Strode College student set for promising future

12.05.03pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 25th Nov 2005

The South West and Gibraltar Lib Dem MEP, Graham Watson, will this morning visit Strode College in Street to speak to students and present an essay competition prize.

Graham will first meet AS level Government and Politics students, where he will talk to the students about the role of an MEP and describe how the EU works. The students, who are still in their first term of the subject, will have the opportunity to ask questions of a long-standing MEP.

At 1015 Graham will, together with Janet Aram and Ralph Clark of the Somerset branch of the European Movement, present an essay competition prize to Strode College student Ciaran Prendeville. Ciaran is 17 and lives in Glastonbury.

The Somerset branch of the European Movement offered a prize of £100 cash for the best essay of no more than 2000 words on the subject of 'Britain's Place in Europe'. Entry was open to all sixth form pupils in Somerset.

As one of the judges, Graham Watson commented,

"It was the unanimous view of the judges that this was the best essay submitted. Ciaran's essay is remarkably good, it is clearly the product of a far-sighted and analytical mind and demonstrates an awareness well beyond that of most essay-writers."

Graham added:

"Ciaran looks set for a promising future."

The European Movement was established in 1948 by Sir Winston Churchill to promote knowledge and understanding of Europe. It is an international institution with organisations in most other European countries. It has no affiliation with any political party.

The essay competition was announced on Europe Day, 9th May 2005, to commemorate the end of the Second World War and sixty years of peace in Europe.