Questioning Politicians at Westminster Hall

On Monday 10th March our Sixth Form Politics students were delighted to attend another Politics Conference, hosted by PolEcon in London. The conference offered the opportunity to be immersed in thought-provoking discussions in London and the ability to ask MPs questions.. Westminster Hall buzzed with energy as students from across the UK gathered to engage with politicians from all major parties.

The conferenced commenced with Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, who spoke about his belief in individual freedom, the autonomy of the market, and his absolute opposition to abortion. He was followed by the former leader of Reform, Richard Tice, whose delivery was noted to be somewhat similar to the current leader of his party!

Representing the Liberal Democrats, Daisy Cooper shared her views, while Emily Thornberry of Labour and Sian Berry of the Green Party offered their insights on pressing political issues.  Students also heard from Lord Dubs, one of Sir Nicholas Winton’s Kindertransport survivors, who spoke about the importance of having an open heart to refugees and remembering the hardships many of them face.

The Deputy Leader of the SNP and a polling expert followed before Alistair Campbell arrived to finish the day.  His dynamic interaction with students from across the country was a stark contrast to Tice’s earlier delivery. Campbell captivated the room with his insights, particularly regarding the first six weeks of the Trump presidency, and his concerns over the state of political affairs.

Reflecting on the experience, Kimia (Upper Sixth) shared: “I really enjoyed learning statistics, facts and figures that can be used in exams. Seeing MP’s that we write about in our essays talk about subjects we have learnt in the past was insightful.”

Olivia (Upper Sixth) remarked: “It was really interesting to hear the differing opinions on politicians and subject matters across our generation and how we react to them”.

Not only does leighton Park offer A Level Politics, we also offer ‘Global Politics‘ within the IB Dilpoma. Global Politics looks at contemporary issues facing the world and how core concepts such as power, sovereignty, and legitimacy are discussed and acted upon by actors on the international stage.  These actors include institutions such as the UN and NATO as well as individual countries. The course is suitable for students who want to understand more about how the world they live in works, what makes it change, or what prevents it from changing. The course draws on a variety of disciplinary traditions in the study of politics and international relations, and more broadly in the social sciences and humanities. Interested in taking the IB Diploma? Make an application here.

Interested in A Levels? Find our more about our A level courses here.