Students from Suffolk New College in Ipswich have had the opportunity to take part in an online discussion with a member of the House of Lords as part of a scheme to make Westminster more accessible.

About 50 students studying English as a foreign language took part in a session with LibDem peer Lord Paddick for a project called ‘Learn with the Lords online’.

During this half hour one to one with the students, Lord Paddick gave a brief overview of the history of The House of Lords, discussed his background and explained some of the issues and campaigns that he had been working on.

At the end of the session, Lord Paddick said: “It was a pleasure to talk to you all. Thank you for asking some great questions. In normal circumstances we would have met at our education centre in London for a chat and a tour. I hope that in that not too distant future that we will be able to welcome you to Westminster.”

Head of ESOL at Suffolk New College, Suzy Haynes, said: “Our students have been discussing politics during lessons therefore this event was very timely. There is so much going on right now it was great to be able to talk to someone who is helping make decisions during one of the most important times in our recent history. Therefore, we are very grateful to have had this opportunity and we would like to thank Lord Paddick and his team for giving up their time to talk to us. The session was relaxed and very educational.”