STUDENTS at Stockton Sixth Form College have had the chance to meet and talk with a member of the House of Lords thanks to a programme called ‘Peers in Schools’.

Lord Sawyer of Darlington, gave guest talk on his career working in parliament and the role of the House of Lords in UK politics.

Before the talk a select group of government and politics students had lunch with the visiting guest.

The group were also invited to quiz Lord Sawyer on the work and role of the House of Lords within our parliamentary democracy, and his own day-to-day experience there. At 15, Tom Sawyer – as he was then - worked on the factory floor of a County Durham engineering works before joining the National Union of Public Employees.

During his long career in the labour movement he eventually became general secretary of the Labour Party in 1994 and one of the strategic thinkers behind a new approach to labour relations.

In more recent years he has been a visiting professor at Cranfield Business School.

Joanna Bailey, principal at Stockton Sixth Form College, said: “It was an honour to welcome Lord Sawyer to college to share his experiences with students.

“The roles and positions Lord Sawyer has held over the years gave our students a great insight into the exciting and varied careers available in UK politics. We are extremely grateful to the House of Lords for arranging the visit.”

Lord Sawyer regularly visits schools in the North-East on behalf of the Lord Speaker to engage more young people with representatives from Westminster, and to reinforce the message that their views and opinions are important to legislators.