Brooke Weston is very proud of our four Sixth Form Politics students, Tahia Begum, Jolie Bowman, Hannah Parker and Austin Portman who were invited to attend an election hustings in Corby ahead of the 2024 general election.

This was an incredibly exciting opportunity for our students to gain first-hand experience of how politics and media coverage of elections work and will help enrich their understanding of political debate and elections.

The event was held at the Good Bean Café at Priors Hall in Corby and was hosted by BBC Radio Northampton's Annabel Amos.

The debate featured five of the candidates standing in Corby and East Northamptonshire: Lee Baron (Labour), Lee Forster (Green), Chris Lofts (Liberal Democrat), Eddie McDonald (Reform UK), and Tom Pursglove (Conservative). Some of the key issues addressed were the NHS, education, immigration and the cost of living.

The BBC also interviewed our students for their insights about the issues that matter most to them prior to the debate taking place.

Hannah said, ‘I chose politics at Brooke Weston as I am interested in current global affairs, social injustices and political change. I fell in love with the subject, and now it's what I want to study at university.

‘I wanted the candidates to address the disaffection amongst young voters and find out how candidates are engaging the 18-24 demographic. I learnt at the debate that there are real people behind the campaign letters, online manifestos, and posters, and how the character of an MP can completely change how you view them. It made me realise that it’s not just the promises that they make but the way they conduct themselves.’

Austin said, ‘I decided to study politics at Brooke Weston because growing up, I was always fascinated with the way that the country works and would often speak with my dad about various political events. Being interviewed by the BBC was a really engaging experience, and it felt good to have my views heard and being able to get my point across was very important to me.

‘The debate was a good experience as we got to see the candidate’s priorities for the election and the local area. I really wanted them to discuss the issue of antisocial behaviour as it is very prevalent and an important issue to be addressed.’

Tahia said, ‘I chose to study politics because my dad was a Labour councillor as well as being the Mayor of Corby, so I was brought up with the dynamics of this subject. As I grew older, I realised the importance of being involved in politics as it determines the future for the younger generation, which resonates heavily with me.

‘This event was a great opportunity as it gave an insight into the representatives for our constituency and how character and personality play an important role in influencing voters. The view I have for the party I originally would have voted for was skewed after seeing the debate, but only from a local perspective, as he was unable to maintain a rational argument.’

Jolie said, ‘The election hustings was an incredible opportunity for me to immerse myself in the political industry and meet our local MPs. It gave me an insight into how my local area is run and also gave me a voice to engage politically and speak on behalf of many young people who feel their opinions are not heard.’

Head of Social Science and Politics teacher Lewis Holdcroft said, ‘The debate exposed our students to a range of views across the political spectrum and ties in with our ‘political ideas’ module of the course they are currently studying.

‘They were all able to articulate their own views comfortably and evaluate the views of each of the candidates. We are incredibly proud of them for their participation and thoughtful contributions.’