Navigating Politics: Reflections from Steve Rotheram’s Masterclass

Leanne studied History & Politics at the University of Cambridge, graduating in 2022. She is training to be a solicitor with Magic Circle law firm Linklaters. She has worked alongside young people from disadvantaged communities through various job opportunities, such as working with The Social Mobility Foundation and volunteering organisations such as Zero Gravity.

In the last few months of my journey with Patchwork, I had a Masterclass with Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram. Rotheram is Liverpool City Region’s Metro Mayor, a post he has occupied since 2017. Prior to this role, Rotheram served as an MP in Parliament. Rotheram’s journey into politics made for a compelling Masterclass, leaving school at 16 to become a bricklayer and starting his own company at 22. Much of our discussion compared Westminster politics to regional politics and explored the impact one can have both in and outside Westminster. 

One of the key themes we discussed was the various events that have shaped Rotheram’s politics. Part of the reason I was interested in the Masterclass programme was that I hoped to develop my own politics; it was one of the central questions I hoped to answer by the end of the year to have a clear grasp on how political figures came to understand where they place themselves on the political spectrum. For Steve, a combination of personal upbringing and national events such as the Hillsborough disaster – in which he advocated for the families – inevitably impacted his politics. I wondered what world events would impact mine or others of my generation: perhaps it might be global events such as #BlackLivesMatter, the #MeToo movement, tuition fee increases or the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the shared mediums through which people consume information, it means that young people are exposed to much of the same debates and information, and this will inevitably form many people’s political stances alongside their personal experiences and upbringing.

Navigating political development is also impacted by an individual’s willingness to engage in politics. I have always taken opportunities to push myself out of my comfort zone; a skill I chose to develop while part of Patchwork’s Masterclass programme was canvassing. Rotheram emphasised how canvassing can be an excellent tool for personal development. I found this to be true when speaking to members of the public, having conversations with people from various backgrounds and being able to approach strangers with the hope that they will want to interact and share their political beliefs. On offering advice regarding what young people should do to get involved with local politics, Rotheram suggested canvassing as a great way to engage with parties at a local level. I agreed as I found that conversations through canvassing felt much more like dialogue rather than being didactic. It was a chance for me to explore the nuances behind the different policies and engage with different political ideas.

My final takeaway from the Masterclass was to be bold in reimagining what local politics can offer for communities. One question asked by the Masterclass participants focused on promoting and preserving the city’s cultural assets.: ” This question lent itself to a conversation about historical artefacts, but the session interestingly touched upon more broadly about the Race Equality hub. The hub was created to support the career opportunities for Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities and the development of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic businesses across the Liverpool City Region. The hub acknowledges the historic contributions of these communities to Liverpool and aims to address remaining inequalities. I interpreted this as a moving example of preserving and promoting a city’s cultural assets – where assets can also be considered the memories, experiences, and livelihood of these communities. The hub contributes to their inclusive legacy and serves the communities not just symbolically through artefacts but creates spaces of action and lasting change for the better.

Overall, Rotheram’s enthusiasm and passion for wanting a better future for Liverpool stood out to me. I think we can all take away the same enthusiasm and passion to strive for better for our own communities.