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University of Bradford hosts polling station and election events programme

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The University of Bradford will host one of the polling stations for the Bradford West constituency in the forthcoming General Election.

In the lead up to the election, the University will host a series of related events, including public lectures, a mini conference for schools and colleges, and a hustings, organised by the University of Bradford’s students' union, involving the constituency’s parliamentary candidates.

The series of six lectures, all hosted at the city campus, will examine some of the key political issues affecting Bradford, the UK and beyond. The lectures are:

  • Middle East, conflict and security: foreign policy challenges of the next government (Wednesday 18 March)
  • EU membership: in or out? (Wednesday 25 March)
  • Should we be giving aid? (Thursday 26 March)
  • The Impact of austerity on Bradford (Wednesday 15 April)
  • What do the social policy proposals of the three main political parties mean? (Thursday 23 April)
  • British Muslim politics (Thursday 30 April)

Professor Donna Lee will chair the hustings debate, organised by the students’ union, on Thursday 16 April.

The mini conference takes place on Wednesday 22 April and will examine questions such as is voting the best way to make a decision, should the UK stay in or leave the EU and what are the differences between the political parties?

There will also be special sessions for teachers exploring how to teach politics and deal with political issues.

Professor Donna Lee, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, said: “We are delighted to be hosting the constituency polling station, one of the few universities in the country to be doing so. We are taking the opportunity to encourage the engagement of our students and staff as well as the local community in discussion and debate on some of the key election issues facing us all, and we are pleased to present what will be an informative and lively series of events in the run up to May.”

Sam Butterworth, sports and societies officer for the students’ union, added: “We’ve been working hard to encourage students to register to vote to make sure they have a voice and are part of the democratic process. It’s fantastic that we have got the polling station and the events will generate tremendous interest.”

Details of all the events together with how to book can be found on the Elections and Democracy website.