‘Home girl’ aiming to be strong voice for the north
From battling a devastating family tragedy at the age of nine, to helping support the country through a global crisis, Haslingden MP Sara Britcliffe speaks candidly to STUART PIKE about handling the doubters, the levelling up agenda, and the months that have changed the world for ever.
AS she traipsed the wintry streets canvassing voters during the general election campaign, Sara Britcliffe could never have imagined what 2020 would hold in store.
Even on election night, December 12, some portents were unfavourable - one forecast was for the Conservatives to lose in Haslingden by an agonising handful of votes.
But having successfully ridden on a wave of support for Boris Johnson’s party in Leave-voting constituencies which swept away a red wall of northern Labour seats, she became the town’s first Conservative MP since the seat was reconfigured in 1997.
At 24, and her party’s youngest member with a handsome majority of almost 3,000, she was about to enter Parliament at a historic juncture - perhaps unparalleled in modern times.
On February 21, the World Health Organisation held a press conference on the Coronavirus, warning starkly of more than 2,200 deaths in China - and eight deaths outside China.
That happened to be Sara’s 25th birthday.
A month later, the UK was entering full lockdown, striving to contain the impact of a terrifying enemy unheard of just months previously.
It has now claimed the lives of at least 45,000 Britons, and a time before it seems a distant memory.
Sara admits nothing could have prepared her for those bruising early months in the job, but she was to take heart from the counsel of colleagues.
“It doesn’t feel like it’s only been seven months at all,” she says.
“It really is a baptism of fire, especially when we went into lockdown. It’s been a difficult few months, but it’s been difficult for everybody.
“Senior colleagues said to me ‘ We’re all in the same boat, no-one has had to deal with something like this before’.
“I think the worst part was when we first got elected and had everything to set up.
“That was frustrating, looking back. Your emails are flooding in, you’re finding your feet in the
Palace of Westminster. My office was just getting up and running to the point where I didn’t have all my staff members yet.”
By April, Sara, who is still a Hyndburn councillor in Oswaldtwistle, was enjoying the nerve-wracking honour of a maiden speech to Parliament, setting records again as the first MP to do so remotely via video app Zoom.
The daughter of longserving ex-Hyndburn council leader and parliamentary candidate Peter, is the second youngest MP in the Commons, narrowly beaten to that dubious ‘Baby of the House’ accolade by Labour’s Nadia Whittome.
She embraces her position of bringing a fresher voice and perspective, but says she is far from a lone crusader, listing ‘Class of 2019’ colleagues Dehenna Davison and Nicola Richards, both 26, among close backbench allies.
Like most of us, particularly in early lockdown, Sara’s life and job were consumed with one issue - Covid-19.
The MP has raised the issue of health disparities between BAME communities with ministers through her seat on the Women and Equalities Committee - or as she puts it holding the Government “to account”.
From PPE to the Dominic Cummings controversy, and testing and tracing, ministers have faced a barrage of criticisms over their performance in the pandemic.
And it’s far from over, as recent outbreaks on the borough’s doorstep stoke fears of more more human suffering, more economic inertia.
But, amid Labour calls for a speedy public inquiry into the crisis, she strikes a defiant note - heaping praise on the Chancellor’s “astounding” programme of financial support, and adding that all countries are “suffering” together and must learn from their mistakes.
“The amount of jobs that have been saved through the furlough scheme and the packages of support to protect people during this pandemic has been astounding,” said Sara.
“The cogs have been turning so quickly to protect jobs and livelihoods. I do believe that it’s being handled robustly.
“There will be lessons learned in every situation; that’s something that will come in the future. It’s not the UK, it’s the EU as well, they will be suffering.”
An honorary member of the British Youth Council, Sara hints that her political style may evolve, but says she hasn’t changed her personality because of the job.
A self-proclaimed “home girl”, what she enjoys most about being an MP is constituency casework - making a difference to those who need it. Part of that is realising that she may not have all the answers - even if that might invite sniping comments.
“There’s a very strong northern accent and I think I bring that diversity to the party that we have seen with the new intake,” she said.
“There’s that different aspect, a fresh set of ideas. I will be a strong voice when it’s necessary, but I also haven’t changed my personality to the role. I think I’m very personable.
“I think if there are fights that need picking I’m not afraid to pick those fights.
“That will come further down the line.
“One of the things with my age is I don’t pretend that I know best, I am more than willing to listen.
“If I don’t know something I’m not afraid to ask those questions.
“During the general election there were a few patronising comments made about my age. But it’s not something I’ve experienced here in Westminster.”
One of those fights spoken about by Sara along with the new crop of northern Tory MPs, is the so-called ‘levelling’ up agenda, reducing inequaland was in and out of rehab due to her drinking problem.
“There were times when I struggled because I witnessed it. I really did see some devastating things with my mum.
“It made me grow up a lot quicker than any young girl. It was turmoil for my family.” going out shopping or doing things with their mum, to miss out on that is hard.”
When Gabrielle died, Sara’s father and two older brothers formed a strong support network, but Sara admits it was still hard at that age to “compute” what had happened, particularly with her family in is also being made as the clock ticks down on another constitutional shock to the system - the end of this year’s Brexit transition period.
She says, despite the rhetoric, the EU and the UK have been “getting their heads together”.
“It’s important to recognise that - even though the pandemic has been going on,” she says.
“Brexit was a huge player in the general election. One thing we saw is that this country was fed up of having the same arguments over and over again. There’s a lot of ‘what if’, but we are seeing progress.
“The Department of
International Trade has been in negotiations constantly. One of the comments from businesses in Hyndburn and Haslingden was they were sick of the uncertainty.
“We have come in and given them this certainty that this will get done and they know how to go forward.”