Labour MP Nadia Whittome has met sixth-form students at Nottingham Free School to discuss her route into politics, social movements and the role young people can play in shaping change.
Whittome, who has represented Nottingham East since 2019 and was re-elected in 2024, told students about becoming politically active when she was their age and later entering Parliament at 23.
She said:
"I spoke to sixth formers at @NottinghamFree School about my journey into political activism when I was their age, and then being elected as one of our local MPs at 23."
Students question MP on justice, racism and the far right
Whittome said the discussion covered a broad range of political and social issues, including prison overcrowding, transformative justice, institutional racism, violence against women and girls, and the rise of the far right.
She said she was impressed by the students' "thoughtful questions" and used the session to reflect on how social movements have historically influenced political decisions.
Whittome added:
"We reflected on the importance of social movements and how we can all be part of forcing change by putting pressure on those in power."
Whittome draws on her own early political involvement
Whittome has often spoken about entering politics at a young age and about the importance of widening participation in public life.
She became an MP at 23 and currently sits on the Women and Equalities Committee.
Her visit to Nottingham Free School fits with a wider emphasis in her constituency work on engaging younger people directly in political debate rather than treating politics as something remote from their everyday lives.
Youth engagement at heart of visit
The session also underlined how sixth forms and schools can provide space for students to engage with questions that go well beyond the curriculum - from justice and public services to discrimination, democracy and social change.
Whittome's message was that young people do not have to wait until later in life to take part in politics: they can organise, question, campaign and shape public debate now.
