Who said politics was boring? Very few expected last night’s General Election result to be so clear-cut, with the Conservatives likely to win with a majority government, Labour leader Ed Miliband looking set to quit and the party left with just one MP in Scotland, and the SNP gaining an incredible total of 56 seats out of a possible 59.
But perhaps the most notable outcome of last night was of a more personal nature; a story of a Scottish student overcoming the odds to become Britain’s youngest MP since 1667.
For 20-year-old Mhairi Black, her life is about to change following an incredible victory over the established Labour campaign chief Douglas Alexander, after winning the Paisley and Renfrewshire South seat by more than 6,000 votes.
At the count, Ms Black, of the Scottish Nationalists Party, told her supporters: “The people of Scotland are speaking and it’s time for their voice to be heard at Westminster. I make this promise…that is exactly what I plan to do.”
It’s an incredible achievement for a young female politician in a political realm so dominated by the number of male Members of Parliament.
So, what do we know about Mhairi Black?
Hometown
Black was born and raised in Paisley. Her passion for the town is strong, with her being quoted in the Times newspaper as saying: “Paisley town centre has been crumbling all my life. You’ve got one in three families in this constituency having visited a food bank. I’m not trying to become an MP for a ‘career’, I hate that idea. I just want to help people”.
Family
Ironically, the majority of Mhairi Black’s family are dyed-in-the-wool Labour supporters. “My grandfather would turn in his grave is he heard how Labour were behaving now,” Black said in an interview. Both Black and her father joined the SNP on the same day.
School
Black has shown unwavering determination throughout her young life. While at primary school, she was the first girl to be selected for the football team. Her love for the sport is well known – Black is an ardent Partick Thistle supporter.
Social Media
Ms Black has been using Twitter since she was 14, and after getting into some hot water following some negative comments she made about a Scottish football team a few years ago, has had to clean up her online presence. She now has almost 10,000 followers.
University
Mhairi Black is currently studying politics at Glasgow University. She will have to complete her final-year politics exam before she can get involved at Westminster!
For anyone considering a career in politics but think they’re too young, you only have to look at Mhairi Black for inspiration, or check out the Scottish Youth Parliament – www.syp.org.uk – to find out how you can get involved in politics now.
