Conservative MP Mark Francois visits USP College for virtual Q&A with ambassadors

Pictured: Local Conservative MP Mark Francois answers questions in Immersive Room 1.

On 27 January 2025, Conservative MP for Rayleigh and Wickford Mark Francois visited our XTEND Digital Campus in Canvey for a virtual Q&A session with our European Parliament Junior Ambassadors using USP College's state-of-the-art immersive room technology.

The virtual Q&A session took place cross-campus in our Immersive Room 1, with Francois answering questions in Canvey from junior ambassadors at our Palmer's Campus in Grays, Thurrock, and our Seevic Campus in Thundersley, Benfleet. Questions covered several topics, with examples including "what does your day-to-day role look like", what advice would you give to someone looking to be a future MP", and "how do you feel about the proposed Greater Essex framework for devolution".

Pictured: Francois, centre, with USP College CEO Dan Pearson (third from left) and other SLT staff.

Francois was born in London in 1965 and grew up in Basildon, where he attended Nicholas Comprehensive School with famous acts Depeche Mode and Alison Moyet. He joined the Conservative Party while studying at the University of Bristol and was first elected as the MP for Rayleigh in the 2001 general election, which was later reorganised into Rayleigh and Wickford in 2010. As an MP, Francois came to national prominence as a leading figure in the Conservative Party's Brexiteer movement, serving as the chairman of the pro-Brexiteer European Research Group since 2020, the same year the UK left the European Union.

It was natural then that some of our ambassadors took the opportunity to also debate with Francois on his views about Europe and the EU. Francois told ambassadors that he was a long time opponent of European integration and British membership of the EU, explaining that he viewed the EU as an undemocratic "supranational state" which takes sovereignty away from member states against the will of their citizens. When asked if he would vote to leave the EU again as he did in the 2016 EU membership referendum, he said he would.

After the Q&A, Francois joined members of USP College's senior leadership team, including the CEO Dan Pearson, for a tour of the XTEND Digital Campus, where he saw the college's new virtual reality provision and its photogrammetry studio. Francois has taken a keen interest in the affairs of USP College, as many of his constituents attend its Seevic and XTEND Digital campuses for their further education.

The EPAS team would like to thank Francois for his visit, especially considering his rather vocal views on Europe. Although we do not necessarily agree with him on this matter, it is important for our local MPs to exchange views with their constituents, even if they disagree, and to take part in friendly, democratic debate, as Francois has done so through his Q&A. We are very grateful and look forward to inviting him in again at some point in the future!