Interview: Huw Merriman……………...……………………………………………….……Page

Interview with Huw Merriman MP

Over half term, I had the opportunity to interview Huw Merriman, the Conservative MP for Bexhill & Battle about many issues including the role of young people in politics, the Afghanistan crisis and his plans for the future. Here’s what he had to say:

I read that you had a very successful career in law before becoming a politician so can I start by asking what made you get into politics in the first place? I decided I wanted to go into politics when I was 16. I’ve actually done everything I set out to do and I look back now and think that’s incredibly sad because life should be a bit more sporadic than that, but there are lots of similarities between the two, so I was interpreting legislation as a lawyer, now I’m writing and scrutinising it. You don’t need to be a lawyer to become an MP. In fact, there are far too many from that sector in politics. I also come from quite a political family – they’re all more on the left of politics and firmly believe that change needs to happen to look after the most vulnerable. You’re probably thinking ‘Well hang on, you’re a Conservative, where did it all go wrong?’ In my case, the ends (to look after the most vulnerable), I share very much with my parents but as for the means to get there, I strongly disagree. I believe that it’s better to give people the tools and empower them to create good for themselves and society.

So were there any political role models you had other than your family who inspired you?

I actually regarded myself as a bit of a socialist growing up as you tend to follow your parents’ views at first, so I liked Tony Benn, a Labour MP who would always do what was right for his constituents, even if they favoured a different party and people really valued his independence as a result. I always admired (and was lucky enough to sit alongside) Ken Clarke who was never afraid to say what he felt was right – he had a great sense of humour too. I would also say John Major, who made it to PM despite never going to university and having worked his way up. He was a role model to show the country that you can reach the top, no matter how humble your beginnings. I understand that you've been the chair of the Transport Select Committee since July 2020, so what is a select committee and what powers does it give you as the chair?

Select committees follow government departments and scrutinise their performance. For Transport, we look at the Department for Transport, the Transport Ministers, the DVLA and other transport agencies. We make sure they’re performing well and make recommendations for change if they aren’t. We also push new transport innovations. At the moment, there is a commitment to roll out more electric vehicles to reduce diesel and petrol engines by 2030 but there aren’t enough electric charge points and there would be a fall in fuel duty tax revenue, so what would pay for our roads? The committee has come up with a report making recommendations for electric vehicles to be cheaper and more accessible. All of this helps towards our target of net zero which is important as the transport sector is one of the biggest contributors. Ultimately, select committees are a powerful means to hold the government and Whitehall to account and to deliver better policy.

The public don't always get to see what goes on in parliament except for snippets on TV from the House of Commons, so what is life really like as an MP and what does that involve?

It’s very different to how people perceive it which is a shame as most people think of parliament as rowing with each other across the chamber during Prime Minister’s Questions for half an hour on a Wednesday. Most of the time, the debates are thoughtful and collaborative; we all come together to discuss common causes. Whenever I walk across parliament, I always see MPs from different parties and have a good chat with them. This morning, we were actually discussing the local problem of sewage being discharged into the sea and waterways and what we can do to make the government see sense and make it better, so constituency matters are also discussed in parliament, not just the constituency office.

Do you think it's important that young people take an interest in politics and how do you think they can get involved?

It’s more important for young people than anyone and they should be more engaged in the political process as the decisions the government make today will affect their future because they have more years implicated.

I’m really passionate about getting young people involved, to have your voices heard and to make us the agent of your change. In terms of how we do this, parliament needs to be more accessible and understandable so young people realise the ideas, the concerns, the challenges they have. A lot of people see me as disconnected because they see me behind the barrier that is the parliament building. How do we tear down those barriers and make my work more relevant to young people? I do this by using social media and visiting the schools and colleges in my constituency and explaining how they can get involved. We also offer work experience so they can see what we do in action. We all saw recently the terrible pictures coming out of Afghanistan . Do you think that the government dealt with the crisis well and what should the UK do now to help those Afghan people left behind?

The ultimate question about young people in politics is do you think 16 year olds should have the right to vote?

I’ve actually gone into schools and colleges to make this point because I always encourage people to look at both sides of debates and the voting age is a good example. I believe that 16 year olds should have the right to vote because they’re then more likely to keep voting in the future whereas by the time 18 year olds can vote, it doesn’t always become a habit and their interests have moved on. Staying engaged in the political process can only be a good thing. I have to be careful how I put this but when people say 16 year olds don’t know their own opinions, let’s be honest, when I’m 90, I may have lost all my faculties, but will still be able to vote and so why is that the case? Young people also have a lot more information and are taught a lot more about politics these days and they are far more tuned in than I was when I was 18.

Moving on to more topical questions, I know you said that you’re friends with a lot of MPs but in the wake of the tragic death of Sir David Ames, do you think there's too much hate in British politics?

Yes, but I don’t think politicians make it easy because the PMQs seem to suggest that it’s okay to chuck insults and rudeness across the divide. With social media, it’s also a lot easier to do it on an anonymous basis but I think reform needs to start from within. Almost all of the constituents are kind, respectful and encouraging so it’s just the minority who spoil it for the majority. Sir David Ames was actually a friend of mine and is a good example of how to put aside differences and work together. People who would never agree with him on Brexit worked very closely with him on reforming animal welfare and so in a way he was a role model for more constructive politics. Another important thing that happened recently was the release of the Pandora Papers, so do you think things like this can lead to public mistrust and how can politicians make voters trust them?

More transparency and openness are needed and so I try to explain what I do, why I do it and give the public the information. As well as the Pandora Papers, my recent work on the Transport Select Committee has involved finding the evidence as to why the public have to do expensive PCR tests rather than cheaper lateral flow tests to go abroad. Agencies like Public Health England don’t want to share this information and they say the reason is to test for international covid variants of concern, when in actual fact, only 5% of those PCRs get tested for variants. It’s really frustrating when the government and agencies aren’t transparent and so I understand why people don’t trust them. This makes me more determined to do my job well, uncover the information and bring about change.

I don’t think any government across the globe dealt with it well. The intelligence failed; we thought there would be some time before the Taliban took control but the authorities made by the U.K., U.S.A. and other countries in Afghanistan crumbled incredibly quickly. We tried to get as many people out as we could, but I don’t think anyone could say it ended well. But we couldn’t stay there without American support, so we have to be a little more realistic when it comes to the capabilities of the UK. I thought the Americans’ leadership on this was lamentable and it was a huge failure by both Donald Trump and his successor Joe Biden. We have a duty to get those people out who are still stuck there, who have worked and helped us over the years. The public’s focus has shifted away from this now and so it’s important that people like me still put pressure on the government to do something. I’m really pleased that our local authorities have stepped up to house those coming here from Afghanistan as not all councils have. Our job is to make them feel welcome in our community and integrate them into society.

We have a duty to get those people out who are still stuck in Afghanistan

Finishing on a slightly lighter note, I think if there were other journalists reading this they would all want me to ask you a killer question, so when do you think you'll be putting forward a leadership challenge to the Prime Minister?

Never! It’s not a job I’d ever want to do. I question now the type of person that would want to become Prime Minister because it’s either someone who would see it as a public service, has it running through their veins and is willing to take it, or it’s a complete egomaniac who just want it to all be about them and see it as a bit of a show. Not only do I not think I’d be good enough but I don’t think I’d be crazy enough to do it! I’m very happy being a constituency MP and put all of my endeavours into that.

There you have it. A great insight into the life of an MP and his thoughts on a range of really important issues. I hope you found it as interesting as I did. Who knows, maybe we will see the voting age reduced to 16 after all!