Stockport College hosted its inaugural Question Time last week, which saw councillors from Stockport Council quizzed by students, as part of Parliament Week 2017.
Co-ordinated by Stockport councillor Dean Fitzpatrick, the Executive Councillor for Education at the council, and Stockport College’s Michelle McLaughin, questions were put to five panellist around issues which cropped up from the results of the ‘make your mark’ ballot which took place in October.
There were representatives from the three major political parties in Cllr Syd Lloyd – Conservatives, Cllr Elise Wilson – Labour and Cllr Keith Holloway – Liberal Democrats. Also on the panel were independent councillor Cllr Anna Charles-Jones and Cathy Lyall, the strategic lead for Special Needs Education and Inclusion at the council. There’s was plenty of debate on the panel and from the students who attended and put questions to the panellists with topics varying from mental health to public transport and should the voting age be lowered to 16.
Speaking after the event, Cllr Dean Fitzpatrick, the Executive Councillor for Education at Stockport Council, said:
“It was a pleasure to be part of Stockport College’s first ever Question Time during UK Parliament week, and to showcase some of the amazing talent we have right here in Stockport. The event engaged students with Parliament and encouraged our young people to explore what this means to them. I hope the occasion has inspired our future leaders to get involved in decisions that affect their lives and to make their voice heard, whether that’s through political, action and community groups, or just by putting a cross in a box.”
Michelle Mclaughin, who co-ordinated Parliament Week at Stockport College, said:
“Our learners at Stockport College made their voices during our very first Question Time and the event was a resounding success. It was great to see so many engaging in politics on what was a very proud day for all at Stockport College, who are driven to see the talent and successes of our learners celebrated.”