We are all having to adapt to a different way of working as a result of the Covid19 epidemic and as most of our work in the past has been through face to face contact with students in schools and colleges we have seen a major disruption to our work as no visits have been possible since March.
We also faced the challenge of holding our Annual General Meeting. I am pleased to say that most of the tasks involved in an AGM were carried out by email followed by a Virtual AGM on Zoom on 1st September.
We are now engaged in discussions with a number of Universities about a programme of online talks, seminars and workshops details of which will be posted on our website.
13 of our members are currently confirmed as speakers through our partnership with Speakers for Schools and a further 8 are in the pipeline. Before the Covid19 lockdown in March Victoria Borwick spoke to two schools in Lewisham and Brent; Edwina Currie spoke to sixth form students in Halton; and Bridget Prentice spoke to students at a school in Greenwich. Since March, Bridget Prentice and David Hanson have been involved in pre-recorded webinar events and several more are envisaged and will be posted on our website.
At the AGM in September, it was agreed to extend membership of the Trust to former UK Members of the European Parliament, and former Members of the devolved Assemblies/Parliaments of the UK (Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales).
John Austin, November 2020
Provisional list of talks:
University of Exeter –
November: The work of Select Committees, Linda Gilroy;
December: Representation and Parliament, Edwina Curry;
Fixed Term Parliament Act and Boundary Reviews, Bridget Prentice.
University of Leeds –
November: Policy change – the role of MPs, Margot James.
Brunel University –
December: Select Committees and Scrutiny – Tom Levitt
University of Westminster –
December: How Parliament works: the Blair/Brown years – Helen Jones.
PARLIAMENTARY OUTREACH TRUST 