Students ‘privileged’ to welcome Lord Lawson

His lecture, ‘The View from No. 11’ sparked many questions from the pupils. Will Goddard, aged 17, gives his perspective:

“It’s not every day that one of the most important people in British politics over the last 30 years comes to Christ’s Hospital, so to have Lord Lawson coming to speak to us was a real privilege.

“He spoke first about the importance of political engagement and democracy, relating it to his own experience of getting involved in politics in the 1970s out of a desire to bring about change.

“Lord Lawson devoted the vast majority of his talk to audience questions on a wide variety of current issues and on his time as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the 1980s.

“Two issues which featured heavily were the European Union, which Lord Lawson supports leaving, and climate change, of which Lord Lawson is a well-known sceptic.

He eloquently expressed his opposition to the European Union, framing the issue in terms of national sovereignty and control, while also calling for global action on issues currently affecting Europe such as the migrant crisis. On global warming, he argued that it would be uneconomical to consider renewable energy sources at present and instead suggested alternative energy sources such as shale gas.

“Other questions asked referred to the role of public schools in present-day British society and to the role the trade union movement plays, for which Lord Lawson drew on his own experience in government to answer.

“That Lord Lawson was willing to answer questions challenging his positions in a direct and frank way and hearing the perspective of these issues from a different side was a refreshing and enjoyable experience which made for an interesting talk, no matter the opinions of those attending the talk.”

Report contributed by Christ’s Hospital. Picture by Toby Phillips.