Mhairi Black: ‘Nippy conversations’ ended patronising comments from fellow MPs

Black, the nation’s youngest MP, has complained before that parliamentary grandees patted her on the back and talked down to her since her surprise election win in May.

Speaking exclusively to The Sunday Post she said: “That’s changed. I began to socialise in here more and have more conversations, sometimes nippy conversations I would have to have with people.

“There’s still been a few occasions where people called me darling or honey in a patronising tone, it’s the manner in which someone does it. I’ve responded and now I don’t get any of that.”

Last week Black was commended for standing up to online bullies who made fun of her sexuality.

She revealed to The Sunday Post that such abuse is not new and that she and her friends share screen shots of particularly pathetic tweets aimed at her online.

She also accused Labour of co-ordinating internet attacks after she published an article criticising Tory housing policy.

She added: “I was getting pelters all weekend. It was clearly co-ordinated by Labour people.

“Honest to god if they’d not had a wee rose in their profile picture you’d have thought they were Conservatives with the arguments they were making, the criticisms. This is why Labour are dying in Scotland.”

She’s harsh words for the Tories too.

Speaking in Westminster of her Commons opponents she said: “I’ve found there’s quite a lot of Conservatives who I actually can’t believe they made it here.

“It’s absolute guff that comes out their mouth. It’s not even interesting, half the time it’s not even relevant.”

However she revealed she’s a soft spot for old fashioned toffs like timewarp Tory Jacob Rees-Mogg.

She added: “I’d always rather talk to an honest Tory than a soggy wishy washy politician.”

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon put Black in charge of the party’s youth campaign ahead of May’s Holyrood elections.

With the polls showing the SNP soaring ahead and support particularly strong among first time voters that seems a fairly straightforward task.

However Black claims her years of watching Partick Thistle make it anything but.

She said: “The polls are brilliant at the moment but everyone knows politics can change in two weeks.

“In the SNP we’re that used to losing I’m genuine when I say you can’t take it for granted at all.

“The way I describe it, see like Partick Thistle we are incredibly talented for making life difficult for ourselves, losing in the last minute, screwing up from 3-0 up. I call it the football jitters where until the final whistle goes I will not be relaxed.”

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Black was the face of the 2015 general election after she ousted Labour campaign chief Douglas Alexander to win the Paisley and Renfrewshire south seat.

And her star soared further after her maiden speech in parliament was watched over 10 million times on YouTube.

Black’s recently taken up the cause of women who feel cheated by changes to their retirement age and she garnered more plaudits when she led a debate on the issue.

She added: “I went home after that debate and I felt good, I’ve done something today, I’ve done my job today.”

Last year she graduated from Glasgow University with a first in politics but she’s unwilling to commit to the job long term.

She said: “People assume I’m going to be in politics all my life. I don’t know if I will.

“I’m the same as any other 21-year-old, I’ll take it as it comes.

“But at the minute I’ve got a job for potentially five years and it’s good being able to come in and feel as if you’re doing something worthwhile and contributing to something.

“There’s so many people that care about political issues, they care about injustice and inequalities that exist, to be able to challenge these things as a full time job I really enjoy is great. Usually people do this in their spare time!”