Business students visit London ahead of 2015 general election

As part of the college’s mission to increase political awareness a group of 50 students from across college visited Westminster Palace. This was kindly arranged by Paul Farrelly the MP from Newcastle under Lyme and partly funded by the Government scheme to engage 16-18 year old first time voters. 

The Business students caught the train to London and after a very busy Tube journey and a short walk taking in the London Eye and Westminster Bridge. We arrived at Westminster Palace for our tour, so after the obligatory security checks, we met our tour guide (Colin) in Westminster Hall. 

 

The tour then consisted of us moving from room to room with Colin providing historical facts along the way.  Highlights of the tour included the House of Lords, House of Commons (the interior of which was donated from different countries of the Commonwealth) and one of the original 4 copies of the Magna Carta. 

 

After being filled to the brim with fascinating facts (did you know that there is a fully functional post office in the palace of Westminster that anyone can use?) we all went for lunch to fill up in another way.

After meeting in Parliament Square, at the foot of Gandhi’s statue we made our way to Kensington for some serious window shopping in Harrods and a visit to the Chocolate Café on the second floor. Followed by a train journey home with many tired but politically motivated students.

Dan Turner, Vocational Business lecture, said “It was great to see students from many vocational areas across college so enthused and engaged by our political history and processes. I am sure every one of them will take much more interest in the debates leading up to the 7^th May and are looking forward to casting their vote”.