Andrew Mitchell MP has congratulated the winners of the 2010 Sutton Coldfield Schools’ Sixth Form Debating Competition which was held on Thursday 11 March and hosted by Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls – the winning school from 2009. On the night, the winners of the debating competition were Laura Barrett and Lauren Baker from The Arthur Terry School, who won with the second round motion of, “British boardrooms should have no less than 25% women.” Daniel Knowles and Conor Healy from Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School were the runners-up and Sophie Newsham from Birmingham Metropolitan College won the prize for the Best Individual Speaker. The Chairman of this year’s judging panel was Sir Bernard Zissman, former Lord Mayor of Birmingham and Senior City Councillor and he was joined on the panel by Mr Andrew Mitchell MP, Mr Ernie Murray, Clerk to the Trustees, Sutton Coldfield Municipal Charities and Mr Gary Phelps, Editor, Sutton Coldfield Observer. Speaking at the event Andrew Mitchell MP said, “This year, as always, I have been struck by the extraordinary high levels of public speaking which we heard from all 16 of the students taking part. “I want to thank Kaye Harrison, Head Teacher of Sutton’s Grammar School for Girls, for hosting this year’s competition and Assistant Head of Sixth Form Stephen Millman for organising such a successful event. Special thanks must also go to the main sponsors of the Competition, Birmingham Metropolitan College. “Most importantly I would like to thank all the participating students for an excellent exhibition of public speaking, a skill which I hope they will carry on and develop. I look forward to welcoming them all to Parliament where they will be able to watch MPs debate on the floor of the House of Commons.” Chairman of the judges, Sir Bernard Zissman said, “The evident passion and enthusiasm with which the students engaged with the often sensitive and complex subject topics, and the way in which they clearly articulated their positions, left the judges with a near impossible task in deciding the winner.”