On February 13, Lord Lexden contributed once again to the Lord Speaker’s important ‘ Peers in Schools’ outreach programme, visiting East Bergholt High School, a 900-pupil Academy on the Essex/Suffolk border. He spoke about the work of the Lords and the current political situation to some 50 members of the school’s recently established Politics Society.
As well as giving an account of the main features of life in the Lords (including, in response to questions, the important role of women peers) and speaking about some of the challenges that the House faces today, he urged the Society to invite all the main local candidates standing in this year’s election to come and explain their party’s policies.
He strongly endorsed comments by the school’s head, Mr Colin Turner, about the crucial importance of registering to vote as the age of 18 approaches and then exercising that vote—for it is vital that young people are fully involved in the democratic process.