20-year-old MP Mhairi Black follows up election triumph with a first-class honours in politics
But unlike the rest of her peers graduating from Glasgow University today, Mhairi Black already has a job and it pays quite well
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Your support makes all the difference.Last month she became the youngest MP in 350 years; this month she secured a first-class honours degree – 20 year-old Mhairi Black must be worried she is peaking too soon in life.
The SNP MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South is attending her graduation at Glasgow University today, where she will have a chance to catch up with her fellow graduates after a hectic end to her time as a student.
But while her peers at the graduation ceremony will be stressing about their next move and frantically trying to find a job, Ms Black will be able to enjoy a day off from her £67,000 a year job at Westminster, which could soon go up to £74,000.
"I'm really delighted and looking forward to celebrating the day with my parents and other students," she told BBC Radio Scotland.
Her final exam was on Scottish politics, so perhaps it was unsurprising that she got a first. And as an MP she was able to revise in the House of Commons library, which must be the most appropriate place to prepare for exams on British politics, but an experience she described as "nuts".
She told ITV's Lorraine show: "I had a really bizarre moment because I finally had time just to sit and be quiet in the library that is in the Commons and I was sitting going: ‘I’m studying for a politics exam in the House of Commons’ library.’ It’s nuts but it’s good.”
Ms Black's astonishing victory at the election will now be studied by future students of British politics, after she became the youngest MP since the 13-year-old Christopher Monck in 1667.
Her first-class honours degree is all-the-more impressive considering she spent her final year at university campaigning to boot out one of Labour's top figures - their former shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander.
Her multi-tasking succeeded, managing to overturn his 16,000 majority to win the southwest Glasgow seat. She now enjoys a majority of more than 5,684 votes, which puts her in a good position to hold the seat in 2020 and stay in her well-paid job for at least until she turns 30.
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