Warwickshire News Mine

Over the past few weeks, young people from across Warwickshire have been given the opportunity to demonstrate their ‘X factor’ by ‘taking part’ and ‘taking power’ in this year’s Local Democracy Campaign!

Warwickshire schools have battled it out in a series of schools debates around the county, with young people taking the opportunity to make their views heard loud and clear on hot topics such as recycling and reducing the voting age to 16.

The debates, which took place in Leamington, Stratford, Atherstone and Rugby, were organised by Warwickshire County Council and the county’s borough and district councils.

Not Simon Cowell or Dannii Minogue, but a panel of judges made up of local Councillors decided which school had demonstrated the winning ‘X factor’ in each debate!

On Thursday, the star school from each local debate will take part in a grand finale at Warwick’s Shire Hall, where they will try to reach their ultimate goal of being crowned Warwickshire’s school debating champions for 2007. 

The winners of the local debates who will be taking part in the grand finale are teams from Kenilworth School and Sports College, Kineton High School - A Specialist Sports College, Polesworth International Language College and Rugby High School.

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), Jeremy Wright MP (Rugby & Kenilworth), Warwickshire’s Members of the Youth Parliament and Warwickshire County Councillors, Leader Cllr Alan Farnell (Nuneaton Weddington), Cllr Izzi Seccombe (Stour & The Vale), Cllr Tim Naylor (Leamington Willes) and Cllr Jill Dill-Russell (Stratford Avenue & New Town).

Councillor Alan Farnell, Leader of Warwickshire County Council, said: “This year’s Local Democracy Campaign is all about taking part and taking power and we are actively encouraging young people to do just that in these debates.

"It is about getting young people to recognise the impact local politics has on their daily lives and encouraging them to get involved in debates about issues that affect them as individuals. I’m delighted to be involved and look forward to hearing some interesting arguments!”

Matilda Lomas, a Member of the Youth Parliament (MYP) for Warwickshire, will be joined by fellow MYPs Ellen Slack and James Handy on the panel at the schools debate grand finale.

She said: “The schools debates are the ideal opportunity for young people to get involved in politics in Warwickshire. Young people can’t avoid local politics. Whether they want a skate park in their local park, that’s politics, or cheaper transport for young people, that’s politics.

"It’s really important for young people to get involved in politics as it does come into everything.” 

Warwickshire County Council, in partnership with the county’s borough and district councils, are 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.

Link to WCC