Prime Minister’s questions

-  Surprise Manchester visit for Gordon Brown

-  Exclusive 16-25 year old audience

-  University of Manchester Students’ Union raises BNP debate

Prime Minister Gordon Brown took part in an exclusive question and answer session in Manchester with a surprised audience of 16 to 25-year-olds.

Past the pre-Raphaelites in Manchester Art Gallery, an audience of 35 young people from across Greater Manchester were seated with Sky News and Key 103, waiting for Gordon Brown to take the questions.

Six University of Manchester students were present at the talk, which had been promoted as being with a senior cabinet minister; Gordon Brown’s appearance was kept a secret until the last minute. Fuse FM’s Head of News, Rosie Baker, was one of the attendees and had been asked by organisers Key 103 to find some “intelligent student types” to ask questions at the panel. “They just asked me out of convenience really, as I had done work experience with them before.” Other attendees included post-graduate students from Salford and students from various local schools, including the Cheadle School of Music.

University of Manchester Students’ Union General Secretary Gabriel Hassan commented that he would have liked to see organisers approach the Union to find attendees. “Obviously they’re going to work with who they know, and I happen to know that Rosie is a very talented girl.

“Of course it would have been great if they had contacted the Union to find some volunteers to get a wider, more inclusive process.”

He added: “However, it looks like those who went are a fantastic group of people and might have been who we would have ended up with anyway.”

The Prime Minister spent the first few minutes meeting and greeting guests and went directly to Amy Newlove, the 14-year-old girl who watched her father Gary get kicked to death outside their Warrington home after he confronted a gang of youths.

During the debate – held on the day that her father would have celebrated his 50^th birthday – she asked Brown: “Why is it the people who murdered my father were given a life sentence, but are only serving a minimum tariff?

“As prime minister and also a father yourself, isn’t it about time that you made sure the laws and sentences were tougher and meant what they said?”

The Prime Minister was apologetic and commented on Amy’s bravery. “We the Government don’t tell a judge what sentence to impose.” He claimed that the courts had been given the power of “indefinite sentencing,” which would ensure that in future, criminals could be kept in jail for longer.

After talking about the plight of small businesses, which have suffered over the past three years, Carla from Hazel Grove, whose brother was killed during service in February 2006, asked the PM when the troops were going to be brought home.

“I want the troops home as soon as possible,” Brown said, but his tough stance on remaining in the country soon became clear. “There are 43 countries involved in the effort in Afghanistan, it’s not just America and Britain.

“The Afghans are starting to run their own affairs – supported by, mentored by the British troops… we are not an occupying army.”

A previous show of hands prompted by host and radio DJ Sam Walker before the radio question and answer session began revealed that audience consensus was in favour of the war.

“This is not an illegal war at all. The United Nations supported the action in Afghanistan,” Brown said.

Also in attendance was Mark Dunwell, Chair of Council for the University of Manchester Students’ Union and successful proposer of the Beat the BNP motion from exactly 12 months ago, which resolved in the No Platform for Fascists policy at the Students’ Union. He asked the Prime Minister if the Government aimed to take an active stance against the BNP. Brown said: “I think we’ve got to expose the BNP for what they are. They say you can only be a member if you’re Caucasian. That is simple racial prejudice.

“People need to make up their own mind to vote against it.”

This question came just minutes after the he was confronted with the zeitgeist issue of  ‘Jedward’ or John and Edward, the controversially untalented twins on ITV’s The X Factor. Brooke Vincent, the actress who plays Sophie Webster in Coronation Street said to Brown: “You’re like, quite high up there. You’re like a top dog, aren’t you? So you could like ring in, and say ‘we don’t want ‘em’.”

Gordon Brown admitted he was not impressed by Louis Walsh’s duo. “I don’t think they’re very good,” he said, but went on to say how reality TV shows were encouraging in ridding the creative industry of its nepotism by opening up opportunities for talented people.

Finally, Paul Lockitt, Key 103’s breakfast news anchor, asked Gordon Brown about his day.

“It’s a difficult job, and you get up in the morning and something new has happened.” While this could be said for any job, it is safe to assume that a Prime Minister’s morning news differs a little from everybody else’s.