Gateway College recently welcomed a local MP Shivani Raja for her first visit to the college, where she spoke to Humanities about her role in politics and the issues affecting young people in Leicester.
Students studying A Level Criminology, Law and Sociology took part in a Q&A session and had prepared questions in advance. These questions included how to become an MP, how laws are made and changed, how she would tackle knife crime and homelessness in the city and what is the most challenging parts of her job.
During the visit, Shivani Raja spoke about her journey into politics and explained that there is no single route into a career like hers. She shared, “I was making lipsticks before I was elected,” which encouraged students to stay open minded about future opportunities and career changes.
Shivani also spoke about her strong personal connection to Leicester, saying, “Leicester East is my home. I was born there, I grew up here, I studied here and I work here.” She explained that this gives her a real understanding of local issues and allows her to represent the people of Leicester effectively. She described the city as a welcoming and supportive place, adding, “What makes Leicester so special is that we are a really close-knit community. We are a family.”
Being a young MP, Shivani highlighted the importance of young people having a voice in politics. “Being a young person in this role, I am fortunate to have an influence on the policies that will impact young people and our futures the most,” she said.
Shivani also outlined her pledges for Leicester, which include creating more local job opportunities for young people, making Doctor appointments more accessible, reducing homelessness, improving roads and regeneration in the city, supporting local neighbourhoods and businesses, and increasing funding for the police. She also spoke about her commitment to creating more opportunities for young people, particularly through youth centres and safe spaces.
Shivani highlighted the city’s diversity and recognised the hard work of families who have built strong and successful communities. In the Art & Design department, Shivani looked around at the fantastic facilities and spoke to students in their final year about their current creative projects. A Level Law and Art, Craft and Design student Jubayer requested that he would like to paint a portrait of Shivani, which will be showcased at the End of Year Exhibition later in the summer term.
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