Interfaith Conference with Sir Keir Starmer
Posted on: April 6th 2022School News
Dr Kilheeney accompanied four MGS pupils, Harish, Ashvin, Enyioma and Hunter at a Young Interfaith round-table question and answer session with the Leader of the Opposition, Sir Keir Starmer, OM Wakkas Khan and Yusuf Tai MBE. The event was chaired by the Dean of Manchester Rogers Morgan Govender MBE. Local politicians Afzal Khan, MP for Manchester Gorton, and Bev Craig, the leader of Manchester City Council, also joined.
Ashvin posed questions about the school curriculum and mental health; Hunter raised issues relating to climate change; Harish asked about the school curriculum and mental health and Enyioma had a great discussion with Sir Keir about the importance of retaining the Human Rights Act.
Pupils were also able to chat to Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Angela Rayner, and MP for Manchester Central and Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Lucy Powell.
Enyioma commented: "I believe that recent issues with long-term effects, such as Brexit and the Coronavirus pandemic, have made the inclusion of the youth in political matters more important than ever. As a result, the opportunity to voice my opinion about such matters to Sir Keir Starmer whilst also hearing his opinions, was invaluable. Furthermore, I aspire to work in International Human Rights Law in the future, so being able to ask Sir Keir, the former head of the Crown Prosecution Service, for tips regarding studying Law at University was also an incredible opportunity".
He added: "We were able to have an in-depth discussion about the Human Rights Act and the government’s plan to repeal it. Alongside my conversation with Sir Keir, when he later addressed those in attendance at the British Muslim Heritage Centre during Iftar, I was able to view exactly how a public figure, specifically a politician, addresses an audience, another useful and educational experience".
Hunter summarised his experience, saying: "After seeing Sir Keir Starmer feature frequently on the news and within the Commons as the Leader of the Opposition, it was truly an amazing experience to be able to discuss with him the problems that we face today. After learning about issues like the Human Rights Act in our Politics lessons, being able to discuss relevant issues, like the one involving their likely amendment by the current Conservative government, was an incredible opportunity. I really hope that Sir Keir Starmer will take on board what we discussed with him, as we were able to highlight a number of our concerns. I am confident, however, that at least some of what we said will make an impact, as he seemed to care about what we had to say and took a genuine interest in our concerns. I think within this lies the value of the experience, as our time with him could have a positive impact on law making in the future".
A massive thank you to OM Wakkas Khan and Yusuf Tai MBE for hosting!
