July 21, 2023 - 2:35pm
“What, young snotty here?” That’s the bemused response of Hugh Laurie’s Prince Regent in Blackadder the Third when informed that the callow youth in front of him is the Prime Minister, William Pitt the Younger. Pitt was 24 when he ascended to the role in 1783, remaining in office for 17 years. That’s one year younger than Keir Mather, who on Thursday night was elected Labour MP for Selby and Ainsty in a keenly anticipated by-election, overturning a Conservative majority of more than 20,000.
It would be remiss, naturally, to refer to the clearly diligent and sincere Mather as “snotty”, though that didn’t stop Johnny Mercer, Veterans’ Minister and the Tory Party’s answer to Alan Partridge, from wading in. “We don’t want Parliament to become like The Inbetweeners,” the Plymouth MP insisted on Sky, to the horror of fellow panellist and Labour peer, Baroness Chapman. Mather’s suitability has since been defended by his mother, which hasn’t entirely settled the matter.
The new Member for Selby wasn’t born when New Labour swept to power in 1997; the just-released Titanic was boosting tissue sales and Destiny’s Child was in the charts. He has been accused of being an “identikit Starmer”, another clone on the conveyer belt of increasingly youthful Labour parliamentary candidates. This may well be unfair: Mather has vowed to “be a representative for the power that young people have to make a difference”, stressing that “I’m a taxpayer too: I feel the pressures like anyone else.” As a 20-something in the Labour Party who inclines more towards Starmer’s politics than Jeremy Corbyn’s, he may even be a breath of fresh air.
Yet Mather assumes his unofficial role as Baby of the House in the wake of a series of very young MPs finding the pressures of Parliament difficult to bear. Earlier this month, 28-year-old SNP politician Mhairi Black announced that she will be standing down at the next general election. Black, elected in 2015 when she was only 20, sent out a parting shot at the “toxic” environment in Westminster, labelling it “poisonous” and “one of the most unhealthy workplaces” imaginable. She claimed that her experience as an MP has had a negative effect on her “body and mind”.
In November last year, 29-year-old Tory MP Dehenna Davison stated her intention not to stand in an upcoming election, citing the need to spend time outside of politics. “It has meant I haven’t had anything like a normal life for a 20-something,” she admitted of her time in Parliament since being part of the 2019 intake of new Conservative MPs. In 2021, Mather’s predecessor as Baby of the House, Labour’s Nadia Whittome, took a leave of absence from politics for several months because she was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The demands of life as an MP are exacting for anyone: for those who are only a few years into working life, they can only be harder. Compared to the minimum age requirement of 35 to become US president, the minimum age of 18 to become a British MP starts to look overly generous.
Mather has evidently been immersed in politics longer than most people his age. A former youth parliament member who set up a Labour group for young people in his hometown of Hull, before reading history and politics at Oxford and working as a parliamentary researcher for Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting, his commitment to the Party cannot be questioned. But Westminster’s appetite for youth representation, usually to attract a new demographic of voters, ties into a broader cultural tendency to give younger voices particular weight. Think publishing house executives caving to the identitarian demands of a right-on junior editor, or the continuing reverence for Greta Thunberg.
But wait! William Gladstone entered the Commons when he was 22; Winston Churchill was 25; the 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, a three-time PM, was 23. (Oswald Mosley was 21 when he became a Conservative MP, but that’s another story.) Keir Mather doesn’t need to match the achievements of any of these figures to be an effective representative for Selby. Just as we shouldn’t fetishise youth, it would be wrong to discard it completely as a remedy for the sterility of British politics.
The life of an MP is very different now, though, compared to when Churchill was starting out at the beginning of the 20th century. Scrutiny is relentless and party HQs, whether Tory or Labour, can’t make special allowances. Candidates for the next general election, likely to be held next year, are still being selected. Perhaps the Zoomers considering their options should think about another career first.
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SubscribeNo one who has never had a job outside of politics should be allowed to stand for election.
I would upvote this a million times. All three leaders of the three largest parties in Canada have never had a job outside politics. One pretends to be a populist – I can’t stop laughing at the thought – and the other two are trust fund babies. Go Canada!!
What would that achieve?
What would a privately educated rich kid turned investment banker know about the working poor? What use is nursing experience when discussing how to bring down inflation? What would a painter and decorator know about running a billion pound health service?
I don’t believe the problem with politicians is that they haven’t had a “proper” job, whatever that means. A far bigger issue is that they all have the exact same middle class uni background
Life experience. Nurses would have excellent experience to draw on IMO. They work with people from all socioeconomic backgrounds, the job is particularly grueling, their decisions have real life consequences every day. The benefits would be many.
We don’t elect politicians because they are experts in this field or that field. We elect them to lead – to direct the bureaucracy and oversee the policy apparatus.
Politics however is a job like any other, a lot of how it functions and the various roles it plays must ultimately be learned. My 20 odd years on building sites is of absolutely no use in trying to organise a gaggle of civil servants into formulating policy
Disagree. You would have learnt not to give a silly instruction. Field Marshall Lord Bramhall said his nine months as private taught him not to give a silly order.
Disagree. You would have learnt not to give a silly instruction. Field Marshall Lord Bramhall said his nine months as private taught him not to give a silly order.
Politics however is a job like any other, a lot of how it functions and the various roles it plays must ultimately be learned. My 20 odd years on building sites is of absolutely no use in trying to organise a gaggle of civil servants into formulating policy
Life experience. Nurses would have excellent experience to draw on IMO. They work with people from all socioeconomic backgrounds, the job is particularly grueling, their decisions have real life consequences every day. The benefits would be many.
We don’t elect politicians because they are experts in this field or that field. We elect them to lead – to direct the bureaucracy and oversee the policy apparatus.
I would upvote this a million times. All three leaders of the three largest parties in Canada have never had a job outside politics. One pretends to be a populist – I can’t stop laughing at the thought – and the other two are trust fund babies. Go Canada!!
What would that achieve?
What would a privately educated rich kid turned investment banker know about the working poor? What use is nursing experience when discussing how to bring down inflation? What would a painter and decorator know about running a billion pound health service?
I don’t believe the problem with politicians is that they haven’t had a “proper” job, whatever that means. A far bigger issue is that they all have the exact same middle class uni background
No one who has never had a job outside of politics should be allowed to stand for election.
How does Black know Parliament is one of the most unhealthy workplaces? She has no experience of any other.
How does Black know Parliament is one of the most unhealthy workplaces? She has no experience of any other.
The beauty of democracy is that if he doesn’t do a good job, his constituents can turf his arse out.
So the best man ultimately wins?! You have more faith in the effectiveness of democracy than I do. The constituents voted, probably in desperation, for the Labour party not specifically for this smug-looking kiddie.
Anyway, I doubt if the majority of his constituents will have any idea of what sort job, good or bad, the kid is actually doing. Keeping a close eye on events at Westminster is not an activity that most voters have time for – unless they happen to be political hobbyists.
Not really. The electorate would have voted for a chimpanzee if it was wearing a Labour rosette, as likely as would hundreds of other wards.
I find it incredible that there were enough people in the constituency to decide that he was the best choice as an MP.
Then Labour Party must be really short of of talent to chose him as the candidate.
Conservatives as well.
Having green card holder with a non dom wife as PM is a disgrace.
So the best man ultimately wins?! You have more faith in the effectiveness of democracy than I do. The constituents voted, probably in desperation, for the Labour party not specifically for this smug-looking kiddie.
Anyway, I doubt if the majority of his constituents will have any idea of what sort job, good or bad, the kid is actually doing. Keeping a close eye on events at Westminster is not an activity that most voters have time for – unless they happen to be political hobbyists.
Not really. The electorate would have voted for a chimpanzee if it was wearing a Labour rosette, as likely as would hundreds of other wards.
I find it incredible that there were enough people in the constituency to decide that he was the best choice as an MP.
Then Labour Party must be really short of of talent to chose him as the candidate.
Conservatives as well.
Having green card holder with a non dom wife as PM is a disgrace.
The beauty of democracy is that if he doesn’t do a good job, his constituents can turf his arse out.
The people of Selby must be pleased with his broad experience of life.
The people of Selby must be pleased with his broad experience of life.
Hang on – I thought it was a superb privilege, a wonderful opportunity to serve your community and country, and to realise your deepest ideals, with never a dull moment? I would have thought that with all those amazing psychological benefits, MPs would live long healthy lives.
To be fair to Black, though, when I was 20, I used to think that having to do anything much like work was a massive unfair imposition. It took quite a few years to realise that nobody really cared about what I thought, and that I had been given an excellent chance to grow up before I hit retirement age.
Hang on – I thought it was a superb privilege, a wonderful opportunity to serve your community and country, and to realise your deepest ideals, with never a dull moment? I would have thought that with all those amazing psychological benefits, MPs would live long healthy lives.
To be fair to Black, though, when I was 20, I used to think that having to do anything much like work was a massive unfair imposition. It took quite a few years to realise that nobody really cared about what I thought, and that I had been given an excellent chance to grow up before I hit retirement age.
Kier Mather is someone who knows hardly anything about reality. So, pretty representative of the political class if you ask me.
Kier Mather is someone who knows hardly anything about reality. So, pretty representative of the political class if you ask me.
If it were up to me, people under the age of 30 wouldn’t be allowed to vote, let alone become an MP.
Why not? They work and pay tax, and are probably much more aware of the problems faced by the bulk of society than the retired for instance. Would you therefore ban OAPs from voting, seeing as it won’t be them that faces the long term effects of the policies put forward?
Do you presume that OAPs won’t vote for policies that will enhance prospects for their children or grand children?
To be fair most of the policies they voted for throughout their lives never benefitted anybody but themselves. Every bit of assistance they received to get a start in life such as council houses, free further education, on the job training etc seemed to disappear once it was their turn to pay to help the next generation. Likewise the pension suddenly began to rise once more quickly once they themselves stopped funding and started receiving it,
What a strange take on political life you have!
As a current beneficiary of the UK state pension I can say I never got to vote on any particular policies in my life unless they were put to the electorate in a referendum. In elections you get to vote for a particular party and the general sort of image they like to project – along with a grab-bag of ‘pledges’. What you actually get from the party when in government may not be what you think you voted for but what the political class think you should have – like it or not. A good example would be the legalisation of gay marriage – who outside of the political class got to vote for that? And how about Net Zero?
By the way, when I was working and paying tax I didn’t resent OAPs and blame them for the deductions from my wages. Incidentally, I still pay tax on the miniscule private pension which supplements my state pension.
But perhaps David Willetts The Pinch has become your chief reference in these matters.
What a strange take on political life you have!
As a current beneficiary of the UK state pension I can say I never got to vote on any particular policies in my life unless they were put to the electorate in a referendum. In elections you get to vote for a particular party and the general sort of image they like to project – along with a grab-bag of ‘pledges’. What you actually get from the party when in government may not be what you think you voted for but what the political class think you should have – like it or not. A good example would be the legalisation of gay marriage – who outside of the political class got to vote for that? And how about Net Zero?
By the way, when I was working and paying tax I didn’t resent OAPs and blame them for the deductions from my wages. Incidentally, I still pay tax on the miniscule private pension which supplements my state pension.
But perhaps David Willetts The Pinch has become your chief reference in these matters.
To be fair most of the policies they voted for throughout their lives never benefitted anybody but themselves. Every bit of assistance they received to get a start in life such as council houses, free further education, on the job training etc seemed to disappear once it was their turn to pay to help the next generation. Likewise the pension suddenly began to rise once more quickly once they themselves stopped funding and started receiving it,
Do you presume that OAPs won’t vote for policies that will enhance prospects for their children or grand children?
I would not go that far. But 25 or at least 23 should be the minimum age to vote.
With 35 to be an MP.
Another requirement should be paying taxes (or at least track record of paying taxes for retirees).
If I recall there was this argument about “no taxation without representation”.
It is about time to turn it 180 degrees.
“No representation without taxation”.
Benefit claimants should not have a vote.
Why not? They work and pay tax, and are probably much more aware of the problems faced by the bulk of society than the retired for instance. Would you therefore ban OAPs from voting, seeing as it won’t be them that faces the long term effects of the policies put forward?
I would not go that far. But 25 or at least 23 should be the minimum age to vote.
With 35 to be an MP.
Another requirement should be paying taxes (or at least track record of paying taxes for retirees).
If I recall there was this argument about “no taxation without representation”.
It is about time to turn it 180 degrees.
“No representation without taxation”.
Benefit claimants should not have a vote.
If it were up to me, people under the age of 30 wouldn’t be allowed to vote, let alone become an MP.
His, and Selby’s issues are that not only is he too young and inexperienced to be an MP, but he’s also yet another in a long line of misogynists in the Labour Party. His comments on Germaine Greer are vile; presumably his Party did a good job of suppressing them in order to get him elected.
His, and Selby’s issues are that not only is he too young and inexperienced to be an MP, but he’s also yet another in a long line of misogynists in the Labour Party. His comments on Germaine Greer are vile; presumably his Party did a good job of suppressing them in order to get him elected.
“Is Keir Mather too young to be an MP?”
He is too young to vote.
“Is Keir Mather too young to be an MP?”
He is too young to vote.
Historicaly, the prime role of the MP was to accurately and timely convey the range of opinion in one’s constituency to the House of Commons. It is not to solve the constituents problems.
All those people who became MPs in the twenties had private incomes. The ability to travel around a constituency, weigh opinion and then speak to the Leader of one’s Party and The House of Commons without worrying about loss of money, is very rare.
What MPs have become is source of party propoganda and of their own publicity.
The creation of political party machines and of MPs not having private incomes means they are lickspittles for any group who will offer them power, prestige and money and are not independent. The days when MPs owned their own estates meant they wished to spend as little time as possible in the House of Commons and enact as little legislation as possible. Consequently, the H of C produced high quality legislation which precisely and practicallly remedied an ill not vast amounts of pretentious waffle whose main aim is to puff up the vanity of the MPs who propose it.
Historicaly, the prime role of the MP was to accurately and timely convey the range of opinion in one’s constituency to the House of Commons. It is not to solve the constituents problems.
All those people who became MPs in the twenties had private incomes. The ability to travel around a constituency, weigh opinion and then speak to the Leader of one’s Party and The House of Commons without worrying about loss of money, is very rare.
What MPs have become is source of party propoganda and of their own publicity.
The creation of political party machines and of MPs not having private incomes means they are lickspittles for any group who will offer them power, prestige and money and are not independent. The days when MPs owned their own estates meant they wished to spend as little time as possible in the House of Commons and enact as little legislation as possible. Consequently, the H of C produced high quality legislation which precisely and practicallly remedied an ill not vast amounts of pretentious waffle whose main aim is to puff up the vanity of the MPs who propose it.
“A former youth parliament member who set up a Labour group for young people in his hometown of Hull, before reading history and politics at Oxford …”
Another ball-bearing off the Oxbridge production line. They’re all the same!
wrong… he is a common little oik.
wrong… he is a common little oik.
“A former youth parliament member who set up a Labour group for young people in his hometown of Hull, before reading history and politics at Oxford …”
Another ball-bearing off the Oxbridge production line. They’re all the same!
During the last war men of 21 commanded fighter and bomber squadrons, ships and regiments: however, I venture to suggest that this hybrid between Molesworth Mi., and Mr Pooters son’s limit would be the challenge of a 4th form conkers game, or building an Airfix model Spitfire, and that he can neither run a bath nor command a view…
During the last war men of 21 commanded fighter and bomber squadrons, ships and regiments: however, I venture to suggest that this hybrid between Molesworth Mi., and Mr Pooters son’s limit would be the challenge of a 4th form conkers game, or building an Airfix model Spitfire, and that he can neither run a bath nor command a view…
Pitt, Churchill et al, ie those famous figures who entered parliament at a young age, would have been far more mature than a 25 year old in the 21st century. Mather has no real life experience to speak of, he spent longer at university than he did in the workplace. He has no life outside university and politics, how on earth can he represent his constituents? It would not have mattered who the candidate was, they could have stuck a red rosette on anyone and they would have won the seat. I am of the opinion there should be a minimum age of 30 for being able to stand for MP.
Pitt, Churchill et al, ie those famous figures who entered parliament at a young age, would have been far more mature than a 25 year old in the 21st century. Mather has no real life experience to speak of, he spent longer at university than he did in the workplace. He has no life outside university and politics, how on earth can he represent his constituents? It would not have mattered who the candidate was, they could have stuck a red rosette on anyone and they would have won the seat. I am of the opinion there should be a minimum age of 30 for being able to stand for MP.
The night before he took his seat, then who is to make a man of Little Keir Mather? Jess Phillips? Harriet Harman? The Reverend Sir Chris Byrant? Or all of the foregoing, causing another byelection due to the poor boy’s death?
Yes, of course I know. My BA was Theology at Durham. Not only Theology, but Durham. Not only Durham, but Theology. I could tell by sight, and I have on occasion been able to tell from nothing more than hearing or reading a perfectly normal name. Something in my mind just clicked. Not only Theology, but Durham. Not only Durham, but Theology. My point stands, though. If Mather has only ever been a “researcher to Wes Streeting”, then he is not yet a made man. Let’s get a sword and gun on the table.
The night before he took his seat, then who is to make a man of Little Keir Mather? Jess Phillips? Harriet Harman? The Reverend Sir Chris Byrant? Or all of the foregoing, causing another byelection due to the poor boy’s death?
Yes, of course I know. My BA was Theology at Durham. Not only Theology, but Durham. Not only Durham, but Theology. I could tell by sight, and I have on occasion been able to tell from nothing more than hearing or reading a perfectly normal name. Something in my mind just clicked. Not only Theology, but Durham. Not only Durham, but Theology. My point stands, though. If Mather has only ever been a “researcher to Wes Streeting”, then he is not yet a made man. Let’s get a sword and gun on the table.
*The life of an MP is very different now, though, compared to when Churchill was starting out at the beginning of the 20th century.*
Not just the life of an MP. People mature much later, they are often considered “youth” until they are 30.
*The life of an MP is very different now, though, compared to when Churchill was starting out at the beginning of the 20th century.*
Not just the life of an MP. People mature much later, they are often considered “youth” until they are 30.
Should people over 50 be allowed to subscribe to UnHerd?
Should people over 50 be allowed to subscribe to UnHerd?