Sixth Form Politics pupils travelled to Westminster for the A-level The Rest is Politics conference. Before welcoming Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell, pupils listened to many other speakers – Wes Streeting, Holocaust Survivor Lord Dubs, the Greens’ Deputy Zack Polanski, Richard Tice of Reform UK, and Leader of the Commons Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg. Topics included Gaza, the Rwanda bill, the power of vote and LGBTQ rights, with some highly divisive reactions in the audience.

In the afternoon, Campbell and Stewart gave the floor to student questions, with Campbell discussing the power of social media, his regrets over his alcoholism, and what Blair should have done to the Lords. Meanwhile, Stewart admitted he had hated being a Harvard professor, advising students not to be afraid to reject high-powered jobs!

The debates were up to the minute and hugely relevant for pupils, with some fantastic speakers. Congratulations to Ollie L (Lower Sixth), whose question about education will be addressed in the next The Rest is Politics podcast and a prize for political manoeuvring to Robert G (Upper Sixth) for ambushing Jacob Rees-Mogg in a quiet part of the building.

Teacher of History & Politics Dr Thomson

Related Posts

  • Our Remove, Lower Fifth and Lower Sixth pupils took part in a fantastic CCF Field Day. The sheer variety of activities on offer perfectly captures the spirit of opportunity, teamwork and resilience we foster here at King's School, Rochester: 🪖 Army Section: Pupils headed to The Alps to hone their communication skills, mastering everything [...]

  • Last week, King’s School Rochester marked an incredibly special milestone. At the end of this term, Mr Paul Medhurst retires after 37 years of dedicated, exceptional service to our school. In a fantastic surprise, the Prep School atrium was secretly transformed into ‘The Paul Medhurst Garden’. This beautiful, zen-like space will stand as a [...]

  • Huge congratulations to Emilia M (L5), who became a County Champion after a spectacular performance at the NSEA Dressage County Championships at Hickstead. Having qualified in February, Emilia went head-to-head against the highest-placed riders from 15 other counties. Despite the blistering heat and a painful elbow injury from a cricket mishap the previous week, she [...]