BASINGSTOKE'S Labour parliamentary candidate visited Queen Mary's College (QMC) to hear students' views on politics. 

After Labour made gains in the Basingstoke local elections, David Lawrence visited QMC on Friday, May 12 to speak with sixth-form students during their lunch break. 

David expressed that it was great to be back where his dad previously taught for many years. 

He said: “As a relatively young candidate, I am passionate about young people getting involved with politics.

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“A lot of people say that young people are disillusioned or disengaged with politics, but that’s certainly not the case at QMC. It was great to hear so many ideas about how our political system needs to improve, from creating green industries to boosting Basingstoke's bus services."

During his visit, he discussed with students what could be done to encourage young people to vote, especially with the "low turnout" in recent elections. 

He said: "This means that Basingstoke's young voters could swing the next election."

With roughly a year until the general election, the parliamentary candidate is now in "listening mode" and keen to hear from people across the borough, to hear what they want from their local MP. 

He added: "I have encountered a lot of frustration with the current Government and Conservative council, but as the Labour Party we still have a lot of work to do to win people’s trust and offer an exciting alternative.

"I look forward to visiting more schools and local institutions in the coming months so I can best represent the town if I have the privilege of being elected as MP.”