CHESTER’S pivotal role as a hotly contested marginal seat in the General Election, with a significant number of students as first time voters, prompted BBC Radio 5 live to broadcast from the University of Chester’s main campus on Friday.

Students and staff were invited to voice their opinions on the results as they were still being called.

Two live slots featured feedback from experts, such as former Daily Mirror editor David Banks, on subjects ranging from future electoral reform and student loans to the hunting ban, together with reaction to the day’s key announcements from the three main political leaders about the options for the composition of the new Government.

University contributions came from: Jamie Northrop, Chester Students’ Union President; Jimi Watkinson, journalism student; Rob Dawson, institutional compliance officer; Professor Phil Harris, dean of business, management and lifelong learning; Dr Mark Bendall, senior lecturer in communications and Richard Wilson, visiting lecturer in languages.

In addition, Kelly-Jo Coney, a final year radio production student from the Warrington campus, was busy behind the scenes on the programme, presented by Stephen Nolan.

The late night panel of guests included: Lembit Opik, former Liberal Democrat MP; Martin Bell ex-Independent MP for Tatton; Paul Nuttall, UKIP chairman; and Ivan Lewis, latterly Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister.