Good luck to SNP MP Mhairi Black

Bit of an odd post, Jackie.

I think there's been a lot of positivity towards Mhairi in this thread.

Obviously her credentials are going to be questioned; she's been elected to represent people in parliament.

Gosh OP I haven't read such breathless fandom outside of my DD's bedroom before? Are you her mom?

This reminds me of my University friend introducing her new boyfriend to me as someone who I'd get on with 'cos his grandad was a miner.

It's not about people knowing their place. It's about recognising that the job of MP is not the kind that you're equipped to do at 20. I think that there is a real risk that, now she has become so high profile, she will not be able to make her early mistakes quietly. She will make them as an MP, so there is a much greater chance that a youthful issue you could brush off as a 30 year old will be a take down when it happens whilst she's an MP.

Although actually I do take the point made further up that a lot of people will go to their MSP since many problems are with devolved issues.

Why, Jackie?

As for being "not terribly bright" she is a student at Glasgow University, and as that is not an easy university to get into she must be brighter than you think.

I have several teacher friends and they're a fair mix of working class and middle class backgrounds.

People could probably look at my daughter and conclude she's not working class due to mine and my husband's current occupations, but the reality is that she couldn't be described as having a background that is anything other than working class.

This thread reminds me of that horrible Scottish concept of 'know your place'. It's disgusting to see adults behaving like this.

I actually voted for Mhairi Black despite the fact she is a 20 year old with almost no life experience. It was a vote more for the party than the candidate. I have always voted labour, but couldn't bring myself to vote for Ed Milliband as I had absolutely no faith in him. I would never vote conservative so even though I was concerned that she sounds rough ( I can assure you that she certainly doesn't have a middle class accent!!) I took a chance and voted for her anyway. I hope she does well. I am sure she will make more mistakes that will be splashed all over the papers for everyone to pick over. Let's face it she can't be any worse than the PM who despite being more than twice her age still manages regularly be caught out saying things he shouldn't...

They've done not bad already in playing their part in raising and highlighting the legal and constitutional issues surrounding devolution and repealing the Human Rights Act.

They might not sock it to anyone but they're not just going sit down and shut up and lets face it, that's what it is that some people have a problem with.

Being a teacher never used to be regarded as working class. I didn't meet kids of teachers till I went to University.

Not a hope in hell.

Naive, silly and clearly not terribly bright.

And the idea that 56 of them are somehow going to sock it to 331 experienced, powerful and mature MP's is one of the funniest things I've read in a looooong time!

Just a wee aside but she'll also share constituency issues with the MSPs for the area. A lot of people tend to go to councillors or MSPs before going to MPs now, depending on the issue.

*Mhairi, sorry, not Mhaire

Malala is a different situation altogether - first of all, she didn't choose to be in the public eye, but was catapulted there when she was shot in the head. What she's done since is her choice, obviously, but she didn't set out to have a career in politics.

And Malala is a spokeswoman for a movement, not someone who has explicitly applied for the job of representing 63 thousand people, sorting out their troubles with benefits, the council, immigration, all kinds of things. And I hope that Mhaire will have a good team that will handle much of the caseload, but there are still some things in which she will have to take the lead - and she will have to manage her staff, too. The buck will stop with her.

And Malala's job is inspiration as well as organisation. Mhaire's job is includes scrutinising legislation and holding the government to account, on all kinds of issues.

You are comparing apples and spark plugs.

Since when did being a teacher mean you're not working class?

Mhairi's family absolutely are working class.

Her father is a wealthy business man who is well educated and used to be a lecturer and her mother is a senior teacher. How does this make her working class? I can't stand pretence at her imagined working class behaviours and false working class claims. What nonsense but as you say she's so young so we all learn.

"Can I ask if the people disparaging Mhairi for her age feel (and say) the same about Malala and her work"

I don't think I was disparaging... But I think that's entirely different as Malala's experiences are beyond what many people here would experience in a whole lifetime.

Can I ask if the people disparaging Mhairi for her age feel (and say) the same about Malala and her work

Not at all a cult converted, flag flying SNPer but I could cry with pride at seeing Mhairi elected. Hope she does it for all of us who have ideas above our station.

True, Nicola had to experience political failures before she reached the dizzy heights, and there was far less media attention. At the same time, Mhairi has grown up in an era of social media and mass communication (though she still has some lessons to learn there), she's a smart cookie and with the right support I think can do well.

We'll all just have to wait and see, I suppose, while wishing her all the best.

I know Hirples, but anyone else her age starting a career in politics wouldn't have the pressures of that job straight away and the media scrutiny as well.

She's not on her own, though, she has 55 colleagues with her, including the very experienced Alex Salmond, who previously mentored Nicola from a similar age.

" If she was my child, I'd be shtting myself for her"

Oh yes

I said earlier somewhere that on Friday when I was going about her I was told that she'd won the vote to be the candidate over 4 other people because she'd worked really hard and shown loads of potential, so I suspect that it was supposed to be a practise run towards grooming her for future elections.

I just hope it doesn't go terribly wrong for her, because I think it might as well.

Tabula- Oh I do agree. I suppose I would just feel that you ought to try and find a decent candidate even in the lost seats. And I don't rate a 20 year old (or a 23 year old) as a decent candidate.

I fear for her too. You know the start of Yes Minister where he realises his own impotence? I fear she has a moment like that coming, but which is going to hit a lot, lot harder. I foresee an interview at the next election on why she's quit politics (if not before). And that's if she doesn't mightily cock up before then. If she was my child, I'd be shtting myself for her.