BEN Bradshaw was treated to a Question Time on home turf recently when students from Exeter College gave him a thorough grilling on current affairs.
Everything from whether it was right or wrong to go to war with Iraq and Gordon Brown’s leadership future, to the BNP, immigration, electoral reform, student funding, what benefits the Olympics will bring to the South West, and the plight of Cadbury’s were hot on the political agenda for the Exeter MP’s eager audience of interrogators.
First off, the one-time Express & Echo and BBC Radio Devon journalist turned BBC foreign correspondent then Labour politician spoke to a panel of youngsters about their recent success in making it through to the national finals of a BBC Young Question Time competition, due to take place in March.
Next up, it was the turn of members of the Reach Academy editorial team to interview him for a feature they are putting together for their forthcoming newsletter.
Ben then gave a presentation to a packed lecture room about his former career as a reporter, why he became a politician, and his present-day role of Secretary of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, before throwing questions open to the floor and allowing students to ask anything they wanted to for the last hour, as well as offering tips to would-be Parliamentarians on how best to go about it.
Among those asking the questions was Reach Academy Newsletter Editor Katie Snow, aged 17, of Willand. Of the experience, she said: “Meeting Ben Bradshaw was a fantastic experience and we gained a valuable insight into his life as a prominent politician.”
Speaking afterwards, Ben added: “It was a very stimulating and enjoyable discussion in which I was hugely impressed by the breadth and depth of the students’ knowledge and interest.”
Ben’s visit was one of a number of events which have been arranged throughout the academic year for students enrolled with Exeter College’s Reach Academy, which is designed to broaden their college experiences in preparation for becoming some of the country’s highest achievers in future.
Other previous activities have included a trip to the Bank of England and to the House of Commons, and a visit to the college by Bank of England Chief Economist Spencer Dale – himself a former Exeter College student.