Local MP Maria Miller, MP for Basingstoke, was delighted to be asked in to Kempshott Junior School recently to meet their new School Council and present them with their badges.

There had been enormous enthusiasm in the school for the elections, and all the candidates had made a speech to their classmates setting out what they would do if they were elected.

Maria also had the opportunity to see the “play dale”, an exciting outdoor play area, which had been a major project led by the previous year’s School Council.

Maria said: “The number of young people voting in national and local elections has gone down in recent years; School Councils give children a hands-on insight into how a democratic process works and the benefits it brings, hopefully creating a voting habit for life.”