The MP for South East Cambridgeshire observed students’ debating skills at Witchford Village College and selected two finalists to represent the school at the Houses of Parliament.  

Lucy Frazer MP, who is also the culture secretary, organises an annual debating competition and schools across East Cambridgeshire take part.  

She visited the college to hear students from the Debating Society take on the motion: “This house believes that inheritance tax should be abolished.”  

And two finalists, Dylan and Rylee, were selected to represent Witchford Village College at the next round where they will participate in a debate with other schools at the Houses of Parliament.  

Ms Frazer said: “I am so heartened to see how well prepared all the participants were and how persuasively each argued their case.   

“I look forward to seeing Dylan and Rylee in March and wish them the best of luck in the final.” 

She added: “Enabling young people to discover their voice and use it effectively is a life changing skill.

“I hope that by encouraging as many of our pupils as possible to have the opportunity to do just that will give them the confidence they need once they leave school to put forward their opinions, lead teams and communicate well.”

Richard Auffret, the headteacher of Witchford Village College, said it was a pleasure to chair the debate and watch students express their views eloquently.  

After the debate, Ms Frazer also spent time with Year 7s talking about career paths.  

She shared her own story of becoming a politician and what it takes to get there. Students also asked her their own questions.  

Ms Frazer’s launched her annual parliamentary debating competition nine years ago when she was a parliamentary candidate.  

This year's competition was launched in October where she welcomed 24 local secondary school pupils to the historic Cambridge Union where they took part in sessions to develop their oratory skills.