My work experience meeting Mr Cameron (From Oxford Mail)

My work experience meeting Mr Cameron

7:00am Thursday 16th August 2012 in Bicester

WHEN James Allen signed up for work experience shadowing a local council he had no idea he would get to meet the country’s leader.

Cooper School sixth form head boy James, 17, and fellow pupils were given the task to organise a work placement as part of their studies.

The teenager, from Maple Road, Bicester, decided to find out more about local politics and asked Bicester councillor Michael Waine if he could shadow him.

Through the week he went to a full council and cabinet meetings, and met David Cameron during a visit to the Witney Early Intervention Hub.

James said: “It was quite a good opportunity to see what politics was like. I shadowed him to meetings, including a meeting about moving the Fire Service from Oxfordshire to Bucks. There were quite a few issues that even though they were not happening in Bicester I could see they were closely linked.

“On the last meeting Michael said ‘would you like to meet David Cameron?’ I said yes.

“Mr Cameron seemed really nice and chatty, he asked who I was and whether I was enjoying it.

“I really love politics and have enjoyed finding out more about it. I would love to be an MP.”

Mr Waine said: “He is a very capable young man, and had lots of questions and a high level of interest.”

Mr Waine urged young people who had an interest in local government and wanted to find out more to contact councillors.