Academy plays host to radio’s Any Questions
THE General Election could be decided in Runcorn after one of the town’s high schools hosted a live broadcast of BBC Radio 4 flagship current affairs programme Any Questions –the last to take place before voters head to the polls.
Ormiston Bolingbroke Academy’s (OBA) theatre was packed as members of the public fired questions at the panel, sat left to right, of Paul Nuttall, Ukip leader; Damian Green, Conservative, Secretary Of State For Work And Pensions; Jo Swinson, Lib Dem, former business minister; and Keir Starmer, Labour, shadow Brexit secretary.
The session was chaired by host Jonathan Dimblebly and attended by Halton’s mayor and mayoress, several councillors of all parties and Conservative candidate for Weaver Vale Graham Evans, who asked one of the questions to You And Yours host Peter White during the warmup.
Readers keen to find out how the show went could tune in live from 8pm on Friday or listen again on Saturday afternoon and the full broadcast is now available on the BBC website.
Topics included whether ‘no deal is better than a bad deal’ for Brexit, school funding, free school meals and breakfasts, the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision to charge Conservative candidate Craig McKinley, and immigration policy following a question from a concerned German doctor who said she no longer feels welcome and said she did not want to be treated any differently from other types of less esteemed worker.
Jo Swinson received the biggest applause when she said the British ● public should be allowed to vote again on Brexit if the deal offered in the end is ‘very different from what they thought they were voting for last year’ and they should ‘have the option to say no’.
Audience members reacted on the whole more favourably to proEuropean Union answers.
Runcorn gained a specific mention when the issue of school funding was raised.
Quoting Institute For Fiscal Studies (IFS) figures said OBA will lose 17 teachers by 2021-22 because per pupil funding will have been reduced by 7% in total from 2015-16 despite overall funding increasing because pupil number increases are due to outpace the rise in grants.
On a lighter note, the panel took a warm-up question from an audience member about what they have for breakfast – even drawing Mr Nuttall to tweet the following day: “Audience warm up question on Any Questions in Runcorn last night started with ‘as a Guardian- reading vegetarian…’ How very Runcorn I thought.”
Mr Nuttall revealed his favourite breakfast is maple sausages and bacon, while Mr Green said toast, marmalade, tea and apple juice, Mrs Swinson said toast made from her father’s home-made bread and Mr Starmer opted for a vegetarianbacon sandwich.
After the event, school staff were delighted with the coup.
Allan Bird, the OBA teaching assistant who co-ordinated the event with Radio 4’s production team, said: “It was a huge honour for Ormiston Bolingbroke Academy to host a live broadcast of ‘Any Questions’ which, coincidentally, was confirmed just prior to the announcement of the General Election.
“With this therefore being the last broadcast before June 8, it made it all the more special and poignant as there were so many important Manifesto issues to discuss.
“It was wonderful to see so many people of all age ranges attend and lots of great questions were submitted.
“The BBC commented on how well-organised the event was but I have to admit that organising a live broadcast was a bit scary!
“It was really exciting to meet all the politicians and, of course Jonathan Dimbleby and his team, and see how a show like this operates.
“It was a thrill for students such as sixth form students, deputy head girl Megan Parr, deputy head boy Tom Collins and Year 9 student Ewan Jago, who is Halton’s Youth Parliament representative, to have the opportunity to speak with the leading politicians after the broadcast.
“It is something that I think they will remember for a long time to come.” ● Above: from left, deputy head Boy Tom Collins, Deputy Head Girl Megan Parr, Ewan Jago Year 9 who is Halton’s Youth Parliament representative ● Right: You And Yours presenter Peter White warms up the audience. ● Below: Paul Nuttall, Ukip leader; Damian Green, Conservative, Secretary Of State For Work And Pensions; host Jonathan Dimbleby; BBC producer; Jo Swinson, Lib Dem, former business minister; and Keir Starmer, Labour, shadow Brexit secretary ●