“Politics is life” was Liz Kendall’s message to the pupils of Watford Grammar School for Girls. “It's schools, it's hospitals, it is whatever you want it to be.

“If politicians aren’t talking about what you want them to, get in there and change it yourself. Make sure politicians talk about what you want.”

The MP for Leicester West, who was born in Abbots Langley, visited her former school to speak to the Government and Politics Society on February 9.

Drawing on her own experiences she talked about sexism, politics and the daily life as an MP.

She described being a MP as “a wonderful job, but never easy,” and outlined the frustrations she has faced ranged from being asked about her weight in interviews to the archaic rules of the House of Commons.

She said: “We had three Tories complaining about people not wearing wigs. It's wigs, shut up about it!”

The former Labour leadership contender told the girls gathered: “We need more women in Parliament.”

And while she sees the Prime Minister as a symbol for women’s progress in parliament she says she is “deeply disappointed" her party has not had a woman leader.”

The former Shadow Cabinet member was probed by students about Labour infighting, Brexit, feminism and Trump.

Responding to their questions she described the Government’s decision to stop bringing unaccompanied child refugees from Europe to the UK as shameful, and urged the girls to get involved with the issue and petition Watford’s Tory MP Richard Harrington.

However, she did have praise for Conservative Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow’s anti-Donald Trump speech, saying: “I did clap quite a lot.”