issue for me because I believe the solution will be found through technology, not policy.

"Any attempt on our part to cut emissions will be negligible compared with the contribution from China or India.

“The Conservatives support enterprise and I think technological innovation is more likely to provide the answer.

“It’s difficult to know should you vote for the candidate, for the party, or even just for the leader?

“I think sometimes the contribution of individual MPs to their constituencies is overlooked.

“I would raise the voting age to 21. I think people should have some life experience and know what they are voting for.”

Niamh Jordan, goes to Invicta and will be voting for Green Party in the Faversham and Mid Kent constituency.

“Brexit needs to just get done and we really need to focus on climate change.

“The government is going to have to put in place something to address the fact that the way some businesses are operating is not sustainable.

“They should get a heads up on that.

"I feel, as a student and as a woman, I have to vote but I don’t like any of the three main parties to be able to vote for them – I don’t like the leaders.

“I’m going to vote Green purely because I agree with so much of what the party stands for.

“Although I always get told I am going to waste my vote by voting for them here I still think it is important to express your view even, if it may not win.”

Jack Ward attends Maidstone Grammar School and lives in the Chatham and Aylesford constituency.

He wants to read medicine at university.

He is undecided how to vote.

“I think Brexit will be the deciding factor for most people, which is difficult because no-one can really say whether life would be better in or out.

“But the uncertainty seems to be worse than anything.

“I’ve watched the TV debates, though I’ve probably learned more from the short videos the parties have put out.

“We seem to be brain-washed by the media into thinking the choice is just between Conservatives and Labour.

"The smaller parties don’t get nearly enough coverage for us to learn about them.

“I would also raise the voting age from 18 to 21. It’s a very big decision to decide who to vote for. At 16, I really didn’t have any idea about the policies of any of the parties.

“I do have a lack of trust in all the leaders. Then I worry, should I even be voting if I’m not sure who to vote for?”

Autumn Yau-Brown will be giving her vote to either the Lib Dems or the Green Party in Dartford.

She attends Invicta Grammar School

“Brexit should be at the forefront and it has been overshadowing other issues for years so I just want it to be sorted.

“I don’t want it to be rushed through because I want a good deal, that will be secure for the country and without any more uncertainty.

“I want it to focus on the NHS, looking at mental health, crime and the environment.

“I think I will probably vote with the Lib Dems, I think I resonate the most with their views.

“I know I definitely don’t want to vote for the Conservatives or Labour.

“I don’t like Corbyn and I don’t agree with a lot of Labour’s policies like taxing more on the rich.

“Although I think Boris could get Brexit through I don’t trust him; once it is done what is he going to do?

“Lib Dems won’t win in my constituency but I still want to put forward my view.”

KentOnline earlier reported first-time voters could prove a decisive factor in the outcome of the election in Kent's most marginal seat, according to new research.

Read more: all the latest news from Maidstone

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