POLITICAL discourse has taken a nosedive in recent years as tribal factions attempt to pull us apart on the big issues.

So how refreshing it was for political peace to break out during a General Election.

College students and primary school children have shown how it can be done - questioning and debating without resorting to insults, name-calling, cheap shots or point-scoring.

The staff and student body of Furness College deserve a special mention for staging this event - the only one of its kind locally to put candidates on a stage together before we go to the polls.

The event itself was executed to precision and reveals much about why this local institution was rated 'good' by Ofsted inspectors, despite the tricky balance of managing the merger between Channelside and Rating Lane.

Our political leaders nationally and locally would do well to take note because politics is also about compromise.

The public too has a lesson to learn from this. Despite the temptation to 'react and post' we would do well to remember to be a bit more civil in our disagreements.

We may feel strongly about issues and have genuine axes to grind and injustices to campaign for, but that doesn't mean respect has to go out of the window.

Tis the season of goodwill, after all.