STUDENT Ben Stuart will find out today if he is Downing Street bound after he was voted 'Best Prime Minister' in the North of England.

The pupil at Ivy Bank High School, Burnley, took part in the regional finals of the Motorola Youth Parliament Competition 2001.

He now joins six other regional winners in the national finals today when a panel of MPs, political journalists and Motorola representatives judge a series of videos to find best PM, best school entry, best backbencher and best leader or or spokesman for the opposition.

In the regional final he was part of the school's entry in the House of Lords' style debate discussing whether all schools should have an anti-bullying officer.

The school had to make a 20-minute video of mock Parliamentary sessions including a house debate and question time.

If Ben wins at the national finals he will travel to London for a prize giving ceremony in the House of Lords attended by among others Prime Minister Tony Blair, opposition leaders William Hague and Charles Kennedy and the speaker of the house Michael Martin.

Ben, 14, said: "I am very excited about it. I am interested in politics, but not really in one particular party. If I get to London I would like to ask Mr Blair what it's like to be Prime Minister.

"We had a debate in English class and Miss asked some of us to stay behind to work towards the competition.

"We debated the weather, if there should be a limit on the length of girl's school uniforms and fox hunting. In the end we chose the bullying issue for the video."

The national winners will also have tea at No 10 Downing Street hosted by Cherie Booth QC.

Mark Durrant, Motorola's UK director of communications and public affairs, said:"Ben was awarded a prize because his performance was well researched and brilliantly executed." POINT OF ORDER: Ben Stuart practices his debating technique