On Friday 7th November, our A Level Politics students welcomed Mohammad Yasin, the elected Labour MP for Bedford and Kempston, to BGS for a Q&A panel session. Mr Yasin, a member of the Labour Party, previously served as a Bedford Borough Councillor from 2006 to 2019.
Isabelle Harnan (Lower Sixth): “The visit from Mr Yasin was really informative, both for our course but also for valuable insight into his role in helping constituents in Bedford and Kempston. We gained a good understanding of the work Mr Yasin has done, but also what he will continue to do within the community.”
Isla Nicholson (Lower Sixth): “The talk with Mr Yasin was highly informative regarding the significant role of backbench MPs within Parliament and their capabilities to exert pressure on the leading government particularly when discussing the Renter Rights Bill recently. However, I noticed Mr Yasin’s compliance with the Labour Party’s interest in operating as a party delegate by repeating their stance that the issues faced by Conservatives have been entirely the fault of the Conservative Government.”
Molly Brierley (Upper Sixth): “The question style session was really useful for the course and also in general. He was very easy to speak to and it has definitely enhanced my A Level studies by hearing first person perspective on life as an MP. His ambitions for Bedford were exciting and I look forward to seeing some of them materialise such as Universal Studios.”
Charlotte Brackenbury (Upper Sixth): “He was a really engaging speaker who was clearly very passionate about Bedford and described how he can help the Bedford people connect with MPs like himself for a better town. The Question Time session meant a range of questions which were relevant to our A Level course were answered and are going to be useful in essays in our exams.”
Alice Challacombe (Upper Sixth): “It was a really informative session, which enabled us to get a sense of the government's current views, as well as his own personal views and plans for the future of Bedford. You could tell he was really enthusiastic about the improvement of Bedford and he was very considerate of our questions and views. This session has definitely enhanced my understanding and will be very useful for my A Level studies.”
Charlotte Toombs (Upper Sixth): “The session was very interesting and it was great to be able to be listened to by a local MP who clearly cared about our issues. The questions allowed me to enhance my knowledge of local issues and for the future of Bedford.”
Mrs O'Cleirigh (History and Politics Teacher) said: “Mr Yasin shared that he was impressed by the students’ knowledge and thoughtful engagement, particularly as their questions showed evidence of careful research and genuine curiosity.”
