In his first speech in the House of Commons, the youngest member of parliament criticized “divisive policies that seek to pit one generation against another”.
Keir Mather, 25, who was elected MP for Selby and Ainsty in July, thanked constituents who he said had “put their trust in me to stand up for their interests”.
Mr Mather was flanked by other newly elected Labor MPs as he made his maiden speech on Monday night.
He said he believed “Britain has a duty to become a leader again”.
Known as the “baby of the House” due to being the youngest MP, Mr Mather also drew attention in his speech to the fact that he was born in 1998, a year after the last Labor government came to power.
‘I make the difference’
Among his colleagues on the green benches for his speech was Michael Shanks, the MP for Rotherglen and Hamilton West, who took the oath of allegiance earlier on Monday, his first day in Parliament.
Paying tribute to the people in his constituency, Mr Mather remarked: “As I said on the night of my election, I hope to be a representative of this force of young people making a difference. But we won’t do it alone.
“I was sent to this place by a constituency which is older than the national average, but which believed in me to defend their interests.
“This is because, despite divisive politics that seeks to pit one generation against another, at Selby and Ainsty we share our ambitions for our community and our country and are committed to realizing them together.”
During his speech, he also said: “I have grown up in a world destabilized by technological revolution, climate crisis and war, and I will live through a century of unparalleled global upheaval.
“In the face of these challenges, I and other young people believe that Britain has a duty to become a leader again.”