Pathways into Politics, Workshop with Dr Philippa Whitford, 1st July 2020
On 1st July 2020, Forward Thinking held a virtual workshop with Dr Philippa Whitford MP and Pathways into Politics participants. This was the fifth meeting held as part of a ‘mini-series’ of follow up events after an initial Pathways into Politics programme that was held in February.Pathways into Politics is a programme which is aimed at developing the ambition of young Muslims to engage with politics and their ability to be able to do so. The programme seeks to develop the participants’ leadership and communication skills as well as their political literacy.Dr Philippa Whitford was elected as SNP MP for Central Ayrshire in 2015 and is the Shadow SNP Spokesperson for Health and Social Care as well as for Europe. Before being elected, she was a Consultant Breast Cancer Surgeon based in Kilmarnock. Phillipa was involved in the 2014 Scottish Independence Campaign through ‘Women for Independence’ and has worked on issues such as domestic abuse and the NHS in Parliament.Dr Whitford spoke to her decision to enter politics following a successful career as a breast cancer surgeon. She explained that although it was never a career aim for her to enter politics, her activism around Scottish independence led to those around her encouraging her to stand for office. Philippa noted that although she found working in Westminster intimidating at first, her career background has been invaluable in providing her with relevant medical expertise to draw on in her work.The participants asked Dr Whitford to share her experiences of working in Gaza as a breast cancer surgeon and her work capacity building in healthcare in the region. The participants also probed Philippa on her reasons for supporting Scottish independence, and the way that devolution in Yorkshire may provide opportunities for those in the area to have their voices heard.Dr Whitford also offered advice to the participants on how they can become involved in politics in a variety of different ways. She encouraged them to find their ‘why’ for becoming politically active and to determine potential ways they could effect change from there.We will be exploring further opportunities for follow-up virtual sessions as part of the ‘Pathways into Politics’ programme over the coming weeks to continue the skills development of the participants.