David Greets Students from Southend High School for Boys

1st February 2006

Today David Amess MP met with A’level politics students from Southend High School for Boys at the Houses of Parliament.

The 33 pupils enjoyed guided tours of the House of Commons and the House of Lords before having the opportunity to sit in on the proceedings of the Education and Skills Select Committee in Portcullis House.

Following that, David took them to see the Speaker’s Procession and then conducted a brief talk on the work of an MP and took questions from the students on subjects ranging from why he wanted to be in politics to the Government’s defeat in the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill, the war in Iraq and the 2012 Olympics.

Finally David was able to take the students on to the Terrace overlooking the Thames where the attached picture was taken before the party left Westminster for Southend.

Addressing the group David said,

‘Yours is an excellent school and it is fantastic that you have all taken the opportunity to visit Parliament today, one which was not available to me when I was your age. So many young people have become disillusioned with politics but I can see that this is not the case here. I would like to thank Gary Cornell, Politics teacher from Southend High School for Boys for organising this trip and I look forward to conducting similarly successful events with the school in the future.’