Make me Prime Minister - interview with Conall
Category: Press Pack ArticleCONALL
Age: 24
Occupation: Paralegal
Lives: Belfast
Political leanings – “I don’t identify with a particular party in England. I would just weigh up the policies as I see them.”
Big Idea – To open rehabilitation centres across the UK which would offer a safe space for people living on the streets who struggle with addiction.
How would you describe yourself in three words?
I’d probably consider myself determined, empathetic and considerate.
Why are you interested in politics?
I think where I’m from, you don’t really have a choice, it’s just sort of landed on you with the circumstances in Northern Ireland. So I wouldn’t say that I’m any more political than the next person, but I definitely feel like more action could be taken, and I could definitely see myself getting involved in more action to progress things.
How would you describe your political leanings? Do you identify with a particular party?
No, not in England. I would just weigh up the policies as I see them.
Who is your political hero?
I don’t think any of them stand out to me too much. I could take approaches from lots of politicians and say, “I respect that” or “I don’t respect that,” but there would be no one politician in my eyes who stood out. Maybe Gandhi?
And your political villain?
Everybody’s got good and bad traits. I’m the kind of person who will try and look at what good points somebody has rather than what they don’t have. I can see why some people would have heavy disdain towards Boris Johnson for his Partygate antics, but I can also see why some people would look at his ideology and see something positive. I’d say the same thing about people in Labour like Jeremy Corbyn – I could see why some people would like his views, and others would have severe disdain.
You have a large following on TikTok, don’t you?
Not large enough!
Do you discuss politics on there?
I’ve been taken in by a community who tend to try and guess my political leanings by what I’m wearing rather than what I’m saying.
Do you think that a mastery of social media is an important skill for a modern-day politician?
Yeah, I think that in the future it’s going to be quite pivotal. Social media is so important now, it’s going to be very hard for anyone to launch themselves or their business without a social media background. It’s been great for allowing small businesses or even random individuals to become someone of influence. When it comes to politics, that’s what you need – a lot of influence.
You’re a paralegal and will shortly become a solicitor. Does that side of things help with the politics?
Yeah, I think legal work goes hand-in-hand with politics – being able to review a story or a piece of legislation and garner an opinion, or see both sides, and figure out where any critiques could come.
What would your strengths be in the role of Prime Minister?
Honestly, I think the fact that I could way up policies and opinions, the fact that I’m not born stamped ‘Labour’ or ‘Conservative’. I think that’s my greatest attribute when it comes to these tasks.
What about your weaknesses?
I can probably be too considerate, like forgiving Boris Johnson. But I think people in power have got there for a reason. There must be something about them.
If you were PM what is the first law you would pass?
Drug consumption rooms. The UK is severely behind an abundance of other countries in Europe. We’re completely slacking when it comes to this issue, which is impacting our NHS with people using unhygienic needles and overdosing. In Europe, Scotland has the highest rate of fatalities from drug-related incidents. Places like turkey, Germany and France have drug consumption rooms set up to tackle these issues, whereas in the UK we don’t have them, and that is something that needs to be nipped in the bud. We need to look at preventing drug use, and promote safe drug use, because criminalisation evidently hasn’t worked.
What other areas of policy would be high on your list?
I’d like to look at education, and other areas that are really detrimental in today’s climate, such as knife crime. And through education, we can also tackle other areas such as obesity and climate change. By teaching these young children how we can move forward, hopefully the next generation can mitigate some of these issues.
According to Theresa May, the naughtiest thing she ever did was run through a field of wheat. What is the naughtiest thing you have ever done?
I ran through two fields of wheat.
What specific aspects of the show are you looking forward to, and what are you nervous about?
I’m really looking forward to witnessing people who were born Conservative or people who have always been Labour working together and being able to put their differences aside. And hopefully being able to welcome an Irish man, or a Scottish girl, or a Welshman, and uniting and genuinely coming together to make a positive plan on tasks that are put in front of us. Putting any differences aside and hopefully being as progressive as possible.
And what are you nervous about?
Getting kicked off in week one!
If the chance arose in real life, would you consider standing for parliament?
In Ireland? Definitely. I would need to weigh it up though, depending on when it happened. I’m enjoying my youth at the moment, and all the things that come with it.
Are you looking forward to working with Sayeeda Warsi and Alastair Campbell?
Definitely. I think that’ll be really interesting.
As you are about to embark on this experience, how are you feeling?
The penny hasn’t really dropped yet. It’ll probably strike me afterwards: “Wait, have I just done that?”
ENDS