OBV Shadower makes debut on Labour Conference platform

In a ten-minute speech during an education debate Sonika outlined the need for citizenship education in schools.

In a speech heard by PM Tony Blair, Rt. Hon David Blunkett MP and her shadowee Fiona Mactaggart MP she passionately argued the need for local and cultural approaches to be highlighted in citizenship education. Sonika also warned that unless these issues were highlighted it would remain difficult to encourage voter participation and involvement in the democratic process amongst black communities.

Sonika is one of 23 successful applicants to be chosen in a unique scheme launched by Operation Black Vote and supported by the CRE. The scheme is the first tri-partisan method enabling candidates to shadow an MP for six month to give them an access to the working of an MP on a local and national level. The candidates have all been introduced to their MP pairing at Labour and Lib Democrats conferences.

Sonika Nirwal, of Southall, Middlesex said:
This is my first party conference and it was nerve-wracking waiting to be picked to go to the floor. Once I was on the platform I was no longer nervous. I just felt that I had something important to say and that my view was valid. That is why I applied to the scheme and want to be an MP-to represent views that are often unheard.

Simon Woolley, National Co-ordinator added:
This is precisely the start that we want for our MP shadowers. To represent views that often go unheard and under-represented. They are all of high calibre, and I remain absolutely convinced that this scheme will produce some outstanding MP's and even a black Prime Minster.

Notes for the editor:
1. Some of the Parliamentarians involved in the scheme. The Rt.
Hon Charles Kennedy MP, Menzies Campbell MP, Simon Hughes MP, Richard Allen MP Jackie Ballard MP, Oona King MP, Fiona
McTaggart MP, Barbara Follett, MP, Mike Wood MP, Lord Jeffrey
Archer, John Gummer MP, Peter Bottomly MP.