ELECTION fever is gripping a Rossendale high school with four candidates battling it out for the popular student vote.
Haslingden High School will be holding a mock election to mirror the General Election and on the day – June 8 – a polling station will open at the school and all students will get the chance to experience casting their vote into the ballot box.
Candidates are: Tarek Ahmed, Labour; Hannah Crook, Green; Katie Griffin. Liberal Democrat; Mia Halstead, Conservative.
They are already on the campaign trail posting information around school to garner support and all the candidates have addressed student assemblies.
Hannah, 16 from Year 12, chose to support the Green Party because she believes their policies are the only sustainable ones.
She said: “The only party with future plans longer than five years are the Greens.
“Students should vote for us because we care about our future, we are not just for the rich, not just about getting back at the rich and not just talking about Brexit.”
In the blue corner is Mia, 14 from Year 9, who said her party was tackling the deficit and was making the right moves to fix the debt left by the previous government.
She said: “We are trying to welcome people into this country who want to help our society and work towards the good of the community and the country.
“We are fixing this country and by extension we are helping people and those that want to succeed in our society.”
In the red corner is Year 10 student Tarek, 15, who admitted he was a Corbynite first and foremost.
He said: “I am not all out Labour but I support Jeremy Corbyn, because he is more of a person than a politician and that is what we need in Downing Street, someone who speaks for the working classes.
“Vote Labour because we represent the millions, not just the millionaires.”
After half term the students will begin campaigning in earnest before Thursday’s election.