Sixth Form Students Learn With The Lords

Year 12 History and Politics students met virtually with Baroness Fookes through the Learning with the Lords programme.  At the start of the session, she explained to the students how the House of Lords operates and then described a little bit about her background.  Students found it very interesting as she was previously Deputy Speaker in the House of Commons as an MP for Devon, but is currently Deputy Speaker in the House of Lords.  Baroness Fookes explained that they are very different jobs because you are elected to one position and appointed to the other.  She was in a unique position to speak about her work and how she influenced law in both chambers. 

All students were given the opportunity to ask her questions which she answered cheerfully and honestly. Some of the questions were regarding changing the voting age to 16, what the priorities are for education in the future, about her work with the RSPCA, and what it is like to be a female peer in the House of Lords.  Baroness Fookes answered all of their questions and spoke highly of her peers in the House of Lords.  She spoke of the need to have unelected peers as it allows for people with different life experiences to influence laws. Specifically, she discussed Lord Holmes who is a blind peer, and so brings issues affecting his sight loss to the attention of the House of Lords.  Students were very engaged with the issues that she discussed and spent some of the following class period enthusiastically analysing her view points and stances.  This event really helps politics to come alive.  The students were absolutely thrilled to have a chance to speak to a sitting peer and look forward to doing an event like this again soon.