Wes Streeting is not your average MP. Young, previously reliant on the benefit system and homosexual, he is undisputedly breaking the mould of the traditional politician. But how did Streeting end up in this position as the man who ended Ilford North’s 10 year streak of having a Conservative MP? I interviewed him in order to get more of an insight into Ilford’s local politician and the direction he plans to take his constituency in.  

Sitting in Wes’s bustling office in Gants Hill, we discussed what he considers to be his greatest achievement since being elected in 2015. Immediately he replied that it was a “big win” stopping the closure of A&E services at King George Hospital. He elucidated how he was told that “the campaign couldn’t be won and all the noise we made wouldn’t make a difference.” However, Streeting defeated this by firmly embracing grassroots politics, as he organised “a big campaign involving residents, a march, public meetings and petitions.”

Streeting’s youthful age easily distinguishes him from other MPs at Westminster, where the average age is 50. Wes, aged 35, told me he decided to pursue politics at such an early age compared to his seasoned colleagues at Parliament because he has a “commitment to social justice,” particularly after joining the Labour party at the age of 15. This can be seen by his strong disappointment that the current government has decided to scrap Labour’s plans to eradicate child poverty by 2020. Now child poverty is projected to rise, even in areas like Redbridge where there is “enormous pockets of child poverty” despite being considered a relatively affluent borough. Furthermore, Wes emphasised his belief that the youth should be involved in politics as it offers a “breadth of perspectives when decisions are being made.”

Streeting’s commitment to social justice is also evident by his desire to see “power, wealth and opportunity for the many, not just for a few at the top.” Growing up in a council flat and reliant on the benefit system, Wes reflected on his own experiences and highlighted how “one of the reasons there are not many politicians like me from a working class background is because money can be a barrier.” He wants to see more financial support to lessen the disadvantage faced by some party candidates. Clearly his own experience has been very formative, as he elucidated how “if you’ve not known what it’s like to need the benefit system, it’s very easy to say cut them.”

Representing a minority of gay MPs at Westminster, I asked whether he had ever experienced homophobia since being elected. Wes said that he had certainly experienced prejudice- one member of his party had even joined the Conservatives due to his refusal to accept a gay MP and he was continually told that “Ilford north would never elect a gay MP” due to being a highly religious area. However clearly Streeting proved them wrong as he said that people “underestimated voters in Ilford North” and “just because people are religious doesn’t mean they won’t be inclusive in their outlook.”

When asked about the future of the country, Streeting made it clear that the largest cause for concern was Britain’s exit from the European Union. He told me that Brexit would do “more to shape the future of this country than anything else,” and how he is very concerned about its progression so far due to difficulty for “future governments to correct” any mistakes. His own views were that “personally, I think the final deal should be put back to the voters.”

It is very clear that Streeting is endeavouring to rejuvenate grassroots politics and local activism in his stance to solving problems in his constituency. So far he was been successful and we shall see what the future holds in store for this ambitious MP.

By Samira Chowdhury

Woodford County High School