Ivybridge Community College Sixth Form has welcomed two members of Parliament.

Sir Gary Streeter was joined by Cllr Rebecca Smith, the Conservative Party Candidate for the South West Devon constituency at the next General Election and, in another session, the students welcomed Plymouth Sutton and Devonport MP Luke Pollard.

The College’s Parliamentary guests and students covered a variety of topics including the NHS, the electoral voting system, university tuition fees and Further / Higher Education, Brexit, Immigration and the Environment, based on questions the students had submitted themselves.

Both MPs emphasised to students the importance of voting, an important point, given that a General Election is on its way, and some of the students may be old enough to vote themselves.

Rebecca Smith spoke of local housing and tackling violence against women and girls as two of her motivations to getting involved in politics, whilst Luke Pollard spoke about the campaign he was involved with to stop the releasing of raw sewage into Devil’s Point as well as also highlighting the need for more housing.

Following the sessions, Luke Pollard said on X, “I want to see more young people involved in politics. 

“It was good to answer questions from sixth formers at Ivybridge Community College on everything from the NHS to the environment, immigration to why they should vote.”

Sir Gary Streeter added on Facebook, “It's a highlight of the year to spend an hour with the Sixth Form at Ivybridge Community College and this morning was no different.”

Rebecca Smith also said, “Thank you to Ivybridge Community College for a really enjoyable hour this morning. 

“Looking forward to meeting again to hear students' views and share my experiences on women in politics and how we tackle violence against women and girls.”

Sir Gary Streeter was the Member of Parliament for Plymouth Sutton from 1992 – 1997 and MP for South West Devon since 1997

Luke Pollard has been the Member of Parliament for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport since 2017

Cllr Rebecca Smith is currently a representative for Plymstock Radford for Plymouth City Council and is the Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for South West Devon.