PUPILS from a Bingley school have met with the leader of the Green party during a visit to the district.

Natalie Bennett popped into Beckfoot School with Matt Edwards, Bradford Green Party Campaign Coordinator, to talk to Year 12 students studying AS Government & Politics.

During the talk, on Tuesday, the Green Party leader stressed the importance of young people being part of the political system saying: "Politics shouldn’t be something that it done to you.”

She cited the example of Owen Winter, a 17 year old from Dorset who was so disenfranchised by the electoral system that he started a petition for proportional representation that has now been signed by a quarter of a million people.

At the end, she was asked about some important issues ranging from electoral reform, education policy and the Trident nuclear deterrent. Mr Edwards said “In the Green Party we feel that we must work harder to engage with young people. Our message clearly resonates with the younger generation who are fed up with mainstream politics. The Green Party polled second during last year’s election amongst under 30s and in April last year the Young Greens became the largest youth wing of any UK Party.”

Earlier in the Day, Councillor Martin Love (Green, Shipley) took Mrs Bennett to visit "pay as you feel" cafe Saltaire Canteen.