4.5 How to ask a standout question

Below is our "How to ask a standout question" resource which can support young people with generating their Digital Dialogue question. By putting their question into the flow chart, they can think about "why" they are asking it and whether it is worded in the best way possible.

Picture representing our component titled: How to ask a standout question? Flowchart.

Do you really care about the answer?

The most engaged learners are the ones asking questions that they are interested in the answers of.

If there isn’t an issue or policy that interests them, is there a relationship question that they would like to ask?

Are you asking this question from genuine curiosity?

We’re not looking for ‘gotcha’ questions, or questions designed to trip the politician up in these sessions - this isn’t Prime Minister’s Questions or a Newsnight interview. We’re looking for questions that will improve the learner’s understanding of the politician and / or the issues the questions are about.

Can you Google the answer in 30 seconds?

Your learners shouldn’t be asking questions that they can easily find the answers to through some simple research. For example, no one should ask what party the politician represents.

Learners can though ask a politician a question that you can Google an answer to but would still benefit from the politician giving that information. For example, your learners are speaking with a Member of Senedd who is the Chief Whip for their party. The learner could find out what a Chief Whip does from a Google search, but actually asking the politician what they do in that role would be useful and illuminating.

Sometimes there is an issue that learners are particularly passionate about and want to ask the politician about it. The best questions though are related in some way to what the politician has responsibility for.

For example, learners sometimes ask local councillors how to solve an international crisis such as a war. They may have opinions but it is a little out of their remit as a councillor!

Instead, if the learner is interested in that issue, you could encourage them to think of how that politician might be affected by the issue. In the example above the learner could ask the local councillor how the council has supported refugees from that conflict in the local area.

Does your question take longer than 15 seconds to ask?

Encourage your learners to keep their questions clear and to the point. Waffley questions lead to waffley answers!

Sometimes learners, when asking a question about the views of a politician, want to give their views first. If they really want to give their views it is much better to ask for their views first, then give their own perspective.

Avoid multiple part questions if possible. It is usually better to separate questions into two or 3, rather than try to ask them all in one go.

Might your question cause offence?

Learners are welcome to ask questions about difficult or contentious issues. Learners can do that though in a way that still helps to build a relationship between them and the politician.

For example, your learners are speaking to a politician who has been in the news recently for a controversial expense claim.

One learner in particular is angry about what they have read, and wants to ask the politician about this expense claim.

A bad way to ask that question would be:
“How can you justify such a ludicrous, disgraceful expense claim, especially during a time when so many people are struggling financially?”

A better way to ask that question would be:
“Recently you have been in the news regarding your expense claims. Can you explain the expense claim process and why you decided to make that claim?”

The second version of the question is still holding the politician to account and asking them to explain why they acted the way they did, but is asking it in a much more neutral way.