In an age where MPs face increasingly vicious intimidation, hate and violence, The Mirror’s new Partygames show hopes to allow viewers to get to know them a little better…
It is not often you get to play games with elected Members of Parliament. But it is exactly what I am doing on The Mirror’s new show, Party Games, which was launched last week.
In the programme on The Mirror’s YouTube channel, I host familiar faces from across the political spectrum for a party like no other. mI spin a wheel of fortune to decide which games to play – with each one having its own special ability to tease out funny stories, emotional moments and, of course, some political jabs from MPs.
This week’s episode includes “2 Truths and a Lie” where the MP gives two real-life stories and one fictional story. I have to determine which is a lie. There is also “Ask Me Anything” where no question is off limits. The “30-Second Pitch” round is where the guest gets to talk for 30 seconds about an issue, cause or campaign they are passionate about.
In an age where MPs face increasingly vicious intimidation, hate and violence, The Mirror’s show hopes to allow viewers to get to know the humans behind the pomp of Westminster.
The second episode will be released on the Mirror’s YouTube channel at 6pm on Sunday with our guest Labour MP for Swansea East, Carolyn Harris. Here’s a look at some of the stand-out moments
‘What would a Carolyn Harris party look like – what snacks would you bring?’
Carolyn: “I’m not much of a snacker these days since I’ve been taking the mounjaro. I’m nearly eight stone off. I’ve gone from size 24 to size 12 since October, so I am very happy.”
‘I’m the only opposition MP ever to have turned on the Christmas tree lights [accidently] in Downing Street’
Carolyn: “Boris Johnson was the Prime Minister. I’d been invited into Downing Street to actually talk about gambling policy and when I arrived… the tree’s there and I thought the door would automatically open. I stand in front of the door and it doesn’t open.
“There’s a box on the wall, I press the box expecting the door to open. The door did open and as I’m walking through this beautiful tree becomes fully lit up and I think ‘oh, it’s lovely!’. And the staff are all there very excitedly say ‘yes, and the Prime Minister’s going to turn the lights on in an hour. So I walk out backwards, I re-press the box, I turn the tree off.”
‘Up until the age of 17 I was a competitive ballroom dancer’
Carolyn: “As a child I had two interests: politics and ballroom dancing. I was Welsh champion when I was 16 in Latin and American and ballroom. Even now I watch Strictly Come Dancing and I spend all my time looking at the foot work and criticising the foot work if they haven’t quite got it right. That’s another dream – Strictly.
“I don’t know if they’d ever have me because I am a trained ballroom dancer. Brendan Cole [would be dream partner] – no hesitation. Bad boys, always loved bad boys.
What colour will you dye your hair next?
Carolyn: “I’m trying to be a big girl, I’m trying to be a grown up. When I was larger and had purple hair, I took a huge amount of abuse on social media for having dyed hair and being ‘fat and ugly’ and every other thing.
“When I started losing weight, I started reverting to putting grey in my hair. It makes me look like a grown up and maybe will leave me alone for a little while. Sometimes I look in the mirror and think I’d like to see a little tinge of pink of something but I resist that because I really can’t go down that road of abuse anymore. Too painful.”
What’s the worst part of being an MP?
Carolyn: “The abuse. Without a shadow of a doubt the abuse. The things that people say to you on social media is unbelievable. Why anybody thinks they can speak to people the way that they do to politicians, and women politicians especially, it’s absolutely unbelievable.
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“Interestingly enough, it’s never my politics, it’s never a policy, it’s always how I look.”
What’s the best perk of being an MP?
Carolyn: “Being able to make a difference for people who have not got a voice. That’s the best thing for me. That’s the whole reason I do this job.”
What’s an issue you are passionate about?
Carolyn: “I’m going to talk about women’s health – especially menopause – 51% of the population are women and yet were only now talking about what more we should be doing to make sure that women are healthy, happy, and recieve the right kind of respect that they deserve in health provision and especially in the workplace.
“The menopause is a phase of life, which everybody has been afraid to mention. I’m not afraid to mention it and one of my opening lines is ‘vaginal dryness’. And once we say that, the world’s OK.”
If you didn’t work in politics, what job would you have?
Carolyn: “Probably working in some kind of special needs whether it was working with children, with learning difficulties, or working with youngsters with challenging behaviour, or maybe on the brink of offending or on probation. I’m really interested in that kind of work.”
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