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Kenilworth School and Sports College has the debating ‘X factor’!

Young people in Warwick district got the opportunity to demonstrate their ‘X factor’ on Monday (1st October) by ‘taking part’ and ‘taking power’ in this year’s Local Democracy Campaign.

In the first of a series of schools debates taking place around the county this month, Kenilworth School and Sports College came out on top.

They narrowly beat their opponents from Myton School - A Specialist Science College to steal victory after a passionate debate at Leamington Town Hall.

The school pupils made a series of convincing arguments on hot topics such recycling and reducing the voting age to 16, which was watched and listened to by fellow pupils, councillors and a gallery full of journalism students from Warwickshire College.

Not Simon Cowell or Dannii Minogue, but a panel of judges made up of local Councillors including Cllr Andrew Mobbs (Conservative), Cllr Bill Gifford (Lib Dem), Cllr Bertie MacKay (Ind) and Cllr Mike Britland (Lab) decided which school had ultimately demonstrated the winning ‘X factor’ in the debate. Chairman of Warwick District Council and County Councillor, Cllr Les Caborn, chaired the proceedings.

Councillor Les Caborn said: “I was very pleased to chair the debate in support of the young people taking part and hope that it will foster their interest in local democracy and politics.”

The Warwick district debate, which was organised by Warwickshire County Council and Warwick District Council, will now be followed by further schools debate events in Stratford, Atherstone and Rugby.

Kenilworth School and Sports College will now go on to take part in a grand finale at Warwick’s Shire Hall on Thursday 18th October, where they will try to reach their ultimate goal of being crowned Warwickshire’s school debating champions for 2007. 

The grand finale will be followed by a ‘Question Time’ session, giving an audience of young people the chance to grill local politicians including Mike Natrass MEP (West Midlands – UK Independence Party), Jeremy Wright MP (Conservative - Rugby & Kenilworth), Warwickshire’s Members of the Youth Parliament and Warwickshire County Councillors, Leader Cllr Alan Farnell (Conservative) and Cllr Tim Naylor (Labour - Leamington Willes).

Warwickshire County Council, in partnership with the county’s borough and district councils, will also be launching a number of political speed dating events, a young journalist competition and regular weblogs on the Warwickshire County Council website, http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/localdemocracy, as part of this year’s Local Democracy Campaign – more details to follow soon.