Students got their chance to ask Bolsover’s election candidates about their parties’ plan to tackle climate change when they spent the day learning how politics can help or hinder the environment.
The teenagers at Shirebrook Academy grilled David Kesteven, the Green party’s election candidate and Ashley Taylor, a campaign officer for the local Labour party, who was standing in for Dennis Skinner, who is aiming to be elected as Bolsover’s MP for the 14th time.
The Liberal Democrat candidate, David Hancock, sent a prepared statement setting out his party’s environmental policy, while Lee Rowley, the Conservative candidate or Kevin Harper, the Brexit Party candidate were unable to attend.
The event was organised by the charity Hope for the Future, which brings students and politicians together to discuss the issues surrounding climate change.
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After Mr Kesteven and Mr Taylor had outlined their parties’ positions on climate change, it was the turn of the students to present what they had learned about environmental issues, including the effect of transport, renewable energy and climate migration.
They then asked the politicians a series of questions based on what they’d been talking about.
Among those who made a presentation and then put his questions to Mr Taylor and Mr Kesteven was 14-year-old Dylan Thomas, who outlined the damaging effects fast fashion commerce has on the environment.
He said: “It was a good thing to take part in because we are the younger generation and, because we’re the ones who are going to have to live with the effects of climate change, we’re the ones who will have to change things.
“Although we can’t vote in this week’s election it was good to meet people who work in politics, because you have a chance that they will take up the issues that you talk about to the people higher up.”
Shirebrook Academy is currently holding its own mock election running alongside the national contest in order to teach students about the democratic process, with candidates representing the five main parties standing for election in Bolsover.
Tracy Horton, who is the school’s personal development co-ordinator and oversees its citizenship curriculum, said: “Today’s event was extremely worthwhile because while you can talk about politics hypothetically in school, it doesn’t resonate as much as when you do it for real.
“The students’ presentations made them think about the issues and can help them understand that by voting for the person whose views they support they can make a difference.”
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