St Mary’s girls turn election result upside-down

St Mary’s girls went to the polls last Thursday and returned an electoral result that presents a rather different picture to the national outcome we woke up to on Friday 13 December.

Students listened carefully to passionately debated mock election campaigns before heading to the ballot box. Across the board, the Liberal Democrats romped home with a significant victory, securing 64% of the vote in Junior School, and 48.1% in Senior School and Sixth Form.

All candidates put forward well-informed arguments, as part of a lively and respectful hustings in each school. They explored a wide range of key issues, from Brexit and the environmental crisis, through to investment in public services.

In Junior School, candidates ran for the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green parties. Senior School and Sixth Form students heard from candidates representing these four parties, plus a Brexit Party candidate.

The results

As the results show, St Mary’s girls voted rather differently to the wider national picture. Their votes would have seen Jo Swinson taking residence in No.10, with a large majority and a mandate to remain in the EU.

In Senior School and Sixth Form, the Conservatives secured second place, with 23.5% of the vote share. Junior School girls placed the Green Party in second place with 16.3% of the vote share.

Charlotte Avery comments: “Our mock elections are a great opportunity to learn more about democracy and current themes in politics. From Junior School onwards, our girls enjoy engaging with topical debate and learning about the big challenges we face in society – and most importantly, how important it is to make their voice heard in the future.”

National statistics source