News from Nottingham Labour

Cabinet Minister drops in for tea with Nottingham students

There was a flurry of excitement in Lenton on Saturday when news spread that the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Ed Miliband, would be popping round for tea and biscuits with Merida Mathen and her housemates.

Over 20 students gathered at the shared house on Trinity Avenue for an informal question and answer session with the Cabinet Minister and Nottingham South’s Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Labour, Lilian Greenwood. The Minister stayed for more than 45 minutes answering questions on everything from action to tackle global warming to lowering the voting age to 16. He had a few questions of his own, asking the students what issues would motivate them to go out and vote and what would they like to see in Labour’s manifesto.

Merida Mathen, Chair of Nottingham University Labour Students, said: “It was fantastic to have him here. It’s been a great opportunity for Nottingham students to have an informal chat with a senior member of the government.”

Fellow student Chris Gallant added: “He was very friendly and open and genuinely interested in what we had to say”.

Lilian Greenwood said “It’s vitally important that Labour listens to young people and offers them a positive vision for the future. I know from talking to students here in Nottingham that their greatest concern is whether they’ll be able to find work when they graduate. That’s why Labour’s action to secure a strong economic recovery is so important. We’re also the only party to guarantee a job, work or training to 18-24 year olds – to make sure they don’t suffer the scars of long-term unemployment that blighted so many communities under the last Tory government.”

Other news from Nottingham Labour

• Labour women will swim a mile for Nottingham children's charity - 5 March 2010
• Nottingham South candidate launches residents' survey - 19 February 2010
• Nottingham City Council Leader backs BBC Sport - 11 February 2010