Help.... make me sound intellectual and intelligent!

[PigeonStreetClara]

Calling on the great minds of mumsnet!
I've always been interested in current affairs, more so since I entered my 40's when everything suddenly seemed more 'relevant' somehow. I 'enjoy' (not always the right word) watching the news and other current affairs programmes and read newspapers so I consider myself pretty clued up with what is happening in the world. I have been invited to take part in a debate and need to submit some 'topical questions' prior to participating. I'm a great armchair contributor and will happily sit there commenting at things I'm hearing on these programmes from the comfort of my own home, but now I'm taking part my mind has drawn a complete blank....... so I need the great mumsnet collective to help me to ask intelligent and well thought out questions that will lead to lively and interesting debate and won't make me look like a complete ignorant tit 😁 .

[Xiaoxiong]

What and where is the debate? Who is the audience and who are your opponents?

A debate at a school in front of a bunch of year 5s is going to be very different to going on Any Questions on Radio 4, for example.

[PigeonStreetClara]

Think big.... politicians present.

[MiddleParking]

Do you mean you’re going in the audience on Newsnight?

[littleblackcat27]

Specifics are important - or is the debate top secret?

[Augend23]

Do you have to have answers to the questions you ask of others?

If so, I don't think it's any use asking us because you need to ask about things you are passionate about.

I think personally I would focus on the key things that are blighting the country currently: workforce shortages (impacting everywhere, but specifically farming, education and health/social care), the concomitant slow-mo disaster that are health & social care and education - including but not limited to workforce, waiting lists, quality of care, buildings/estates, workload.

But those are my areas of interest - I could bore someone for hours on any of the topics so I am confident I would be able to make any required response suitably erudite.

So e.g. my question might be "There is a shortage of staff for the health and social care workforce now. This necessarily limits our capacity to train staff as a result of the shortages, and in any case even if we started training more staff now, doctors wouldn't even enter their F1 year for 5 years. The government has promised to bring down immigration which limits the capacity to open our borders to qualified clinical staff. Given all of the above, how would you solve the current shortage of NHS staff, which is resulting in burnout for the staff, poor retention for the trusts, and an NHS on its knees that isn't meeting the public's needs?"

In reality I'd probably get told that was too long, but I think it's important to answer all the common arguments before you ask them a question.

[Timeforabiscuit]

Please for the love of God hold a politician to account for social care!

Perhaps asking what the government strategy will be for shrinking birthrates and increase in those needing care, against a backdrop of soaring cost of living and maxed out immigration.

[illiterato]

@PigeonStreetClara

Think big.... politicians present.

Doesn’t matter what you ask then because they won’t bloody answer you 🤣

[passiveaggressivenonsense]

@PigeonStreetClara

Think big.... politicians present.

Then just work on inflating your ego and chatting shit with a total sense of self assurance.