Topic Introduction

The general election is the most important event in British politics. It is the time when the British people vote to decide who will represent them in Parliament and govern the country.

Candidates who want to become MPs must persuade people that they are the most qualified to represent their interests in Parliament. The political parties are out to do all they can to show that they are the best choice to become the Government.

The general election is not only the most important political event, it's also the most exciting. Everybody gets 'election fever' - it's on TV, in the street and people talk about politics more than at any other time. On May 5th, everything comes to a head when people make their decisions and cast their all important vote.

HeadsUp is part of the general election action. Taking part in this debate provides young people with a platform to share their views on the election and find out the perspectives of others. For teachers and youth workers, this Forum presents an oportunity to cover elections, voting and political parties in a topical manner.

The debate will be open in the run-up to election day and beyond (April 25th - May 13th). It's your platform to say what you think and to listen to what other young people from around the UK have to say.

The Forum will begin by looking into four important election debates:

  1. What you think the parties have to offer young people?
  2. Your views on the quality of election campaigns and coverage
  3. Should the voting and candidacy ages be changed?
  4. Is voting a right or a responsibility?

Journalists from across the media have also been invited to drop into the Forum to ask young people directly what they think about the election and the hopeful candidates. Strict parameters have been set on what the journalists can ask and no questions will be published without prior vetting by the HeadsUp moderators. 

Next Steps

HeadsUp has put together a series of support materials to help teachers prepare their students for participate in the forum. It is up to you to decide which activities you use and this choice may be dependent on the areas of political literacy you have previously covered in class and the resources available.

Before participating in the forum, students should have spent at least one classroom session exploring the various issues in the Gnereal Election 2005 debate. Please also make sure that students have read all the background information (provided in BackUp) and feel confident about their ability to work with the facts and figures in developing their own arguments.

These teachers' notes have been put together to be used in conjunction with the student notes. It is important that students have the benefit of at least one offline classroom session where the basic issues are introduced before logging into the forum. This will allow teachers to identify any confusions or specific areas of the topic that require further examination.

If you have previously registered with HeadsUp, you should have all the details necessary to get your students logged-in. Should you require a reminder of either your login details or the process for registering students, please contact us.

If you are new to HeadsUp and are interested in getting your students involved, please complete the online registration form or contact us direct on 0207 395 4000.