'Westminster is worse than I feared' | Owen Jones meets Mhairi Black
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- Опубликовано: 16 мар 2016
- Mhairi Black became the youngest MP serving at Westminster when she beat took the seat held by Labour's Douglas Alexander at the 2015 general election as the SNP decimated Labour in Scotland. I went to meet her at the party's spring conference in Glasgow, where we talked about how the SNP caused a political reawakening in Scotland, Labour's failings in the run up to that political earthquake and whether the party is really as leftwing as it likes to portray itself. Mhairi Black also told me she believes Westminster is like an old boys club, removed from reality, which needs to be dragged into the 21st century.
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Her enthusiasm and commitment are an inspiration. Well said Mhairi Black. The contrast with the majority of Westminster politicians is glaring. The status quo is not working, and driving a breakup of the UK.
Mhairi might not rate Parliament too highly, but she certainly gives them a good bashing, and from what I've seen, puts some of them in their place now and again. One of the very few politicians I find myself having a lot of respect for.
+John Richardson Well,in that case you are easily pleased!
Andrew Pollock Err, no, I wouldn't say that. I am basing my opinions on what I happen to have seen of her, that's all.
Me too, I think she does a great job.
She's hardly ever at Westminster but always accepts her salary and her expenses for 1st class travel !!
Everyone saying she has no life experience should take a hard look at the prime minister and the many privileged Westminster boys. Her past is far more grounded in reality, and those who think otherwise are not.
Wait, Owen Jones is over 20?
+MrHappyfuntimeskayak I'm over thirty too.
+Owen Jones interesting how you'll ignore my comment and respond to one written later meaning you skipped right pass it. What's the matter Owen? Don't you think that you should confront Labour sanctioned misogyny?
+Owen Jones Peter Pan detected!
+WayT101 Why don't you do a video on it considering you seem so enthusiastic about it?
Harry Lakity Because that would completely defeat the point of it you leftist moron.
A healthy distrust of authority is good thing in those who are in a position of authority.
Mhair is a diamond! And being where she is at the moment will help her polishing her skills. The future looks a little bit more hopeful with her in the picture.
Sorry, but at around five and half mins in, that was the Resolution Foundation who described the tax as progressive. I mistakenly said the Scottish TUC.
+Owen Jones And here's a link to prove it: www.resolutionfoundation.org/media/blog/scottish-labour-has-a-tax-policy-let-the-debate-commence/
+Owen Jones Have you heard of/do you watch TYT?
you position yourself as anti-war, yet when talking about tge Syrian conflict on this morning a couple of months back, why did you repeat a lie that has been pretty well debunked, in that Assad gassed his own people?
+Tom Tom For some reason the left decided to be less sceptical when it came to syria I suppose because the left wing media was the driving force as the platform running the propaganda and the right wing media was the counter. When it turned out that most of the sources for those guardian pro-war propaganda articles was a one man outfit monitoring twitter out of a one-bedroom flat in london likely funded/working for the british, for some reason the left ignored it. Maybe owen is a hypocrite and just goes along with it.
+Owen Jones i really hope the socialist bloc in SNP are successful because one of their councillors( aye one character with a power trip!)is terrorizing the poor in glasgow. See the recent forced closure of the Greater Maryhill Foodbank for details. thig-ar-la
LOVE Mhairi Black! We need many more politicians like her.
I'm English !
I'd vote for this genuine, thinking, articulate individual in a blink !
People will stand on her shoulders in years and years to come. How great that will be. I don't think she knows how inspiring she is. How life changing she is to younger people, the world over. Nice change from some young people with famous faces, who are all "me me me". She's so humble and that will never change. Her parents did a grand job. Mhairi even tilted my stand on Scotland going it alone, a little anyway, haha
What an incredible, impressive and relate-able woman. Great interview.
The young have been treated terribly in recent years, great to see folk like Mhairi representing them but we need more! If you're young and in Scotland join the SNP or whichever party you feel represents your views. Don't be afraid to come along to party meetings and make your voice heard, you'll be welcomed with open arms :-) It's your future - help build it.
Heroes. Go Scotland! (and take us with you please).
Best wishes,
Yorkshire
You're English, mate. You can either build up an English movement of your own or move to Scotland.
As a young female about to start a degree in politics (from Manchester but will be studying at Glasgow), Mhairi is one of the few politicians I can honestly relate to. I'd like to think one day parliament will be filled with more MPs of her sort, without sounding too optimistic.
Am so humbled and so proud of Mairhi and she is now deputy leader of the SNP at Westminster along with Stephen Flynn.Amazing woman is our Mairhi.
I'm not young but I am pleased to see a younger generation take up the cudgels or run the gauntlet of politics, politicians and the press, in the struggle for common sense to prevail, and to prevail in a fair minded society. I have liked and respected both yourself and Mhairi Black since early video encounters and TV etc. - not because you were both so young [I know that you Owen, are a 30 something now] when you began, but because it was time for each of you to claim your part in your own future, and the futures of those, a large number, whom you both represent either in Parliament or by ideal. I have no advice for either of you except to keep on doing what each of you are doing; it is both a good thing and very necessary. Best wishes!
I wanted the quick fire questions to be answers with "Wank, Wank Good guy, Wank" style.
I really admire and respect this woman, a great politician. Wish they would lower the Scottish boundary to include Cumbria, where I live!
Hopefully when Scotland finally becomes independent from the rest of the UK, this woman should either be the deputy leader or the leader of Scotland. She's a breath of fresh air in the world of politics!
Occasionally the camera focuses on the back of Owen's head: as lovely as he is, I'd prefer his head the other way round, or Mhairi. Other than that, great interview - I was initially skeptical, but to my surprise Mhairi's quite impressive.
Should have asked if she'd prefer a Conservative Independent Scotland, or a Socialist UK. Just because Scotland would be independent, doesn't mean it'd be left wing.
Once you go Mhairi Black you never go back.
Stay the way you are please dont change like the rest of all mp's
pauline Bloggs
'Stay as sweet as you are,
Don't let a thing ever change you
Stay as sweet as you are,
Don't let a soul re-arrange you,
.....night & day I pray
that you'll always stay
as sweet as you are'
From an old song:
She must be powerful, too
--- because she makes me cry
--- I am so afraid for the Youth of this country, especially now!
Couldn't Mhairi be cloned?
Hee-hee 😈
Mark of the lady - has an earth shattering, massive event and her response is to think of those others that had worked all of their lives to create that event. She really is amazing - well done on the interview Owen :)
Really interesting interview Owen!
I have a question for you that's a bit off topic from the video. Do you think that we could ever return to direct rather than representative democracy? With the internet as powerful as it is these days, it does not seem to me too big of an issue to set up online voting for issues, and install publicly available computers in libraries/post offices/schools etc for people without access to their own computer to vote. Precisely how it would work would I don't know, and whether it would be a good or a bad thing (could easily be hijacked) is a different question. But do you think it could work?
e could do with quite a few more Mhairi Black's in Westminster and in particular in the Labour party. I have no doubt that one day she will be leading an independent Scotland...
Big lol
BigAlFiGala Keep watching...
She is such an inspiration.
She's such a fucking doughball ! A 20 year old with no adult life experience... doughball !
Cool interview Owen :) I'm not a fan of the SNP but as a young woman interested in politics I have a lot of respect for Mhairi :) It would be cool to see you interviewing more young people in the future, keep up the good work xx
As the guy who suggested this to Owen, thank you for doing this.
Mhairi as engaging as ever before.
She makes me want to move to Scotland.
+joe mazmo She makes me want to move out of Scotland.
+Maddy Burrows Bye.
+joe mazmo Mon up!
+Eilidh LEwsey Put the kettle on I'm on my way!!
+Chris Duffy
Should all Scots who dislike the SNP leave Scotland aye?
Well!?
So true - imagine a society of people interacting for the general benefit of each other. This is not often seen or experienced by younger people who do see and experience Westminster debate, policies and laws being set in general for the benefit few - or those who shout loudest.
I really wish she was a Labour MP :( she is amazing
"When I was 20 I was just lounging around in my pants, hungover" - Absolute gold! Great interview once again Owen. I totally agree that we need to well and truly pop the so-called 'Westminster bubble', too many Hooray Henrys playing games with vulnerable people's lives.
Such an inspiration to young British women!
Labour can't win a general election alone, it needs to work with parties like SNP, lib dems and greens in order to keep the tory out of power in 2020. A more proportional voting system would help toward that goal and I wish labout would officially support electoral reform .
+Totalwarking7 It feels like the options for Scotland in 2020 will to be to either give in and help Labour form a majority for the good of UK or stick to SNP and run the risk of another Conservative government
Or SNP could work with labour and stop the tories from being elected in 2020.
+Totalwarking7 quite unlikely with the whole Independence thing
How do you propose the SNP do that? It's up to labour to win enough seats in England, that's were you lost the election. Labour could've won every single seat in scotland and the Tories would still have had a majority. I can almost guarantee that if Labour reclaim enough English seats to were nobody gets a majority, the SNP would be willing to enter a coalition with them, although there would be a large number of conditions to such an arrangement
+DynamiteShovel1 The SNP are willing to work with Labour in 2020, in fact if Labour remain toward the left then Corbyn or, more likely, an other left leaning leader would have better friends in them than they would on their own backbenches. The only way the SNP can stop a Labour government is by spooking English voters by the prospect of a coalition with them, which in fairness to them is hardly the SNP's fault. Besides, they are going to have a large number of seats in Scotland even if they lose half of them, which is unlikely, so they will be a factor whether Labour like it or not.
The best they can do is have a strong leader who has clear line on any deal from as early as possible. One option would be for Labour to say they will work with the SNP, but not give away any more powers to Scotland as part of any deal. They might not like it, but they do not have much of an option other than to work with the Tories.
Interesting to hear the dark side, as it were, of Parliament. The sexism etc. And, too, the bubble. The utter bubble of the privileged. I mean, the likes of Cameron and others, I think, lack empathy. Because they're privileged, spoiled and have lived in a perpetual bubble.
I'm 17 and you're definitely encouraging me Owen. Thank you for this interview - fascinating and very inspiring. Can't wait for more!
Love this girl a future leader,great interview Owen .
Scotland seems to think the majority of Britain actually want this government.
So much stronger to overthrow them together.
+Zac Hallgaten Well, sadly the Conservatives won a majority. Now the flaws of first past the post and decades of gerrymandering by all sides are well documented, but ultimately the Tories won, and really quite a lot of people support them. Why is varied and nuanced. And it's probably a little selfish of Scotland to leave us with those scumbags, but I can't blame them for wanting to help themselves. I just hope it's not to cold when I emigrate there.
+Zac Hallgaten Well the majority of you keep bloody voting for them. :)
+mavis cruet Don't sweat it Mave , we burn effigies of Gideon and Co on a daily basis ( Wickerman style ) you can warm your soft southern hands on the flames. Don't breathe in the smoke though.
+mavis cruet I blame our system. 36% of a 66% turnout is somehow considered a majority. Forgive my maths, but isn't that something like 20% of the electorate?
I think deep down I might just be jealous Scotland have a potential escape route from this abomination. Might start booking my ticket up there now...
+Govanmauler Cheers. I used to be up near the borders, I can take a bit of a chill, but a burning tory or even Ewar Woowar would be appreciated.
Please Owen, use an Audacity filter to take the underground noise off your vídeo. It is very simple, very quick and will improve de quality a lot. Particularly for me, because i am a Brazilian, used to hear american english and when i hear an english talkin with a scott you might imagine how difficult it is for me to understand with all that noise. It would be like you understand a person from angola talkin to a portuguese when you are used to hear brazilians.
Such an Inspiring ,sincere lady!
Yes Mhairi!!! Great interview. Thanks Owen.
Mhairi's just the best. I have a lot of respect for her even though, being a year younger than me, she does make me feel fantastically inadequate.
"Tradition over Reason"....concise summary of Westminster
Brilliant interview. Really inspiring to see Mhairi so committed to helping people have a better life and putting up with such crap from Westminster to achieve it. Thanks for the insights Owen.
I ADORE her!
Love you Mhairi, you're the best!
Going to be bizarre if and when Scotland gets another independence referendum; everyone will have to swap their "leaving a political union" arguments again. As others have said her arguments for leaving the UK can easily transfer to the EU especially on the issue of compromise. Still I've always liked her. She's someone I'd want in my corner.
Where does it take place in Westmister?
So Happy you got to speak to her, she should be the spearhead of how new MP's should be
The Torys and Westminster are some of the reasons Scotland wants out of this unequal union. It also looks like N Ireland wants out as well
and Wales now too......... You would think they would be wondering why every country that used to be under Westminster control have left.
I wish we had someone like that in Labour
Labour is way too compromised its a lost cause .Its first priority is to the Brit state . Most SNP voters are old school labour thinking btw dont listen to the overwhelming unionist propaganda . Cheers .
The SNP to me are a breath of fresh air, even when I don't agree with them.
They are the only party who genuinly have the interests of the electorate at heart.
How anyone can support Westminster which is constantly stamping on the head of the disabled and vulnerable whilst giving themselves pay rises is beyond me.
Lets break free from the monster that is Westminster.
I admire her passion but the SNP simply don't want independence. If they had a proper plan for Scotland, with their own government and their own currency - real independence, then the people would vote for it and an independent Scotland would be a success... but the SNP are simply not offering that.
+MightyDemocracy It's you again ! So, the UK leaves Europe (what's the plan there, I'd like to know ?) but Scotland
should stay within the UK - why is that ?
Mark Somers Yep, I like to troll Owen Jones as much as possible.. politely of course...
I would be happy for Scotland to become independent if that's what they want. I think it would be good for them. However, I think the UK has many things that the EU does not which allow it to work. Firstly, it has consent, whereas the EU does not and continuously ignores referendums that undermine it. Secondly, and most importantly, the 4 nations all share a common language, culture and values. This means that we can have a legitimate functioning democracy whereas a country with multiple languages cultures and religions must be ruled from the top down.
You should interview Sian Berry. Interesting issue there with her policies being closer to Jeremy Corbyn's than Sadiq Khan's are, but if Khan loses that would be seen as a rejection of Corbyn.
I love this woman!
As we can't trust our MP's and our media, what makes you think that I'm going to listen to one word of what you ever say?
You've proved time and time again that you're not on the public's side, so we're making our own way from now on, thank you very much!
The issue with young people getting actively involved in politics is that any politician is socially scrutinised. When something comes up that a 40 year old has done, they can blame it on their teenage naivety. When a young person is called out on their past, it is recent and thus cannot hide behind that defence. For any person who has lived and made socially unacceptable mistakes, which the majority of people have, they can't get into politics, or they'd be eviscerated by the media.
New subscriber- that was a good interview
Why is the SNP getting such an easy ride for having a pro-EU anti-UK stance? If Mhairi's argument for independence (i.e. no more compromise with centre right politics) is to be taken at face value, then how does she justify having a pro-EU stance? Even more absurdly, the SNP are saying that a Brexit vote could trigger another Scottish Referendum - as they are not prepared to remain within a centre right nation that is not prepared to remain within a centre right institution. They are fervently arguing for compromise, just not within the UK. They are not anti-establishment, just anti-British.
FINALLY!!
+Flying Spectacles Finally?
+Owen Jones I've waited for this for so long :D
Well, glad we got there in the end.
+Owen Jones Any chance of chatting to Aaronovitch?
Politicians like Mhairi Black are worth their weight in gold whichever side you're on. She's passionate, honest and assertive, would make a great prime minister
She doesn't want that job..........she would abolish Westminster...
Owen, I take it you've noticed that subtitling howler at 1:25 ?! Omg lol!
I don't understand why she's so pro EU when she gives an example of there always being compromise with 4 countries (surely a union with 28 countries is a lot worse, and much more dictatory!)
she's a Marxist, my dad's from cranhill, Glasgow, I love Scotland, and if Scotland left the UK and the EU fair play do it! but staying in the EU shows that these people are moronic idiots, the EU is undemocratic and economically raping the UK.
Because obviously the EU does not have as wide a scope of legislative power over Scotland as the rest of the U.K has.
jay fams Well I guess they're all in for a shock if Britain leaves and Scotland votes for independence, becoming a EU member.
One of the problems I foresee if this happens is floods of EU immigrants going to Scotland then illegally crossing the boarder to England. I think one of the reasons the peoples of Scotland are so pro EU is because things like open boarder immigration haven't affected them on nearly the same level as England.
*****
actually regulation is not legislation, and the scope of regulatory overight is not the same as quantum. And the extent to which it affects national sovereignty is also not equivilant.
Samuel Coe
perhaps, I doubt immigration has affected people in england merely as much as the English think it has either
wow. She actually talks so much sense!
Won't see it on the BBC will you though?
How do you see the Spanish political situation right now?
As an English woman, I don't agree with all her politics but she is a great role model to girls. Inspiring stuff, she's an outstanding young politician.
A great bit of telly. As easy and comfortable as many other interviews. I respect you for that. We got to hear her voice and thoughts. One problem...The sound quality was awful for me, even with bluetooth to a speaker. For the hard of hearing/hearing impaired ppl in their 50's plus... We need sharp light sound.
Great interview and I hope Owen gets a chance to cover more of Scottish politics.
I thought Mhairi could have done better on the independence question. If you agree with devolution you realise the end of that road is the Scottish government taking all powers from London to manage Scotland properly. I think many people believed that Scottish independence supporters were separatists. That accusation should hopefully end after the large majority voting to remain in the EU in June. I bet Owen knows a lot about Scottish political history. Does he think that a country like Scotland would have been a positive force in the world, if independent?
PS: Amazing interview. The Scottish Referendum was a turning point in my life. I used to live in Edinburgh (Manchester now). My former boyfriend and I went through the referendum in daily contact. He got really worked up. When it was lost I said "Well, you're passionate about, do something - stand in the election in May [2015". He turned the question round - why don't I? So I did. I know you hate my party but I genuinely see me and others like me are there to turn the party around and remove the unsavoury part - or at least side line them. Watching that interview gave me a twinge of "what if I had been elected". I really think she is amazing - her speeches on pensions and pensioners is really world-class. Well done with the interview - we should definitely meet one day, I am sure we would get on like a house on fire [wink, wink, hint, hint]
'Yeah I'm listening' nods as he looks at his phone haha
she is amazing, we need more people like her in Parliment
Great interview Owen, even with your Churchill nodding dog impression, again. I most say that I agree with everything Mhairi is talking about. Having Scottish ancestry and a Scottish name (Not Shown here), does this mean that I can emigrate to this beautiful heather filled land.
Good video more interviews like this
The link between Trump and Weimar Germany in '33 MB made is an apt one. BTW, if Trump wins will I be able to immigrate to Scotland?
Kind of weird that someone who thinks being part of a United Kingdom undermines Scottish sovereignty while advocating that it's vital to remain part of the EU.
How can I explain it to you.......so you understand.
Hmmm....1 equal voice within 27 voices versus 1 voice in 4 where only 1 voice counts, easy choice really.
Where we can trade with 500 Million and 65 Million, including the new big deals with China and Japan just set up which Trump is dying to get in on - best of both worlds
EU is about the right degree of ‘union’ between nations.
A union of practical stuff but retaining sovereignty, a veto and no 1 member has much over 15% of vote, so it’s all by negotiation / compromise.
UK union = total power to an 85% English parliament with no veto for others
Can the North East become apart Mhairi Black's Scotland. It sound brilliant and anything is better than what we get from Westminster.
The SNP joined the liberals and Tories to win a vote of no confidence by 1 vote in 1979, forcing James Callaghan, the then Labour prime minister to have a general election. This ushered in 18 years of Tory government, which hollowed out manual jobs and killed of investment in Scotland.
The SNP / Lib Dems split the vote and allowed the Tories back in - in 2010 , 2016 and again in 2019.
The SNP always complain they don't have a voice because the Tories never invest in Scotland, but then split the vote with the Lib Dems and allow the Tories in.
It seems the SNP don't mind this as it encourages the Scots to think about independence. After all, that's what Sturgeon want. If Scots have to suffer some more, what does she care if she gets her way and Scotland leaves the Union?
A Federal system would be better than complete independence. Also there are inconsistencies in saying Scotland should be independent and join the EU.
Mhairi Black doesn’t really know what she’s talking about. There is NO way I am voting SNP if she is a future leader. Free tuition has meant fewer places for Scottish students. This is the reality. So many people go to University but they don’t end up being MPs on80k. Instead they compete in a race to the bottom.
Engaging with quality grinning thro'. Heartwarming!
Mhairi Black is an inspiration to us all
Love these interviews, Owen. Politicians on the whole difficult to like but you always manage to make them seem like real people (even - no, especially - Jacob Rees-Mogg!)
Why don't you come to the housing estates in Paisley South, i've heard you were at Gilmore St once for the journos, i've never seen you in Glenburn talking to the ppl who live here.
Impressive lady, The Sturge' must be proud.
+Harry Lakity Please , the preferred term for our Great Leader is The Sturge'
+Govanmauler
Nicolas Durgeon.
So theere would be no compromise in an independent Scotland? Sounds naive...
great video owen,sadly the sound needs improving.jpj
+John Johnson Yes, I noticed an unpleasant whine coming from left of picture.
That's it, I'm moving to Scotland!
Owen you're doing a great job ! All power to you and thanks for bringing the genuine politicians forward
I personally like Mhari Black but I have to call bullsh*t on her 'SNP cuts' line. She starts talking about the block grant that the Scottish government gets from Westminster. Yet the real pain of (SNP) austerity is being felt most keenly in local services, affecting everything from bin collections to social care to education to libraries. Who has controlled council tax since 2007? You got it, the SNP. They have implemented a council tax freeze for the last 9 years which may be popular (it is a populist policy after all) but puts Scottish councils in an even worse position than English ones. The SNP would rather fine councils like Highland council (where I live) rather than allow them to put up rates. The end result is thousands of job losses and local services going to the wall.
IF THAT ISN'T AN SNP CUT THEN WHAT IS?
The stuff about being taxed twice I really couldn't follow - it certainly doesn't seem to correspond with Labour and the Lib Dem plans to put 1p on income tax. Black says that her hands are tied and that she can't do anything because she doesn't have independence. How about taking some actual responsibility for the powers your government DOES have? There's a question I would've liked Owen to ask her! Those of us who are fighting tooth and nail against a level of cuts on a par with (if not worse than) those that George Osborne is foisting on England certainly resent SNP politicians like Black cheering those cuts on whilst trying to claim the moral high ground.
Her point about Scotland having to follow what England wants. It's not even that--it's what Southern and rural England want.
As a Northerner, in an area of the country that would never elect a right-wing party into government, I have to suffer the same thing. It's always what some provincial, parochial, reactionary Southerners want.
This is why the historical area of Northumbria should also fight for devolution and eventual independence.
A politician who actually answers questions - Exactly what Britain needs!
Britain will never get her she is SNP and proud.
A breath of fresh air .
... what a good interview with a truly inspiring young person - it's no wonder she was elected - talk about head screwed on!
(Not so sure about Owen Jones whose constant nodding was surprisingly distracting.)
+Christopher Laughton **Nods and glances at phone**
How interesting.... the same arguments for Brexit are made as that in this interview for Independence of Scotland........ does the SNP really think that as a separate member state of the EU, that the Scottish cause would be better served? In the last General Election (2017) the SNP returned less MPs. A lot of dreaming going on here, but that seems to be what a lot of people in politics are doing, dreaming.
i am Welsh, the UK needs a Federal written Consitution, setting out all the principles and tenants of "democracy with level playing field, within the 4 nations.."
that is complete overall of "fair tax,fair,voting system & distribution of the wealth ,out of the south east of england"... of course, st davids,st georges,st patricks & st andrews day needs too be made "national holidays, there should be no shame in flying any national flags, or the promotion of these days as public and bank holidays"...
+jardon jones
Heck, I have to ask this: where did you learn English?
lol, you are very funny, i almost always comment, at midnight, when i am most tired, english is my second language, is it yours?
+jardon Jones Well that's in no doubt. What's your first?
why??
are you being offensive, or implying my english is not fluent?
+jardon Jones It's not so much fluency as coherence, of ideas, of making any sense.
She seems cool.
Shall be looking her up, seems legit (though that may just be due to the fact I could actually understand the words that were coming out of her mouth :D)
is that the woman from this sturgeon parody?
free prescriptions in Scotland have done nothing but create a culture of free loading by where people will rather attend a doctors to get over the counter medication for nothing rather than pay the relatively low costs of the drug/treatment in generic form (eg 25p for ibuprofen).
It should be governed on ability to pay. Rather that if you can afford to pay for prescriptions you pay. Children, those with Chronic/terminal conditions, pregnant women, low income, students would still receive free meds. But those able to pay would pay.
It should be the same with tuition fees. Make the well off pay. This would not stop ability governing academic achievement over ability to pay.
That was a good interview Owen!