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Rugby High School has the debating ‘X factor’!

Young people in Rugby got the opportunity to demonstrate their ‘X factor’ last week (Thursday 11th October) by ‘taking part’ and ‘taking power’ in this year’s Local Democracy Campaign.

In one of a series of schools debates taking place around the county this month, Rose Jakeman and Letty Newton from Rugby High School came out on top.

They narrowly beat their opponents from Lawrence Sheriff School and The Avon Valley School and Performing Arts College to steal victory after a passionate debate at Rugby 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 and councillors.

Not Simon Cowell or Dannii Minogue, but a panel of judges made up of local Councillors including district Councillors, Cllr Richard Dodd (Lib Dem – Paddox ward) and Cllr Tom Day (Conservative – Earls Craven & Wolston ward), decided which school had ultimately demonstrated the winning ‘X factor’ in the debate. Leader of Rugby Borough Council, Councillor Craig Humphrey, chaired the proceedings.

The Rugby debate, which was organised by Warwickshire County Council and Rugby Borough Council, is one of a series of schools debate events that have also taken place in Leamington, Stratford and Atherstone.

Rose and Letty 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 (Rugby & Kenilworth), Warwickshire’s Members of the Youth Parliament and Warwickshire County Council Leader, Cllr Alan Farnell.
Warwickshire County Council, in partnership with the county’s borough and district councils, is also running 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.