Going to university is an achievable dream for many people nowadays. But that doesn't mean the class ceiling has been smashed.

An important barrier is that public speaking – a quintessential skill for politics and business – is not generally taught in state schools.

We need people from all backgrounds to enter these professions if we want everyone to feel truly represented in Parliament and in the boardroom. And to achieve this, we need to equip all children with the necessary skills.

From mid-October 2023, I'll be heading into secondary schools across Bristol North West to share what I’ve learned from working in politics with free public speaking classes for students in Years 9-11.

In these one-hour sessions, students will learn how to craft an argument and deliver it to an audience with confidence. If you would like me to run a public speaking session with your class, please email me at darren.jones.mp@parliament.uk. The available slots for these sessions will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

My aim is to inspire as many local schools as possible to enter the English-Speaking Union’s ESU-Churchill Public Speaking Competition – the largest public speaking competition for schools in England and Wales.

I've been in touch with the competition organisers, and they have agreed to host a branch final of the competition right here in Bristol North West in January or February 2024 and the regional final in March 2024!

Update: Registration for the competition for this year has now closed, but you can still book one of my ‘Speak like your own the room’ sessions.