To wish Mhairi Black was PM?

[Littlefluffyclouds81]

www.itv.com/news/2015-07-14/mhairi-black-20-year-old-mps-maiden-speech-pulls-no-punches/

She is amazing. Her speech made me cry. She may be young but she talks such sense and has so much passion. If only the House of Commons contained more people like her.

[ShakesBootyFlabWobbles]

Actions not words.

YABU on the basis of one speech.

Not for me thanks.

[backwardpossom]

Which is all very well and good, Kardamyli but completely irrelevant. She was speaking to the Westminster Government who have announced yet more cuts which will affect the poorest in our society the most.

[SantanaLopez]

Her referendum and election quotes are eyewateringly recent. There's 20 years ago and there's last September.

[Kardamyli]

I would say an accurate picture of quite a large proportion of the population of Scotland Crystal I should know, I am Scottish and see them every day.

[Ubik1]

I love naive and idealistic.

She was brilliant. She spoke the truth.

Perhaps Greggs sausage rolls would be fitting for the HoC in this age of 'austerity'
We're all in this together etc etc

[Kardamyli]

Not irrelevant at all Backward. Her party has had the last eight years to improve things in Scotland and has done nothing.

I forgot to add Prestwick Airport to my list. Bought by the Scottish State and supported to the tune of over £10m a year. Complete nonsense.

[KissMyFatArse]

Yabu

[wafflyversatile]

What was naive and idealistic about saying foodbanks are not part of the welfare system, their increase is a sign that the welfare system is failing?

Imagine, eh, a welfare system that doesn't see people going without money for weeks, even months, on end because they were late to an appointment.

Idealist!

[KissMyFatArse]

Yanbu (stupid bloody phone!) I think she's on the button.

[Ubik1]

I tember a time when there were no foodbanks.

It was roughly 10 years ago.

[Kardamyli]

Perhaps I should have added disingenuous to naive and idealistic. As I said, her party have had eight years to change things and have done nothing. If they'd spent as much time, money and energy on improving the lot of those in deprived areas as they did on producing the fantasy Independece White Paper things could be so much better for most of those people.

[Kardamyli]

Waffly if you expect taxpayers to fund your idleness it surely isn't too much to ask that you turn up to an appointment on time. Many people work and still manage to turn up to meetings and appointments on time.

[velourvoyageur]

I would far rather have a compassionate and "idealist" MP than someone who's just out for promoting the interests of a class that's only represented by small numbers of the population.
I'm 21 and I think she is fab. I couldn't be an MP, and she's younger than me. She is brave and if that comes from being naive, so what, she'll be learning an awful lot every day, she has a good head on those shoulders and she is kind and feels for people. She has genuinely good-hearted intentions as far as I can tell. I think we need a great deal more of those today in Britain. Kindness is priceless.
I do think that some people are just plain prejudiced against young people, to be honest. And I know people my age who run themselves into the ground for their (honourable) convinctions and to prove themselves - why not just be supportive - I think this culture of preserving distances between the generations that we have in the west is just weird and actually harmful, really.

People who think 20 year olds shouldn't be MPs- have you really thought about what you want the British democracy to be?

[SantanaLopez]

[Littlefluffyclouds81]

I despair. Have you actually listened to the speech, kardamyli?

[CloserToFiftyThanTwenty]

Of course she is a long way off PM material, but a great maiden speech and I think it's healthy to have MPs in opposition who are prepared to be robust and challenging. I also thought her opening sentences were a good attempt to smooth over her past statements on Douglas Alexander.

[SantanaLopez]

she is kind and feels for people.

At a post-referendum rally, Black described being at the count and walking past “all these fatcat Labour councillors goading us, clapping sarcastically, saying ‘better luck next time’ or ‘hard lines’. It took everything, every fibre in my being, not to put the nut in one of them.”

ahem.

[Ubik1]

Kardamyli

You sound lovely

[Flashbangandgone]

If you're saying you think she has potential and your words were hyperbole, then if she's kind of thing, YANBU....

However, if you were being deadly serious, then YABU and naive.... She's 20 years old! Even if you do like her politics, being PM is much, much more than being able to make heartfelt speeches....

[Ubik1]

if you expect taxpayers to fund your idleness it surely isn't too much to ask that you turn up to an appointment on time. Many people work and still manage to turn up to meetings and appointments on time

You're applauding that? I thought better of you SantanaLopez.

People are hungry and homeless due to sanctions. One in five children does not have enough to eat. Job centres have sanction targets. Tirn a different corner and it could happen to you.

[Littlefluffyclouds81]

Yes. All benefit claimants are idle. Lazy good for nothings.

[velourvoyageur]

And I had no idea that someone could be punished so harshly for not turning up to a fucking appointment - that is so shameful. I love Britain but what is happening here?

The system should accommodate the possibility human error and not bloody penalise someone by getting rid of their income for, what was it, 13 weeks? The goal is to keep people from starving, remember, not to "educate" them?

If I had no savings and on top of that no money coming in for so long I do not know what I'd do. Britain is a developed state, why the hell is it not looking after people having a hard time. Instead of putting more resources into the welfare system and looking into establishing a more efficient administration the govt just decides to cut funding. Lazy politics.

[SantanaLopez]

No, actually I was applauding the list of things the SNP have not done (and continue to blame others for) despite 8 years in power.

[UncertainSmile]

She seems great, I hope she doesn't become institutionalised and lose that fire in her belly.

[Behooven]

There is not one word that comes out of an SNP MP or MSPs mouth now that has not been thoroughly scripted then dictated to them to repeat. No coincidence that they all spout the same phrases and parrot what "wee Nic" says.