Call to power
14-03-2008, 01:21
Party leaders given a grilling
Political leaders are used to tough questioning from opposition parties and the press - but now they have been grilled by pupils aged 11 to 14.
As part of the BBC's School Report News Day, students from nine schools have been holding the UK's top politicians to account.
PM Gordon Brown, Conservative leader David Cameron and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg have all been put through their paces by the would-be journalists.
Northern Ireland First Minister Ian Paisley, Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond and the presiding officer of the National Assembly of Wales, Dafydd Elis-Thomas, have also been quizzed.
Gordon Brown was interviewed at Downing Street by what he called "very, very good" reporters from four different schools, on a range of weighty and serious subjects including education, child poverty and the environment.
One School Reporter, Francesca from St Andrew's School in Bedfordshire, found the prime minister surprisingly agreeable.
"I was really pleased, because I thought he might be a bit horrible, but he was actually very nice," she said.
'Not going to answer' (caption from: left David Cameron was stumped on a couple of questions :D)
Conservative leader David Cameron also answered questions on a range of heavyweight topics including health, gang violence, and immigration.
He risked unpopularity by firmly telling youngsters from George Green's School in east London that student university fees were here to stay.
But he was made visibly uncomfortable when the students focused on what he had been like at their age - with questions about kisses, being naughty and teddy bear names.
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg was interviewed in his office at the Houses of Parliament by pupils from Banbury School in Oxfordshire.
He was asked questions on weighty subjects including his recent management of his party over Europe, the environment, and citizenship - saying "no" to Gordon Brown's recent suggestion of an allegiance oath. (:eek:)
Ian Paisley was questioned by students from the Belfast Boys' Model School.
But he was also asked: "As Easter approaches, can you tell us how do you eat your Creme Egg?"
The answer?
"I think I would be far better keeping off such luxury food, and just eat my porridge," he said.
Students from Ysgol Y Gader in north-west Wales interviewed Lord Elis-Thomas.
He was also asked how he kept Assembly Members under control. He said he had a secret weapon of a "big red button" which could turn their microphones off if things got out of control - but he had not yet had to use it.
BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/school_report/7293563.stm)
1) lets hope Russia doesn't get the same idea :p
2) if you could ask your national politician-man-lady-leader what would you ask?
3) porridge or creme eggs for breakfast?
I'd ask Mr Brown if I can have a Peerage/what he thinks about the increasing role large corporate chains (Tesco etc) are having on the economy
and I actually quite like porridge though its dodging the question of how I go about eating things
Political leaders are used to tough questioning from opposition parties and the press - but now they have been grilled by pupils aged 11 to 14.
As part of the BBC's School Report News Day, students from nine schools have been holding the UK's top politicians to account.
PM Gordon Brown, Conservative leader David Cameron and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg have all been put through their paces by the would-be journalists.
Northern Ireland First Minister Ian Paisley, Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond and the presiding officer of the National Assembly of Wales, Dafydd Elis-Thomas, have also been quizzed.
Gordon Brown was interviewed at Downing Street by what he called "very, very good" reporters from four different schools, on a range of weighty and serious subjects including education, child poverty and the environment.
One School Reporter, Francesca from St Andrew's School in Bedfordshire, found the prime minister surprisingly agreeable.
"I was really pleased, because I thought he might be a bit horrible, but he was actually very nice," she said.
'Not going to answer' (caption from: left David Cameron was stumped on a couple of questions :D)
Conservative leader David Cameron also answered questions on a range of heavyweight topics including health, gang violence, and immigration.
He risked unpopularity by firmly telling youngsters from George Green's School in east London that student university fees were here to stay.
But he was made visibly uncomfortable when the students focused on what he had been like at their age - with questions about kisses, being naughty and teddy bear names.
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg was interviewed in his office at the Houses of Parliament by pupils from Banbury School in Oxfordshire.
He was asked questions on weighty subjects including his recent management of his party over Europe, the environment, and citizenship - saying "no" to Gordon Brown's recent suggestion of an allegiance oath. (:eek:)
Ian Paisley was questioned by students from the Belfast Boys' Model School.
But he was also asked: "As Easter approaches, can you tell us how do you eat your Creme Egg?"
The answer?
"I think I would be far better keeping off such luxury food, and just eat my porridge," he said.
Students from Ysgol Y Gader in north-west Wales interviewed Lord Elis-Thomas.
He was also asked how he kept Assembly Members under control. He said he had a secret weapon of a "big red button" which could turn their microphones off if things got out of control - but he had not yet had to use it.
BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/school_report/7293563.stm)
1) lets hope Russia doesn't get the same idea :p
2) if you could ask your national politician-man-lady-leader what would you ask?
3) porridge or creme eggs for breakfast?
I'd ask Mr Brown if I can have a Peerage/what he thinks about the increasing role large corporate chains (Tesco etc) are having on the economy
and I actually quite like porridge though its dodging the question of how I go about eating things