Dudley MP Ian Austin today took part in a Westminster Q&A with students from King Edward VI school in Stourbridge.

The students were visiting Parliament for the day as part of their A level politics course and got the chance to grill Austin and fellow Dudley MPs Margot James and Chris Kelly about their role as MPs, their political beliefs and how they represent Dudley in Parliament. They discussed the decision to scrap EMA and the problems with the bursaries that replaced it with students reporting that they are receiving significantly less than they should.

Austin also asked the students for their ideas about what he should ask at Prime Minister’s Questions tomorrow.  

Ian Austin MP said:

“It was a pleasure to meet the students from King Ed’s and I hope the visit helped them gain a better understanding of the way Parliament works. They were knowledgeable and made some very good points.

“This time last year students from Dudley joined me in Westminster to campaign against the Government’s EMA cuts. A year on listening to these students it’s clear that cuts to EMA as well as the massive rise in tuition fees have made it harder for young people to get on and fulfil their potential.

“The decision to abolish EMA was an absolute disgrace. Savings have to be made but they need to be made smartly and not at the expense of education and skills which should be the number one priority in Dudley.”