In another SJA exclusive, we are delighted to announce that the Association is staging a pre-election Sports Question Time at Westminster on Monday, February 23, where the Minister for Sport and the sports spokesmen from Labour and the LibDems will answer your questions and enter into debate about the sporting landscape in post-2012 Britain.
Helen Grant, the Minister for Sport, making one of the presentations at December’s British Sports Awards
Sponsored by BT Sport, the event is free of charge and is open to all working members of the media.
But there is limited capacity at the venue, in the Wilson Room in Portcullis House, next to the Houses of Parliament, and priority will be given to bookings from SJA members and to those who book first.
Our event, in time-honoured Question Time-style, will see the high-powered panel of Helen Grant MP, the Conservatives’ Minister for Sport, Clive Efford MP, Labour’s shadow sport spokesman, and the LibDems’ John Leech MP, taking questions from the floor on a range of topical issues.
The discussion will begin at 7.30pm and last about one hour.
Because of security considerations at Portculis House, all attendees must register with us before the booking deadline of 5pm on Friday, February 20 (we expect the all seats to be booked-up long before that, in any case). Those accepted for the event will receive a confirmation email together with details of any security requirements which they will need to fulfill on the day.
Question Time panel member John Leech MP
The SJA’s Sports Question Time event represents another terrific benefit of membership of the Association, and provides an outstanding opportunity for correspondents from websites and regional newspapers, as well as feature writers and chief sports writers from the nationals, for some headline-grabbing copy.
We simply ask that all attendees make their best efforts to ensure that they make mention of the Sports Journalists’ Association in their published or broadcast reports.
How to apply
Places in the audience for the event are limited, and we expect there to be a high demand. Priority will be given to SJA members.
Please ensure that you write “Sports Question Time, Feb 23” in the subject field, and state your name, address, contact phone number and SJA membership number in the body of the email, plus the name of the media outlet you’ll be representing.
If you wish to attend and represent a sports body or organisation, please also include details of this.
We will contact you if your application for a seat at the event is successful.
Only those whose names are on the guest list will be allowed to enter the event.
What’s your question?
Your emailed application is also your opportunity to suggest a question that might be put to the panel during the session. Only questions submitted at this stage will be considered to be called by the panel chairman.
Include your question in the body of your application email, and if the event producers select it for the running order, you’ll be notified when you check in on the day.
Details may be subject to change.
First posted: February 4
The SJA is the largest member organisation of sports media professionals in the world. Join us: Click here for more details
UPCOMING SJA EVENTS
Mon Mar 23: SJA British Sports Journalism Awards, sponsored by BT Sport, at the Grand Connaught Rooms
Wed, Apr 1: BT Sport/SJA lunch with Olympic champion rower Andrew Triggs Hodge. Booking details here
