Justin Tomlinson MP with the Swindon College students
Justin Tomlinson MP today visited Swindon College to talk to Business, Finance and Accounting students about the job of an MP and the role of Government.
Justin spoke a bit about a week in the life of an MP before talking about the campaigns he has been pursuing in Parliament, including financial education and young entrepreneurs. Justin spoke to the students, many of whom have dreams of owning their own businesses, about the support they feel they’d need to start a business and a little about what help the Government is offering, including start-up grants and mentoring.
Justin also shared with the students his ideas to encourage young business owners locally, giving young people a chance to run a market stall or act as a business guru to advise struggling businesses on ideas that could help turn things around.
The students were then keen to ask questions, taking the chance to quiz Justin on why fuel is so expensive and what it is like being in Westminster.
Justin then set a challenge – fuel duty was clearly a concern, so Justin set the students the task of finding the money needed to fund a 4p cut in fuel duty. Suggestions went from taxing the rich, to taxing the poor, from raiding the education budget to slashing benefits. What was clear is that there was no one answer that everyone agreed on, bringing home the difficult decisions that government has to make every day.
Having had the chance to be Chancellor, Justin then put the students in his shoes on 4 other controversial issues that fill his inbox, challenging the students on their position on gay marriage, foreign aid, a referendum on Europe and Sunday trading. Again, agreement was not on the cards.
The debate certainly got the students thinking and listening to the very different opinions in the room. They reported back that having heard about the sorts of decisions that MPs have to make, they were more likely to go and vote when they turn 18.