In December 2019, amidst a hemorrhaging of seats from Labour to the Tories, Birmingham-born Zara Sultana, at 26 years old, won the constituency of Coventry South and became a Labour MP. She sparked anger from sections of the press for her ‘maiden speech’. Traditionally- despite literally being in the house of commons- your first speech is supposed to be non-partisan and apolitical. The new MP ignored this convention and used her speaking opportunity to actually say something; bringing up things like deaths from austerity, tuition fees, and racism. Sultana took on a junior role assisting a minister shortly after her election, but was subsequently removed by Starmer after his election as leader.
Appearing on left-wing alternative media outlets such as Novara Media, Sultana is unabashedly socialist in her political and moral views. As one of 40 MP members of the Socialist Campaign Group, and a supporter of Rebecca Long-Bailey for leader, Sultana is a Corbynite candidate elected during his demise. MP’s like her are a source of anxiety for centrist Labour MPs who would rather distance themselves from Corbynism, as well as socialism more generally.
I would make the argument that whatever your political views, it’s refreshing to see another millennial in the house of commons. Zara Sultana (the name just rolls off the tongue) experienced first hand the policies of the Conservative/Lib Dem governments whilst growing up, one example being starting university shortly after the hike in tuition fees. Getting more young people into parliament is not just about identity politics, but representation. Millennials now make up a huge part of the full-time labour market, they hold senior positions at work. They’re people aged 25-40, not students. Yet in parliament we see seething disapproval on the pink faces of the men opposite. “The entitled millennial snowflake”, they grumble under their whisky-tinged breath.
Perhaps the most noteworthy thing about Zara’s politics is her criticism of the previous labour government. Citing “40 years of neoliberalism” in her first speech, she explicitly disavowed Blairism, as well as the kind of politics current leader Keir Starmer seems eager to return to.
One could suggest her referral to the last 40 years as “neoliberalism” shows she is in tune with current political discourse. It’s a term used across both journalism and academia. Economists, political scientists, and sociologists all use this term as it refers to a mode of societal structure and economic power relations conspicuous over the last 40 years. Most politicians don’t use this term, as it encompasses around 99% of them. It has negative connotations that enforce the notion of elitism which is something many in the electorate hate. Essentially referring to a mode of governance where the state acts as an accomplice for corporations privatising the living daylight out of everything, the term is especially pertinent to our current political situation, and the fact she used it demonstrates she is looking to push the UK into a new system- the next system.
As a young, working class, woman of colour, she will have perspectives and experiences of the world that most MPs won’t- that’s just a fact. With decades of politics, economic crises, and social movements yet to come, one could expect younger MPs to think more long-term about their decisions, and the impact of those decisions, as it is them who will feel their consequences most concrete, most real.
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