John Redwood

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Wokingham debating competition winners visit house of commons

The four winners of the 2006 Wokingham Schools’ Debating Competition enjoyed a special day out at the House of Commons on Wednesday the 18th April, courtesy of the Rt. Hon John Redwood MP.

Bearwood College pupils Scott Pryor, Guy Gillbe, Phoebe Batten and Natasha Adkins were joined by Director of Studies Ian Smith and head of sixth form Hedley Browning and driven from Wokingham to the Palace of Westminster, where Mr. Redwood provided the winning students with a guided tour of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

Wokingham’s debating champions then had the opportunity of seeing real political debate up close and personal as they witnessed Tony Blair and David Cameron square off against each other in a heated and lively exchange at Prime Minister’s Questions.  The pupils also had the chance to observe a verbal joust between William Hague and John Prescott at Deputy Prime Minister’s Questions, and were present in the debating chamber for a statement by Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling.

The pupils were then treated to lunch in the Adjournment Restaurant in Portcullis House, where Mr. Redwood explained how the Parliamentary system worked and gave them an explanation of his own work as an MP.

John Redwood said: “The Wokingham Schools’ Debating Competition is a fantastic opportunity for pupils to practice their debating skills and to gain valuable experience in formulating arguments, thinking on their feet and articulating a point of view in a clear and concise manner.  These are much needed life skills and will be highly valued by any future employer.”

“While the pupils enjoyed the tour of the Palace of Westminster and the spectacle of Prime Minister’s Questions, they also understood that being an MP is more than participating in debates.  There is constituency work to be carried out, legislation to be scrutinised, briefing meetings to attend and constituents’ concerns to be represented to Ministers.”

“Wokingham’s pupils always perform to a high standard and it was a pleasure to have the opportunity of showing the winners how Parliament really works.”

John Redwood would like to thank the sponsors of the Wokingham Schools’ Debating Competition, who made the contest possible. These were:

·        3M

·        Bill Clark

·        Classicstone Properties

·        Clifton Ingram

·        Raphael Vive & Co

·        Royal Bank of Scotland / NatWest

The 2007 Debating Competition for the John Redwood Cup and a tour of the House of Commons for the winning teams will take place in the Autumn term.