A total of 763 students from all years cast their votes in the first Thomas Hardye School Mock European Election. This represents one of the largest electorates of teenagers in Dorset in the run up to the real election students are eagerly awaiting the outcome of today’s election to compare the two results.

Last week the Conservatives, Green Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats and UKIP assembled campaign teams and embarked upon their election trail throughout the school. The campaign teams produced Party Election Broadcasts that were aired across the school and exhibited election posters also.

The school also played host to two election hustings, one with a panel of student representatives, and another presenting five candidates competing in this year’s actual election.

Sixth form enrichment coordinator Anna Killick said: “This has been an excellent opportunity for the entire school to find out more about the European Elections and I commend the students for the respect they showed towards each other and the serious way they debated the issues”.

The Mock European Election was organised by the Sixth Form Student Union whose aim was to get as many students as possible engaged in the political debate and prepare hundreds of first time voters for the real election day later this month.

The Thomas Hardye results were as follows: Conservatives 95 (13%), Green Party 351 (47%), Labour Party 86 (11%), Liberal Democrats 45 (6%) and UKIP 172 (23%).

As the European Election uses a proportional voting system our results if replicated across the South West region–made up of six Members of the European Parliament – would have seen the Green Party gain four MEPs, UKIP one MEP, the Conservatives one MEP and Labour and the Liberal Democrats none.