A PARLIAMENTARY candidate came face to face with voters of the future in a question time-style school debate.
Students from Risedale Sports and Community College, Hipswell, Catterick Garrison, met with prospective parliamentary candidate for Richmond Rishi Sunak for a discussion on local and national issues.
The politically-minded pupils posed a raft of questions to Mr Sunak on his views from education and green policies to health and community engagement.
Head of creative faculty at Risedale Sarah Cox said: “Inviting Mr Sunak to meet our students is all part of raising aspirations in young people.
“Alongside his ambitions to become the MP for Richmond, Mr Sunak is also a very successful businessman and has a deep passion for education.
“I’m sure that by giving up his time to come into school, talk about his life and openly answer students’ questions it will help them to see what they might achieve in their careers and show they have a voice in the world of politics as the potential voters of the future.”
The co-founder of a £1bn global investment firm, Mr Sunak graduated from Oxford University and studied for an MBA at Stanford University in the USA. He was inspired to become an MP after seeing his own parent’s dedication to helping others.
“My father is a GP and my mother runs her own chemist,” said Mr Sunak.
“Growing up they made a big impression on me in the way that they helped people within our local community and I would like the opportunity to be able to make the same positive differences to people as an MP.”
Mr Sunak also encouraged students to think about where the power of education could take them in the future.
“My grandfather grew up in India with no electricity and running water now two generations later through education, from a family that had nothing, his grandson could be an MP in the House of Commons,” said Mr Sunak.
“My parents also sacrificed a great deal so I could attend good schools. Education was the number one priority in our house and now I am passionate about ensuring everybody has access to a great education, because I know the difference it can make.
“I have been really impressed with the students here at Risedale. They are obviously very well informed and posed some really well thought out questions.”
Student Sophie Dallolio, 14, of Catterick Garrison, added: “Mr Sunak was very interesting and showed a great deal of awareness of the educational difficulties faced by children from forces families.
“He made sure that he answered all our questions and I think that he would make a very good MP.”
