Order! Order! Visit of Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP, Shadow Foreign Secretary
On Friday 12th July, Handsworth Grammar School were fortunate to host a visit with the Shadow Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell MP. He spoke about his illustrious career as a Member of Parliament with us. The talk was an insightful experience on the world of politics and current international issues and we really appreciate him for the way he graciously answered our questions with thoughtfulness and clarity.
Andrew firstly spoke about his beginnings as an MP. He first entered the cut and thrust world of politics at 24 and he summarised his relationship with politics as having “great highs and great lows.” He expressed his great fondness of politics with his successful “Keep Justice Local” campaign to safeguard the jobs of the now retired Sutton Coldfield Magistrates Court gaining over 5,000 votes in the process!
During his enthralling speech, Mitchell spoke about the necessity of social cohesion around the world. He gave heart provoking examples across the globe from the Russo-Ukrainian war to the Darfur conflict as reasons to care and be interested in the world environment. Mitchell preached to us that we as the upcoming generation are the new voice of the world who can either stop the suffering or cause the world to be a dystopia.
Mitchell gracefully requested to the audience to ask any question they desired. He answered questions not just with flair but also with patience making sure no one was left disappointed. He also made sure to discuss with Parliament the relevant issues raised by the well-informed audience. Fellow students were very eager to site their positive reviews, “thanks to Mr Mitchell’s talk I want to become a politician and help my community”.
Overall, the talk was an inspiring and enriching experience. It was a tremendous opportunity for us to hear from such an eminent personality who has played a key role in influencing British politics and international relations. His words of wisdom will stay with us long after he has left our school.
Ali Afzal 12GDH
