General Election Campaign Trail starts at College
Posted on Sunday 28 March 2010
Prospective Parliamentary Candidates grilled by students
Aldershot and Farnborough MP, Gerald Howarth, began the defence of his Parliamentary seat on Friday at a special Question Time Debate held at The Sixth Form College, Farnborough. He was joined by Liberal Democrat candidate Cllr Adrian Collett, Labour candidate Jonathan Slater, Robert Snare for UKIP, and the Green Party candidate for Reading West, Adrian Windisch.
Acknowledging that this was the first day of their new campaign trail, the panel fielded questions from a large and lively student audience, many of whom are first time voters. The debate was chaired, David Dimbleby-style, by Government and Politics student, Frances McDonnell, who took the candidates by surprise by her feisty, challenging and very firm control of proceedings. Frances, who is hoping to read Law at Christ’s College, Cambridge, in the autumn, ensured that the panel remained focused throughout and showed consummate confidence in steering the debate to maintain momentum.
The panel were asked a series of searching questions by the student audience. They were challenged on the funding of political parties, David Cameron’s social modernisation of the Conservative Party, their views on gay and homosexual issues, the controversial Lisbon Treaty, how faith could be restored in British politics after the expenses fiasco, increases in defence spending and whether or not the panel would consider lowering tuition fees.
Adrian Collett was greeted with cheers and applause as he described how the Liberal Democrats intended to dismantle the tuition-fee “scandal”, with a phased removal of the fees beginning with those for final-year undergraduate courses. UKIP candidate, Robert Snare proposed that universities should reduce in size and teach only proper subjects. Challenged by the Chair to name improper ones, he cited politics as a subject to be dropped - to the visible and audible dismay and disbelief of his audience.
Gavin Sheffield, Tutor in History, Government and Politics, organised the debate. He said, “It is not only important for young people to take an active interest in politics but it is also vital that politics and politicians respond to their needs and consider their opinions with due respect and thoughtful consideration.”
Frances McDonnell who chaired the debate was praised by the Politicians after the event. Gerald Howarth said, “She is a very forceful young person – I have really enjoyed being put on the spot this afternoon.”
Jonathan Slater, the Labour candidate, added, “As always, the visit to the sixth form college has been challenging and stimulating – it has been an excellent start to the campaign trail.”
Order of questions asked:
Rob Grieg (AS Politics)- With controversies over Lord Ashcroft and the UNITE union, is it time to change the way political parties are funded in Britain?
Adam Lapthorn (Former student) - After David Cameron’s slip up on gay equality in an interview with ‘gay times’ this week, to what extent does the panel think the Conservative Party has completed its ‘journey’ on the issue of gay equality?
Michael Veale (A2 Politics) - Does the panel agree with the policies in the Lisbon Treaty and if not, why not exactly?
Elizabeth Silvester (AS Politics) - After expenses, how should trust be restored in British politics?
James Brown (AS Politics) - Given the failure of the government to meaningfully increase defence spending, which was originally based on far less straining situation for our armed forces, do the party members on the panel have any plans to increase defence spending to meet the rising cost of our military commitments and not just to keep it in line with inflation?
Rebecca Simmons (AS Citizenship) Would you ever consider lowering university fees in the interest of the students?
