Which Parties Have PGS Pupils Voted For in the Past?

by John Sadden (PGS Archivist)

Mock general elections have been held at PGS for around a hundred years, perhaps longer - archive records are incomplete. However, the reports we have provide some insight into the political inclination of pupils over the 20th century.

The elections since 2010 have been open to the whole senior school; before then, the franchise was limited to debating society members and attendees only. The winning party, reported in archived copies of The Portmuthian, are listed below together with the results of some other debates which are included to provide some context.

1923 Conservative

1933 Conservative

1935 Conservative

1937 Debate: “The power of women has increased, is increasing and ought to be diminished”. The motion was carried. The school was not co-educational at this time.

1937 Conservative

1946 Debate: “The result of the last General Election was a national disaster”. Carried. (This was the 1945 election which was won by Labour, and brought in the National Health Service, social care and public services.)

1949 Communist (beat Conservatives by one vote, Labour came third. The successful candidate shrewdly distanced his communist vision from the actuality in Russia)

1950 Liberal

1951 Conservative

1955 Conservative (the winning candidate was Peter Viggers, who went on to be a Conservative MP)

1959 (day after the General Election in which the Conservatives won) “That this House welcomes the result of the General Election”. Carried.

1959 Debate: Pupils voted against lowering the voting age from 21 to 18

1960 Debate: Pupils voted that “the world is flat”

1964 Conservative

1970 Conservative

1974 Conservative (Feb)

1974 Conservative (Oct)

2010 Conservative

2015 Conservative

2017: ?