Our next MP for Answer The Question is Labour MP Nadia Whittome. She has served as the MP for Nottingham East since 2019, and until 2023 she was the UK’s youngest serving politician, having been elected when she was 23. Just before the Easter bank holiday weekend, Stylist spoke to Whittome about life as a politician, her most memorable day in politics and why she doesn’t take home her full salary.

What’s the most pressing issue for women right now and what are you doing about it?

“It has to be the cost of living crisis. We know that women are more likely to earn poverty wages. 69% of low-paid and insecure jobs are held by women, and we’re also more likely to work in or rely on the public sector, which, of course, Conservative governments have cut to the bone. Many women are out of work or work part-time because they have caring responsibilities. So, we’re often plugging the gap in the inadequate and extortionate childcare and social care systems.

Meanwhile, rent, food prices and energy bills have all soared. This all stacks up to women being on the sharp end of the cost of living crisis. It’s also trapping women in some really dangerous situations. When you’re living in poverty or you’re completely financially dependent on your abuser, it makes it even harder to leave. On top of that, there have been massive budget cuts to domestic and sexual violence services, which means that there’s less support out there for women.

In response to the cost of living crisis, I’ve been campaigning for an increase in the national minimum wage to £15 per hour, for more funding for local councils after decades of austerity and for a Green New Deal to insulate homes, bring down energy bills and create well-paid green jobs.”

What’s the one thing you want to achieve in your role?

“My main goal as a politician is to help redistribute wealth and power in society, away from the super-rich and into the hands of the rest of us. It’s why I champion the need for wealth taxes, the removal of laws restricting trade unions and the need for public ownership over the key services we rely on.

I want to be part of creating a society that’s more democratic, where people have more agency over their lives and where everyone lives comfortably. So many people get shut out of political conversations, even though the decisions made in parliament have a huge impact on their lives. So I also want to help bring about change with people from marginalised groups – such as migrants, trans people and sex workers – standing together in solidarity.”

What’s been your most memorable day in politics so far?

“It was towards the start of the pandemic in 2020, when it became clear that Covid-19 was in the UK and just how serious a health condition it was. My first thought was: how on earth is the social care system going to cope with this when it’s already underfunded and stretched beyond belief? Before I became an MP, I worked as a care worker. I thought of how my former colleagues were going to manage in this health crisis, and I remember talking to my mum about potentially doing some shifts to lend a bit of extra capacity to the care system.

Soon after, Boris Johnson announced the UK’s first lockdown, and the next morning, I headed off to do my first shift as a care worker again. It was such a surreal day. When I was elected as an MP just over two months prior, I could never have guessed that anything like this would happen.”

How do people react when you tell them you’re a politician?

“Shocked, mostly. People tend to think I look too young to be an MP. For example, if I get a taxi in London, I often get asked if I’m studying at university. Then, when the work conversation crops up, people tend to be surprised that I work in politics. But overall, it’s a positive reaction, especially when they see I represent a city I’ve lived in my whole life.”

Do you have a constituent in mind when you’re standing up representing them in parliament?

“In my mind, it’s usually a group of people, and it’s often people I’ve met that week. I enjoy knocking on doors and visiting schools and community organisations and finding out from people what they’re passionate about and what they want from their representatives. Westminster isn’t always the warmest place and Nottingham is the complete opposite. It’s such a loving and friendly community, so when I come back to work in parliament, I feel nourished after a weekend at home talking to constituents and my local community.”

What piece of criticism as a politician has stuck in your mind?

“When I first started organising and campaigning around trans rights, I found it very hurtful that transphobic people would say that this meant that I didn’t care about women’s rights. My support for trans rights has always been part of my feminism. In the fight against patriarchy, cis women and trans women are natural allies, we all face gendered oppression.

I’ve spent so much time campaigning on women’s rights – from abortion rights to workplace rights – but according to these transphobic people, because I consider trans women as women, none of that counts. Unfortunately, I’m now used to the hate I get for speaking up for trans rights. But that’s also a drop in the ocean compared to what trans people have to navigate on a regular basis.”

What was the last lie you told?

“It’s probably quite a common lie for most people, but it was when someone asked ‘How are you?’ the other day. And I replied saying I was OK, when actually I was exhausted and I’d had a really difficult day. There’s often added pressure as an MP to constantly appear on top of everything in all situations.”

How do you keep your brain sharp?

“I watch French and German TV and films. I listen to podcasts, read articles or even just scroll on French and German TikTok. It helps remind me that the world is much bigger and more interesting than whatever I’ve been stressed about that day. And speaking other languages, it also helps me practise my language skills and think more laterally, too.”

Why should a voter trust you?

“I don’t care about power for the sake of power. So, people can trust that when I speak, I haven’t been leant on by vested interests or the promise of a promotion. I don’t take my full MP salary and I certainly don’t have a lucrative second job on the side. I’m not in this job to line my pockets. My actions reflect what my constituents are telling me and what I believe to be the right thing. I’ve also had experience in my life that means that I know what it’s like to feel disempowered and left behind.

I’m not telling people, ‘put faith in me and everything will change’. Change is far more collective than that and it can only be achieved through democracy and equality in terms of wealth and power.”

What would make you walk away from politics?

“If I felt that I wasn’t useful as an MP anymore, or that I’d be more useful elsewhere, I’d make space for someone else to take on the role. But I don’t think it’s a case of either being an MP or walking away from politics. Politics happens in our everyday lives. It’s organising workplaces, protesting on the street, mobilising mutual aid in our communities. Being an MP is one role in a big ecosystem. It’s one that I feel I’m useful in right now as I can build bridges between movements outside parliament and the representatives inside. I can use my access to people with power on behalf of my constituents, particularly those who wouldn’t otherwise get heard.”

What keeps you awake at night?

“I’m actually blessed to sleep really well. I’m lucky that I’ve always slept well, even when I have stressful things happening in my life. On the occasion I am kept awake at night, it’s usually because my thoughts are getting existential and I feel overwhelmed by the scale of the problems we’re facing. Why is next to nothing being done to avert climate catastrophe? Why is the prime minister not acting like this is a global emergency?”

Answer The Question is Stylist’s home for all things voting and elections. In the series, we sit down with MPs from across the political spectrum to get to the heart of who they are and, more importantly, why we should trust them with our vote.

Image: Nadia Whittome