A PAIR of Woodmill High School pupils joined ‘Team Chapman’ at Westminster while volunteering with Dunfermline and West Fife’s MP.

Douglas Chapman welcomed Cara Wylie and Gregor Malcolm to the Houses of Parliament in London to observe a working day in the life of an elected member.

The S6 students, who last year appeared as youth delegates to the New York Times Climate Hub at COP26 in Glasgow, also attended events and meetings during their visit.

Their day started by hearing a debate in the House of Commons with the business, energy and industrial strategy minister Grant Shapps, a tour of Westminster, and a discussion with world-famous conservationist Dr Jane Goodall at a reception to support the campaign to ban trophy hunting.

Cara said: “It was interesting to see how completely different it is from normal life at Westminster, it was really good to meet Jane Goodall and support her campaign to ban trophy hunting, and it was informative being in the chamber and hearing the MPs talk, because it’s a such a completely different world.”

They then assisted at an all-party parliamentary group meeting on the Arctic and Nordic Councils, of which Mr Chapman is chair, to hear the Icelandic ambassador discuss his nation’s up and coming presidency of the Nordic Council in 2023.

Gregor said: “I thought it was interesting listening to the Icelandic Ambassador as it furthered my research from my involvement at COP26 where we discussed promoting climate activism amongst Scottish, Arctic and Nordic young people. The tour of Westminster was fascinating to see how major decisions are made within the UK.”

During COP26, the teenagers each appeared on international panels to discuss climate change themes including Scottish and Arctic youth collaboration on climate action and the Just Transition for women and girls.

Mr Chapman said: “It was my absolute pleasure to host Cara and Gregor, from Woodmill High School, at Westminster this week and give them an insight into the work of an MP and my staff.

“No two days are ever the same in the world of politics but I hope they gained an insight into the wide range of activities that occupy Members of Parliament and maybe even a taste for politics themselves in their future careers!

“I’m passionate about young people being involved and their voices heard on important matters from the climate to animal welfare to the cost-of-living crisis so I was so pleased that they wanted to visit and find out more about the workings of Parliament.

“Now they’ve seen Westminster, the next step is more local, and I’m really looking forward to them helping in the constituency on their next volunteering day with Team Chapman.”