Election Day in 3W

7th May, 2010

Since the start of the summer term pupils in 3W have been studying this month’s General Election and the election of 1710 during history lessons. After days of learning about such underhand tactics as the candidate in 1710 who toured Shrewsbury buying 2,000 pairs of shoes, thus securing the shoe makers vote, the meaning of ‘constituencies’, ‘swings’ and the old ‘Rotten Boroughs’, the pupils had their own chance to run a campaign and cast votes into a ballot box.

The children established parties, drew up manifestos and competed for their classmates’ votes. On election day, Christopher Dorrell, the returning officer, monitored the counting of Freddie Beharrell and George Hargrave and confirmed that all sixteen voters had cast their votes before announcing the results.

Bea Mostyn-Owen, the Ali-B Party candidate, was the surprise winner. Early polls had put Simon Waterhouse’s Rat Party and Esther McLaughlin’s Pooh Bear Party firmly in the lead. The sporty boys vote had been split into the ‘Vote Beardy’ and ‘Vote Fr-immy’ campaigns and never really looked a threat to the front runners.

Bea’s victory could be due to block voting by the girls, the collapse of the Barbie Party or her promises of later bedtimes. The authorities are however investigating accusations of bribery after it was discovered that large amounts of tuck changed hands only minutes before the ballots were cast.

It seems 3W have learnt exactly how elections worked in 1710...