Private School News

MP OLIVER LETWIN VISITS NOTTINGHAM HIGH SCHOOL

Conservative MP Dr Oliver Letwin has visited Nottingham High School to give sixth form pupils an insight into the world of politics.

Now chairman of the Policy Review and of the Conservative Research Department, Dr Letwin held a question and answer session with the pupils and staff and discussed the parliamentary system.

Arguing that the UK system of Government is not sufficiently accountable, Dr Letwin also highlighted his party’s belief that there is a current decline in local Government power and put forward suggestions as to how his party would tackle this issue. In his words, shifting power ‘downwards and outwards’ would benefit local communities.

When asked by Nottingham High School headmaster, Kevin Fear, what the Conservatives would do to tackle the current debt situation, Dr Letwin said that they would aim to change the whole framework of public services, giving parents, pupils, patients and other service users more power and choice, in order to make public services accountable, more contestable and more efficient – in essence ‘more for less’.

“This was a great opportunity for the boys to get a real insight into politics and they asked Oliver some really insightful questions,” said Peter Cramp, head of politics at Nottingham High School. “We have organised similar visits in the past and they have always been met with great enthusiasm by both pupils and staff. We definitely plan to host more of these talks in the future. Oliver gave a valuable and interesting speech regarding the aims and workings of the Government and we were delighted to have him as our guest.”