Speaker of the House visits Stoke-on-Trent to inspire young people to play their part in debate and democracy
Speaker of the House visits Stoke-on-Trent to inspire young people to play their part in debate and democracy
Hundreds of Stoke-on-Trent secondary school students yesterday (Fri) enjoyed a day of democratic debate hosted with the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle.
The event, organised by Stoke-on-Trent City Council in partnership with Gareth Snell MP, brought together students from schools across the city to experience democracy first-hand through formal debates, discussion and a Question Time-style political panel.
Throughout the morning, students debated major national issues including housing on the green belt and the use of fireworks in the UK. In the afternoon, they put their questions directly to politicians before the two top-scoring teams progressed to a final debate on the motion: “Should social media be banned for under-16s?”
The Question Time panel featured:
- Gareth Snell MP (Labour)
- Councillor Jane Ashworth (Labour Council Leader)
- Councillor Dave Evans (Conservative and Deputy Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner)
- Bishop Matthew Barker (Bishop of Stafford)
Sir Lindsay Hoyle chaired the final debate in the Council Chamber, giving students a genuine experience of parliamentary debate.
At the end of the debate, students voted by secret ballot, with the final result determined by a combination of student voting (40%) and judges’ scores (60%).
The winners of the debate were ‘The Architects’ from Discovery Academy proposing the motion ‘This House believes that under 16s should not have access to social media sites’.
Gareth Snell said: “It’s been an absolutely brilliant day. Seeing so many young people filling the Council Chamber, arguing their case and holding politicians to account has been a powerful reminder of why democracy really matters.”
“If we want a strong and healthy democracy in the future, we have to start by engaging young people today.
“Events like this build confidence, strengthen critical thinking and show students that their opinions matter. Democracy only works if people believe their voice counts.”
Mr Speaker praised the students’ conduct and enthusiasm. He said: “I was delighted to be in Stoke on Trent today during UK Parliament week and in the 100th anniversary year of the city. I have been so impressed by the young people, by their debating skills, the way they talk to each other to get their points across, and how quickly they understand and take part in votes.
“Whether they go on to pursue a career in politics or not, these are skills that are transferable into the workplace. Their enthusiasm, respect for each other and interest in what’s going on reassures me that democracy is in safe hands.
“I’ll be taking a bit of that magic back with me to the House of Commons.”
Gareth Snell MP also paid tribute to the impact of Mr Speaker’s visit. He said: “Having the Speaker chair the final debate made the day incredibly special for the students.
“It brought politics to life in a way they will not forget and showed them that Parliament is something they can one day be part of, not something that happens somewhere else to someone else.
“Stoke-on-Trent should be proud of its young people. Today they showed just how thoughtful, engaged and capable they are — the future looks bright for our city and for our democracy.”