Labour leader Keir Starmer brings general election campaign to Kettering Buccleuch Academy with Q&A for students and media

Local knowledge was an advantage as people bussed in for the interviews and photo ops struggled to work out how to even pronounce the word Buccleuch, as the eponymous Duke stood in the crowd with pupils.

It was the student council members who asked Sir Keir the first questions accompanied by Bridget Phillipson, Shadow Secretary of State for Education, and Rosie Wrighting, Labour’s Kettering constituency candidate.

After thanking the school for its warm welcome Keir Starmer took part in a question and answer session in a boiling-hot school canteen.

Fallon, a Year 7 pupil, asked if the voting age should be reduced from 18. Sir Keir said: “Yes. We think it should be 16 and 17 year olds...they can go to work, they can join the Armed Services, and they pay tax and I think that if you pay tax you should be allowed to say what you think your tax should be spent on.”

Who would win the Premier League next season? – “Arsenal” came the quick reply.

Apprenticeship or going to uni – either was good.

Favourite school subject – music.

His opinion on journalism as a career choice? – ‘A good thing to do’ saying it was good for politicians ‘be held to account’.

Year 7 student Beau asked if he has any pets – Sir Keir revealed a much-loved cat called Jojo lived with his family.

Amelia, a Year 12 law student, asked for advice on subject choice for a career in politics – Keir Starmer said a ‘real mix’ of people were needed to represent the country.

Jakob asked Sir Keir if he enjoyed the Taylor Swift concert at Wembley which he attended with his family saying it was ‘fantastic’ and his favourite song is ‘Change’ – a shame since it wasn’t on the set list on Friday.

Once finished with questions from students Sir Keir spoke to the assembled international, national and local media

How will you give the people of Northamptonshire the special educational needs provision in schools they deserve?

"I’m very concerned with provision of special educational needs and we absolutely need to improve that. I don’t have a magic wand. We can’t fix all the problems in one go but as far as our schools are concerned the recruitment crisis that we need to address we will start addressing that on day one. I want to ensure that every family in Northamptonshire feels that they can get the appropriate education they need, whatever their background and wherever they come from.”

There’s no trust in politicians of any party – how do you tackle that?

"I’m not surprised after 14 years of the Tories that hope has taken a bit of a bashing because lots of things have been promised and very little has been delivered. People think things are worse now than they were 14 years ago and we need to pick that up and we’ve set out our plan in our manifesto and give people for hope of a better future.”

Your first visit to Northamptonshire is to Kettering, not Corby and East Northants or Northampton North – are those in the bag already and is this where the fight is?

"Across Northamptonshire we want to win seats, I’ll be open about that and I’ll be respectful about that. We must earn the trust and confidence across Northamptonshire. In Rosie (Wrighting) we have a fantastic candidate, absolutely rooted in this community and if we are able to get Rosie elected and have a Labour government that means Rosie will be sitting on the Government benches delivering for her constituents. That’s a really important thing in this election. That ability to change things for the future. We are humble and we know we have to earn every vote.”

The Chief Constable of Northamptonshire was sacked on Friday, do you think he should lose his pension and do you back calls to make stolen valour a criminal offence?

"Stolen valour is really serious and it impacts on all of us but it really impacts those that have served and it needs to be taken seriously. There does need to be sanctions but do I think their should be further sanctions? Yes I do. We’ll see what that process yields.”

Philip Hollobone has said in his election leaflet that if Labour get into power the rebuild of Kettering General Hospital and the new Corby Diagnostic Centre would be under threat – what do you say to the people who rely on Kettering General Hospital?

"We are absolutely committed to the necessary work in relation to the hospital within the project as it now is. The material difference is that we will deliver on it rather than just make the promise. We will not just promise it, we will deliver it. But we will go further than that because on day one of a Labour government we will take steps to reduce our waiting lists with 40,000 extra appointments each and every week. Which has a massive impact on how a hospital can actually do the work that it needs to do. We’ll invest in the technology – scanning equipment that is needed in our hospitals including here in Northamptonshire. We’re committed to the building, of course we are, and we’ll deliver it but we are committed to much more on top of that. ”

Would you decentralise the system of government bidding ‘beauty parades’ for local authorities to get money for projects in the local area?

"I think we should push power and resource out towards local people, those with skin in the game make the best decisions. When it comes to councils I do think we should look again at the structuring of payments to councils. It should be over a three-year period so that councils have much more control over their budget and can use money in a more effective way. They will know best how to use that money but the problem with the current structure is on a yearly basis they can’t make the best use of the money that’s made available to them."

Asked for his prediction for the England match against Slovenia on Tuesday he replied on strictly partisan terms.

He said: “Any win will do as far as I’m concerned but I’m an optimist I think it’s a great team. This is typical England we always have a bit of difficulty in the early games but I’m sure we’re going to come good.

"I just want a win.”