Hammersmith Academy hosted a special West London Schools Question Time event on Friday 19th April bringing together prospective parliamentary candidates from the newly formed Hammersmith & Chiswick constituency for an engaging and challenging discussion with local students.

The event featured candidates Andrew Dinsmore (Conservative Party), Naranee Ruthra-Rajan (Green Party), Andy Slaughter MP (Labour Party), Eraj Rostaqi (Liberal Democrat Party), and Anthony Goodwin (Reform Party).

Students from Hammersmith Academy, as well as invited students from St Paul’s Girls’ School and Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School submitted questions on key issues they felt most affect their lives and future prospects. The diverse range of topics covered included NHS funding, the Gaza conflict, changes to the constituency boundary, smoking bans for young people, immigration, and the importance of young people exercising their right to vote.

The aim of the event was to encourage young people to engage in politics and vote at both a national and local level, as young people are disproportionately underrepresented in voting. Additionally, the event sought to encourage political discourse among young people, providing them with an open platform to explore various viewpoints and gain a better understanding of the political process. Students asked thought-provoking questions, encouraging the candidates to share their perspectives and propose their party’s solutions.

“We were delighted to host such a successful event,” said Gary Kynaston, Hammersmith Academy Headteacher. “It is essential for young people to be informed and involved in the discourse and political process. This event offered them a chance to directly engage with local leaders and discuss the issues that matter most to them.”

The experience concluded with all party members encouraging the young audience to be active participants in the democratic process and take their futures into their own hands, including getting directly involved in local community politics.

The event was organised in partnership with Constance Campbell, a local solicitor with a passion for youth political engagement and has herself been involved in Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s youth politics programme.