Last July, 335 bright new faces entered The House of Commons for the first time, eager to serve their new constituents and get involved in the intricacies of the Westminster system. One new face who is already making her mark in her new workplace is Natasha Irons, a young MP who is using her experiences on Merton Council to “put young people front and centre”, as she promised upon her election in the summer. Now a member of the Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee, I discussed with Natasha Irons what her priorities were, the impact of her former careers, and the advancements she hopes to achieve in this new parliament.
Natasha Irons MP is the Labour Member of Parliament for Croydon East in London. A new MP, Irons was elected for the first time in July 2024, having previously served as a councillor on Merton Council. During her time on the council, she became the council’s Cabinet member for Local Environment and Green Spaces, before her portfolio was expanded in 2022 to also cover Climate Change. Studying Film and Television at university, Irons spent the first part of her career at Channel 4 before making the transition to frontline politics.
With many issues from regulation to venue provision plaguing the creative industries, I was curious to understand what one of the newest Culture, Media & Sport Committee members thought was the most pressing, and despite her relatively novice status in Parliament, she shared a similar concern to her senior colleagues. “ I think the biggest things at the moment are to do with issues such as AI and to do with protecting things like copyright and intellectual property. There’s a big consultation happening at the moment with the sector and the government over the future of that”.
But Irons has also been making a name for herself as a youth champion, and this factor did not take long to emerge, with her adding: “I’m the Chair of an APPG [All-Party Parliamentary Group] which is focused on young people and their views, so I’m also keen to make sure the committee looks at things to do with young people and the provision of youth services and enrichment opportunities for them outside of school. Things like drama, things like music, art, are really important to a well-rounded education that will give you confidence as a person”.
With the nation’s young people in mind, I wanted to push Irons on what appeal the government’s upcoming Youth Strategy should have for young people. Her answer? “Well, because it’s about them! […] One of the things I really wanted to focus on as an MP was getting young people back up on the political agenda, I feel like over the last decade it’s sort of fallen off”.
And the effects, Irons tells me, are stark: “We’ve seen massive spikes in mental ill health in our young people, we’ve seen that suicide is still a massive issue for young men, we’ve seen issues with body image and social media, all of these things are having a big impact on young people and we don’t have an answer to that as a country, we haven’t really provided them something that is theirs and that they can have a stake in”. Clearly excited about the upcoming Youth Strategy, her commitment and passion to youth empowerment is infectious, and a recurring theme when pressed on what she hopes to achieve most on the Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee.
“I hope that we’re able to see [the Youth Strategy] actually come to fruition and get some youth services back in communities [so that] it’s not just another study in how we’re failing young people”. Natasha Irons also highlighted the importance of social media regulation, recognising the value of the creative industries, as well as the valuation of them in the government’s wider growth agenda – “It’s something that we’re really good at in this country and it’s actually one of our superpowers and we should be investing in it and growing it”.
Irons is uniquely placed to tackle culture and media issues in Parliament. As a former Media Planning Manager at Channel 4, her former career included time “at Film4 and then working on a little thing called 4oD” [Channel 4 On Demand], as well as industries key to consulting with her new constituents, “like marketing and audience analysis — trying to get people to watch more TV basically!”.
But it was only through volunteering locally that she chose to switch her area of focus from media to politics: “I didn’t really think that politics was something for me, but I got into it a bit, and then became a councillor, and thought “oh no I love this, this is what I want to do and I want to do this full-time”. Not only does Irons look back fondly on her career, but she also feels it has shaped her into the politician she is now and has informed her thoughts on those who may also be considering the transition.
“We need more people in places like this that have had a real job and, you know, haven’t spent their life thinking about politics […] I think it just kind of grounds you a bit [as] you can understand that the decisions you make here can really change people’s lives for the better”. But Irons was also keen to stress the need for people, from all backgrounds and persuasions to get “stuck in”, regardless of their experience or knowledge, as every voice is of key importance. “If you are into the arts, or into culture, then look at what your local council is doing for local culture – do you have good enough libraries? Do you have good enough youth centres? Do you have really good sporting facilities? That’s people’s real interaction with arts and culture”
“In my previous role, I looked after the bins and there’s nothing more political than bins because everybody has one, and everyone has an opinion on what needs to happen to them! But it’s really good lesson in how you have to listen to people and understand what the service needs to do”.
The Natasha Irons MP joined the Parliamentary Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee on October 21st 2024. All members of the Committee are available here
