6 minute read
In Conversation with Britain’s Youngest MP: UoN Alumni Nadia Whittome 20
Former University of Nottingham student, Nadia Whittome, is the youngest MP in the House of Commons - currently serving as the MP for Nottingham East. Impact’s Lucinda Dodd asked her about what it’s like to be the youngest MP, her time at the University and where she stands on current political issues.
Nadia grew up in Nottingham, a child of working class immigrants: “I didn’t feel like caring about politics was something I could opt in or out of, it was the daily lives of my family and friends.”
She first became involved in politics as a teenager, as she puts it: “when the Tories came into power and started dismantling the welfare state and public services… I saw first-hand the impact of austerity on my life and the people around me, and knew I had to fight back.”
Despite this, she shared: “I never saw politics primarily as a career, and I was honestly a bit surprised when I was selected as the Labour candidate for Nottingham East.”
In 2019, aged 23, she became the ‘Baby of the House’. On how she finds this term, she revealed: “it’s a bit patronising but I don’t really mind it.”
“In my first weeks in Parliament, it felt like that’s all people kept asking me about.” She continued: “To be honest, I wish I wasn’t: it makes no sense to me that out of 650 MPs elected in 2019, only 21 were under 30. From precarious, low-paid jobs to insecure housing and the prohibitive costs of education, young people in the UK face huge issues - and deserve to get our voices heard… I’m proud to represent my generation: one that’s forward-thinking, passionate about equality and addressing the climate crisis.”
Asked about how she is treated by older politicians, she revealed: “I do sometimes feel patronised - and not just in Parliament. I’m not always treated with the same respect that some other MPs generally receive. I think that’s a lot to do with my age, but also being a woman of colour with left-wing politics.”
Nadia studied Law at the University for two years, and was involved with Labour Students, the BME Network and Left Soc before dropping out: “Due to difficult life circumstances I had to resit my first year, which meant the cost to study was then higher than I’d budgeted for, and I couldn’t afford it anymore.”
When asked about what the government should do to make sure students don’t have to leave university for financial reasons, she said: “I’m a big supporter of free further and higher education. Education is a public good - not a commodity like any other. I also know the prospect of decades of debt repayments puts even more pressure on students, especially those from working class backgrounds.”
“However, scrapping tuition fees is only one aspect of making education genuinely free and accessible.”
“I want to see student maintenance loans turned back into grants, to make learning truly debt-free, and raised to livable levels. Students who can’t count on family support shouldn’t have to spend their nights working exhausting part-time jobs, at the expense of their education.”
Of course, I had to ask her the important question of what she regards as the best nightclub in Nottingham: “We went to Pryzm a lot as students but my favourite club has always been The Bodega - I still go a lot.”
This winter, students will undoubtedly struggle as a result of the cost of living crisis, so what advice does Nadia have for students? “It’s not my place to tell anyone to take shorter showers and put on an extra jumper when the government’s failures are plunging people into poverty.”
She did have one tip though: “If you have a job, even if it’s part-time, join a trade union. Higher wages are key to beating the cost of living crisis, and we can’t count on employers to voluntarily raise them at the expense of their profits.”
As for what the government should do to help students, she believes: “We must make sure that people’s incomes increase in line with inflation - and that includes your student maintenance package, too! According to NUS, almost a third of students are left with just £50 a month after paying rent and bills. This simply isn’t acceptable.”
As Nadia is a rigorous advocate for environmental action, I was interested to hear what she made of Liz Truss’ policies: “Seeing her cabinet appointments didn’t fill me with optimism, to say the least.”
“Liz Truss herself complained about solar panels during her leadership campaign, and among her first announcements as Prime Minister was lifting the ban on fracking. This move will do nothing to help people struggling with their bills today, and is a disaster for the planet.
“The climate emergency has been one of my top priorities as an MP, and I will continue holding the government to account and calling for more action.”
For students, she suggests: “I strongly encourage you to get active, too! There are lots of local campaigns to support, from Climate Action Nottingham, to Extinction Rebellion Nottingham, to Nottingham Climate Assembly. Check them out and get involved.”
With Liz Truss becoming the Conservative Party’s third female PM, I asked her whether she felt it was an issue that Labour are yet to have one: “Of course! We have never even had a woman leader, or anyone who wasn’t white, or an openly LGBTQ person. This is a great shame, and we must carefully look at the barriers that marginalised groups face at every level of the Labour Party.”
However, she was mindful that the issue is complex: “We also have to recognise that women and minorities still face a huge amount of toxicity in public life, even more so if they’re left-wing.”
“More diversity at the top is not enough.” A black child in poverty won’t be inspired by a black Chancellor allowing him to go hungry, and working class women didn’t cheer on Theresa May cutting their benefits and closing refuges..”
“We must transform our politics so it genuinely lifts up the people who bear the brunt of structural sexism, racism and other forms of oppression.”
by Lucinda Dodd
