Girls from years 10 to 13 welcomed the Rt. Hon John Bercow to speak at the North London Collegiate School about parliament, politics and his role as speaker of the House of Commons. The girls had the opportunity to ask him questions at the end of the speech, which covered subjects including e-voting, lowering the voting age to 16 and political impartiality. The school’s local MP, Bob Blackman, was also present and he joined in with the Q&A session.
Mr Speaker said he first became aware of NLCS 40 years ago when he was at primary school in North London and was “delighted” to have the opportunity to visit what was a “wonderful school” back then in the 70s.
Kashmin, co-chair of the politics and current affairs society at NLCS, said: “We were very grateful and honoured that John Bercow took the time out to give us an engaging speech about his role in parliament and the issues he deals with regularly. His views about encouraging youth involvement in politics were of particular interest, exemplified by his work with the youth parliament. I feel that such visits are a crucial way in which we can heighten public political involvement and educate students about the inner workings of the government.”
Imaan, also co-chair of the politics and current affairs society at the school, said: “Hearing John Bercow speak was an extremely valuable and insightful experience. I particularly enjoyed the discussions about his role and the challenges it brings, as well as his views on what the future will bring for parliament and politics.”
