I realise this sounds like an oxymoron, but Mhairi Black is one of the most genuine and sincere politicians ever to enter Parliament.
On the stage, she’s no different – a compelling voice for young people like myself, being the youngest person to ever enter parliament at 20 years old.
The interview explored her journey into politics, her experience in Westminster, and what her plans were going to be after she steps down as MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South at the next General Election.
She struck me as a practical person – she entered Parliament not because she believed she was going to “change the world” but because she knew that she had to go there to make a real difference in legislation and policy.
The interview also focused on Scottish independence, and how she believed independence was the only way to get Scotland through the cost-of-living crisis and away from all the problems caused by the Tory government in Westminster – a government that the Scottish people fundamentally did not vote for.
At the heart of Mhairi Black is people; it was so clear to the audience that she valued her loved ones, and that she is driven by human interactions and the desire to make life better for ordinary people.
Hearing this, it makes sense why she decided to leave Westminster: an establishment that seems pretty soulless from the outside.
It was a real change to see a politician speak so honestly about the realities of politics and the impact it has on mental well-being.
The only drawback was the interviewer, Graham Spiers: a sports journalist for the Scottish edition of The Times.
Though a qualified and decent interviewer, many of the questions he asked did not feel designed to give insight into Mhairi’s character.
Instead, it was the same questions I’d heard over and over again, often focusing on the most polarising of issues.
Some of the questions felt more like statements of Spiers’ own opinions rather than questions for Mhairi, the person we were actually there to listen to.
It also didn’t help that Spiers was reading off a sheet of paper. I don’t expect I could remember an hour’s worth of questions, but the way he read off the paper felt unnatural and awkward, and the transition between questions simply didn’t flow as well as it could have.
Yet despite the sometimes odd line of questioning, Mhairi came across exceptionally well: one of the most inspiring politicians I’ve ever heard speak.
It’s a shame this will be her last term in Westminster, although I have a sneaky feeling she’s not yet done with Scottish politics.
‘In Conversation With …’ runs throughout August at The Stand’s New Town Theatre at noon. The full line-up of guests can be viewed here.
Image provided to The Student as press material.