A GRADUATE who secured a coveted place on a national training scheme has visited Westminster to meet politicians, including his local MP.

Tom McMahon, 25, from Richmond, attended a BT parliamentary reception with the chief executive of the BT Group, Gavin Patterson, and MP Rishi Sunak.

Tom, whose mother Joanne lives in Gower Road, Richmond, was one of only 24 people to secure a place on the EE graduate training scheme. There were more than 4,000 applicants nationwide.

Mr McMahon, a former pupil at Richmond School, is on secondment to BT -which now owns EE - and is working in London as a strategic communications manager.

He secured his coveted position after graduating from Manchester University and spending a year teaching English in China.

He said: “It was a great honour to be at the Westminster reception to meet politicians and the senior BT people.

“I’m very much enjoying my role, working in London, and learning a lot.”

Mr Sunak said: “I was very impressed by Tom. He is clearly a bright young man with a great future ahead of him.”