News BBC’S Any Questions? At Collyer’s 11.03.2020

Last Friday Collyer’s welcomed BBC Radio 4 to the college for a live broadcast of “Any Questions?”, the topical discussion programme in which a panel of personalities from the worlds of politics, media and elsewhere are posed questions by the audience. Chris Mason presented the political debate live from Collyer’s Duckering Hall with Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott (MP for Hackney and Stoke Newington), Andrew Griffith (MP for Arundel and South Downs), James Kirkup (Director of the Social Market Foundation) and Hugh Pennington (Emeritus Professor of Bacteriology at the University of Aberdeen).

Chris Mason thanked Principal Sally Bromley for a warm welcome, and described Collyer’s as: “Something of an academic powerhouse, ranked as it is, as one of best sixth form colleges in the country.”

Questions from the floor included the government response to coronavirus, the demise of Flybe and the future of the Labour party’s Momentum movement. The final question discussed the legalisation of cannabis.

Collyer’s Deputy Principal Steve Martell was delighted: “The incredibly professional Radio 4 team were a credit to the BBC and we were delighted to welcome them to Collyer’s. Huge thanks to our students and Linda MacLeman for working so hard behind the scenes to help make tonight possible.”

Collyer’s Principal Sally Bromley said: “It was a privilege to host BBC Any Questions? and fantastic to see so many people who wouldn’t normally come to the college. The students were buzzing with excitement to meet Chris Mason and learned so much about the technical side of radio and what happens in the production room.”