LONDON
Keir Mather, 25, has become Labour’s newest member of parliament after achieving a historic victory in North Yorkshire, overturning an impressive Conservative majority of 20,000 votes in a Thursday by-election.
As the currently youngest MP at age 25, the House of Commons newcomer has earned the traditional title “Baby of the House.”
Defying expectations, Mather achieved a remarkable feat by overturning a substantial Conservative majority in what was traditionally considered a safe Tory seat.
The swing from Tory to Labour was a significant 23.7%, underlining the impact of his win.
Yet Mather has already faced scrutiny due to his age, with Conservative MP Johnny Mercer taking a dig at the new Labour MP, comparing him to characters from a sitcom about awkward adolescents.
“I think we mustn’t become a repeat of The Inbetweeners, you have got to have people who have done stuff,” Mercer, 41, told Sky News.
“You put a chip in him there and he just relates Labour lines,” joked Mercer, who also serves as minister of state for veterans’ affairs.
Despite the naysayers, Mather’s victory signals a promising start to his parliamentary career, and his youth may well bring a fresh perspective to the House of Commons.
