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University invites community to debate party policies ahead of General Election

Release Date 20 April 2015

Houses of Parliament

The School of Politics, Economics and International Relations at the University of Reading is hosting an event on Saturday 25 April for party representatives, members of the public and the University community to discuss the key issues in the upcoming election.

The Democracy Day event will be opened by the Vice-Chancellor of the University Sir David Bell, and include participation from representatives of the main political parties, including Sir George Young (Conservative), Councillor Tony Page (Labour), Lord Purvis of Tweed (Lib Dem) and Aaron Murray (Green Party). Professor Dominik Zaum and Dr Alan Renwick, as well as other members of academic staff, will be there from the School of Politics, Economics and International Relations.

A short introductory session will look at the election context: the state of the national election campaign, to what degree the election is about policy commitments and perceptions of the party leaders.

The rest of the event will be split into two manifesto analysis sessions and close with a ‘Question Time' session, in which party representatives will take questions from the audience.

The first manifesto analysis session will focus on:

  • The economy
  • Welfare
  • Immigration
  • Housing
  • The EU

The second manifesto analysis session will focus on:

  • Foreign Policy
  • International Development
  • Counter-Terrorism Policy
  • Constitutional Reform

Professor Dominik Zaum from the School of Politics, Economics and International Relations at the University of Reading said: "This event is a fantastic opportunity to have an inclusive discussion, and gather as a community to debate important topical issues ahead of the General Election. We hope many members of the local community join us for what promises to be an interesting afternoon."

Event details

Location: University of Reading, Whiteknights Campus, Agriculture Building

When: Saturday 25th April, 1pm-5pm. Registration opens from 12pm

The event programme is available to view here.

To book, or for further details, please email Aleiah Potter: speir.events@reading.ac.uk