POLITICS students at Alcester Grammar could ‘empty chair’ Conservative Party candidate for Stratford district Nadhim Zahawi after he said he couldn’t make an election hustings at the school on December 4.
The candidates from all the other parties – Felix Ling of Labour, Dave Passingham of the Greens and Lib Dem Dominic Skinner have all agreed to be grilled but organiser Caitlin Lilley, president of the school’s politics society, said Mr Zahawi, the sitting candidate, had got his diary dates mixed up.
“We sent him quite a few emails so we’re considering empty chairing him although one of the staff, Danny Kendall, a district councillor, may take his place. We haven’t decided yet,” she said.
Although not old enough to vote in the election herself – Caitlin turns 18 in February – she said many of her fellow students were preparing to vote for the first time and wanted to grill the candidates to discover what they stood for.
“We have questions about young people’s mental health, student tuition fees, the justice system, the climate crisis and of course Brexit,” she said.
“I don’t think we can cancel Brexit but I do think when we get a deal we should get a vote on it because from what I see the original vote was built on lies.”
However the sixth former, who hopes to go into politics herself, believes the most pressing issue is the climate crisis.
“Yes, Brexit is a big deal, but if we don’t sort out the environment then it is all a pretty pointless exercise,” she said.
