TTF England hosts a Batley and Spen hustings

On Saturday the 26th of June, Teach The Future England hosted a virtual hustings-turned interview with Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat candidate. Initially, the Conservative, Labour, Green and Liberal Democrat party candidates were invited, however, Kim Leadbeater (Labour) and Tom Gordon (Liberal Dem) accepted our invitations but due to anti-LGBTQ+ protesters abusing Kim during her campaign, she was not able to attend but has agreed to answer the questions we have sent her (so look out for her responses to be posted soon!)

Tom answered a wide array of questions from the future of education to green jobs and the potential expansion of Leeds-Bradford Airport. The impression was highly positive, and Tom showed a strong commitment to many of our policy asks. For example, when asked

 “How will you and your party ensure that students are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to tackle climate change and enter green jobs?” 

Gordon’s response was that;

“Fundamentally, as a party, we want to see a substantial reinvestment in the education system which will in turn ensure teachers are able to open up these sorts of conversations and support students in their learning, including climate education.”

 We also received a statement from Kim Leadbeater, the (eventually successful) Labour candidate, also signalling a strong commitment to climate action.

Despite the unforeseen setbacks, the event was a considerable success and we hope to undertake similar events in future by-elections to come.

Additionally, if you would like to watch a recording of the hustings, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kL28zs7rXYE