Hunt: MPs have noble motives but big egos
Ex-health supremo talks to first Children’s Parliament
PEOPLE who want to become MPs are often keen to take credit for their good works, says former health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
And he admitted even though he was not very good at maths at school, it did not stop him from running the Government’s biggest budget.
Mr Hunt was giving advice to his junior shadow MP Cameron Lee, who goes to Amesbury school in Hindhead, in the South West Surrey constituency.
The 11-year-old is one of up to 650 youngsters aged seven to 11 set to represent their area in the UK’s first online Children’s Parliament taking place on October 29.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rishi Sunak have found their young MP matches.
Conservative Sir Iain Duncan-Smith and Labour’s Emily Thornberry and David Lammy have done so too.
Mr Hunt wanted to become an MP to help people. He said: “Most people start with noble motives.”
But he admitted some colleagues are “also people who quite like to be on a stage where the world can see them doing good works. They want to be a big player.
“So they’re not the purest of people – unlike say teachers or charity workers who are happy to do their good deeds out of the limelight.”
Cameron agreed, saying that MPs like to talk a lot.
He said: “They need to be able to speak about lots of issues, but perhaps they could all listen more too.
“I’m not sure I would like to be a proper MP when I’m older. I really enjoy sports and being active.” Lola Hillgrove, 11, is a pupil at Saint Pierre School, in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex and is
the young constituency match to Sir David Amess. She said: “To really help protect our planet we should actually all learn to be better at recycling and putting the recycling bins out regularly.”
The junior
MPs are set to send their “parliamentary” message on climate change to world leaders at the COP26 environmental conference later this month.
They will debate in a virtual parliamentary session held in a House of Commons style “chamber”, with half of the children representing Her Majesty’s Government
and the other Her Majesty’s Opposition. Children will then vote on the environmental issues – alongside Covid-19 and tech topics.
The project, named This House Matters, is being seen as critical to teach children about the value of democracy.
Sir David said: “I want to inspire children to get involved in the political process. The earlier, the better.”
The venture is also backed by the Daily Express – which launched its successful Green Britain crusade earlier this year – as well as the internationally successful British online educational website Wakelet. Its founder Jamil Khalil said: “Climate Change has become highly topical for young people and we’re delighted to be involved in such a vital, significant project as the Children’s Parliament.
“It’s really important children are engaged in the democratic process, at the youngest age, and debate issues that really matter to them and to all of us.”
The session will be livestreamed at 5pm on Friday, October 29, just before the UN Climate Change Conference 2021 (COP26) meets in Glasgow on Sunday, October 31. It runs until November 12.
‘MPs need to speak but could all listen more too’