20-year-old MP Mhairi Black follows up election triumph with a first-class honours in politics

But unlike the rest of her peers graduating from Glasgow University today, Mhairi Black already has a job and it pays quite well

Friday 26 June 2015 15:07

The SNP's Mhairi Black

(PA)

Last month she became the youngest MP in 350 years; this month she secured a first-class honours degree – 20 year-old Mhairi Black must be worried she is peaking too soon in life.

The SNP MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South is attending her graduation at Glasgow University today, where she will have a chance to catch up with her fellow graduates after a hectic end to her time as a student.

But while her peers at the graduation ceremony will be stressing about their next move and frantically trying to find a job, Ms Black will be able to enjoy a day off from her £67,000 a year job at Westminster, which could soon go up to £74,000.

"I'm really delighted and looking forward to celebrating the day with my parents and other students," she told BBC Radio Scotland.

Mhairi Black, Britain's youngest member of parliament since 1667, greets Labour candidate Douglas Alexander during the declaration of the general election results for Paisley and Renfrewshire South

(LESLEY MARTIN/AFP/Getty Images)

Her final exam was on Scottish politics, so perhaps it was unsurprising that she got a first. And as an MP she was able to revise in the House of Commons library, which must be the most appropriate place to prepare for exams on British politics, but an experience she described as "nuts".

She told ITV's Lorraine show: "I had a really bizarre moment because I finally had time just to sit and be quiet in the library that is in the Commons and I was sitting going: ‘I’m studying for a politics exam in the House of Commons’ library.’ It’s nuts but it’s good.”

Ms Black's astonishing victory at the election will now be studied by future students of British politics, after she became the youngest MP since the 13-year-old Christopher Monck in 1667.

Her first-class honours degree is all-the-more impressive considering she spent her final year at university campaigning to boot out one of Labour's top figures - their former shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander.

Her multi-tasking succeeded, managing to overturn his 16,000 majority to win the southwest Glasgow seat. She now enjoys a majority of more than 5,684 votes, which puts her in a good position to hold the seat in 2020 and stay in her well-paid job for at least until she turns 30.

The major political figures who lost out in the General Election

Show all 16

1/16The major political figures who lost out in the General Election

Ed Balls lost his seat in what was the biggest shock of an extraordinary night of election results. His defeat in compounded Labour's woes in a dismal night, which saw the party lose all but one of its Scottish MPs and will undoubtedly lead to Ed Miliband standing down.

OK, so he came close to being upstaged by a professional comedian – Al Murray aka the Pub Landlord, had also lost in South Thanet. But as he lost his fight to become an MP and resigned his Ukip leadership, Nigel Farage did manage to get in a few gags. He began by railing against the editors of the The Sun and the Daily Mail, sarcastically calling them “geniuses”. But perhaps bearing the last election in mind, when he was in intensive care following an air crash, he said after the result that he felt “pretty good”. “Never felt happier,” in fact. A weight lifted off the old shoulders. Quite right too, old boy. More time for the saloon bar and a pint, or five.

AFP/Getty Images

A huge scalp for the Conservatives, even though he was part of their coalition government. The Liberal Democrat Business Secretary lost his Twickenham seat to Tory candidate Tania Mathias. Cable had held the seat since 1997 and was a strong figure in the Lib Dems, having previously been deputy leader.

Christopher Furlong | Getty Images

A sign of how dire things are in Scotland now for the Labour party. The leader of the Scottish Labour Party, Jim Murphy, lost his Renfrewshire East to the SNP, having held the seat since 2005. He held a number of cabinet positions under the administrations of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

Jeff J Mitchell | Getty Images

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Nick Clegg's right-hand man, Danny Alexander, lost his seat of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey to the SNP. His aides admitted defeat several hours before the formal decision was due. There were suggestions that the SNP vote could be as high as 50 per cent.

BEN STANSALL | AFP | Getty Images

The Minister of State for Employment and one of the few women in David Cameron’s male-dominate cabinet, Esther McVey had only held Wirral West since 2010. Her 2,436 majority was overturned and Labour's Margaret Greenwood won the seat with a 417 majority.

BEN STANSALL | AFP | Getty Images

The former Labour MP had held the seat of Bradford West since 2012 for the Respect Party. He previously held the constituency of Bethnal Green and Bow for Respect between 2005 and 2010, although he unsuccessfully contested Poplar and Limehouse in 2010.

Nigel Roddis | Getty Images

Another huge Lib Dem scalp, with the SNP taking the seat of Ross, Skye and Lochaber from the former leader of the party. Kennedy had led the Lib Dems between 1999 and 2006 and had become something of an elder statesman of the party. He conceded defeat ahead of the official declaration and said he would not give any TV interviews. He had been an MP since 1983.

Jeff J Mitchell | Getty Images

The shadow Foreign Secretary and Ed Miliband's Chair of General Election Strategy, Danny Alexander had been the MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South since 1997. He lost his seat to the SNP, with the party now holding a 9,076 majority. Labour's share of the vote was down by 21.3 per cent.

Jeff J Mitchell | Getty Images

Simon Hughes held a key Liberal Democrat seat in London, Bermondsey and Old Southwark, which he held from 1983. Hughes is a former deputy leader of the Lib Dems and had been minister of state at the Ministry of Justice since 2013. He was previously the President of the party, as well as a two-time leadership candidate, and stood for the party in the 2004 Mayoral election.

Rob Stothard | Getty Images

An MP for Rochester and Strood since 2010, Reckless switched from the Conservatives to Ukip in September 2014 and winning the seat outright in November. He was the second Ukip MP after Douglas Carswell, and his loss is a huge blow to Nigel Farage’s party.

Carl Court | Getty Images

Margaret Curran had held Glasgow East since 2010 and was the shadow Secretary of State for Scotland. She had previously been the MSP for Glasgow Baillieston (a seat she might wish she still held, as it is still held by Labour under the title Glasgow Provan).

Jeff J Mitchell | Getty Images

A Liberal Democrat MP for Yeovil since 2001, he was the minister of state for Schools. He had briefly been Chief Secretary to the Treasury after the 2010 election, only holding the office for 17 days after resigning due to the disclosure of his Parliamentary expenses claims. Laws was a key negotiator for the Lib Dems when the coalition was being formed five years ago.

Jeff J Mitchell | Getty Images

On her election in 2005, she was the youngest member of the House of Commons. Under the Coalition government, the Lib Dem MP was the Under-Secretary of State for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs and for Women and Equalities. She lost her seat of East Dunbartonshire to the SNP's John Nicholson.

Matthew Lloyd | Getty Images

The Liberal Democrat Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey had been the MP for Kingston and Surbiton since 1997. Davey championed the Lib Dems' role in ensuring the Conservative-led Coalition championed the green agenda. However, the well-known Lib Dem MP lost his seat to the Tories, having held the seat in 2010 by 7,560 votes.

Jeff J Mitchell | Getty Images

Lynne Featherstone lost her London seat of Hornsey and Wood Green to the Labour party. She was a former junior Home Office minister with responsibility for equality, then becoming junior minister with responsibility for international development.

Dan Kitwood | Getty Images

Join our new commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies