Former Education Secretary and MP for East Hampshire, Damian Hinds, visited Eggar’s School before the Easter break. 

Damian Hinds explained what a constituency meant and had some engaging warm up questions for the students. They correctly guessed how many members of parliament there are in the country along with how many in each constituency in total. The facts engaged their minds and allowed them to understand how the parliamentary system worked. 

Mr Hinds explained how fierce the debates can become in parliament and the format of the seating within the House of Lords. 

The students discussed the parties that sit in parliament and their knowledge was very impressive! The students engaged and discussed all elements and had a broad range of responses. 

The students’ listening skills were put to the test when asked how many constituents you need to take the majority in parliament and Tom B in Year 7 guessed correctly!  

Damian went on to discuss the job of an MP, what that consists of and the different elements. One of these elements is casework and this work is impacted by the laws that are passed in parliament. The role of email communication within his constituency has grown enormously and a large part of the job is just responding and listening. 

The tables were soon turned; Mr Hinds was questioned by several students, and they asked questions such as: 

“What made you choose the Conservative Party?” 

“Is it stressful being an MP?” 

“Do you think the government is working hard enough to support schools and their communities?” 

“If you could change one law, what would it be?” 

“What is your favourite thing to do in parliament?” 

He explained how busy parliament is and how you are packed into the room with vast numbers of MPs. The excitement of the event in the enormous old building is a reminder of how you are all playing a small part in the parliamentary system. 

The talk allowed Year 7 to engage and gain a deeper insight into the role of an MP. Our students were a credit to the school, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable event.