Local MP hosts engaging Question Time Session

The Conservative MP for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston, spoke to A-level and GCSE students and answered a wide variety of questions which were put to him.

The session was split into four parts. The first focused on the Conservative Party, with students asking Neil about the recent General Election.

The next part focused on constituency, with students keen to ask questions of regional significance, focusing on the local Oadby area. Together they discussed housing and supporting young people on their journey to get on the property market. Neil, though, was also eager to hear students’ opinions, and gave them an opportunity to state what they wanted to see introduced in their constituency.

Adjusting the scope slightly, the next focus was global issues, with our students once again posing some eloquent and thought-provoking questions. These ranged from reducing the voting age to 16, the climate crisis and the need to identify cleaner forms of energy.

The session concluded with a general Q&A, where Neil invited younger students – those in Year 10 and 11 – to ask a question. Our GCSE students were especially interested in the National Health Service and the work being done to reduce waiting times.

“The event provided students with a unique opportunity to gain an insight into what life as a politician is like from the viewpoint of a current MP,” explained Mr Watson, History and Politics Teacher who organised the event.  

“It also gave students the platform to question someone who will be for a lot of them their local MP, which I think is a really important feature of our democratic set-up and is something that you don't get a chance to do on a day-to-day basis.”

“I was really proud of our students for asking such engaging and thought-provoking questions on matters they cared about and I thank Mr O'Brien for taking the time to take part in the event,” he concluded.

The event was a huge success, and students found the experience incredibly beneficial.

“It was engaging and gave an insight into the day-to-day roles and responsibilities of an MP,” one student explained, whilst another described it as an “eye-opening experience.”

The issues covered linked in perfectly with the A-level curriculum and the session has undoubtedly gone a long way to inspiring some of our GCSE students to pursue A-level Politics when the time comes to step up to sixth form.

A huge thank-you to Neil O’Brien and his team for sparing the time to come into our school and meet with students.