Interview with Jesse Norman MP: Supporting the Next Generation of Herefordians
An interview with Jesse Norman following his 2024 re-election, the challenges facing young people, and the future of education in Herefordshire.
By Lola Cook
As the heat of the general election subsides, MPs, both new and seasoned, are settling into the rhythm of their roles. I met with Jesse Norman MP in early August to discuss the needs and prospects of young people in Herefordshire following his re-election. My aim was to gauge his awareness and commitment to addressing the realities faced by young people in his constituency. Having held his seat since 2010, it is crucial that Jesse, like many long-serving MPs, adapts to the changing and increasingly complex needs of children and young adults.
After congratulating Jesse on his re-election, I asked if retaining his seat amidst a Labour landslide had given him a renewed sense of self-belief. Beaming with pride, he responded that if he hadn’t developed confidence by now he wouldn’t be successful as an MP. He admitted that winning in an environment where "anyone but the Tories" seemed to be the prevailing sentiment filled him with a deep sense of gratitude. Jesse sees himself as being “deeply embedded in the city” and expressed confidence in his ability to support his constituents effectively.
“We need a culture of truth-telling”
With that, I shifted the conversation to focus on young people. According to Point of View research only 8% of young people in Herefordshire feel that their views, opinions, and needs are represented. I shared this statistic, asking Jesse how he intends to improve that figure. He emphasised that he is “intensely focused on issues affecting young people,” and claimed to be the only local MP during the election to distribute leaflets specifically addressing their needs. He pointed to his involvement with various organisations supporting youth prospects, such as Stronger Towns, Rural Media, the Cycle Track initiative, and NMITE.
I explained to Jesse that many young people feel Herefordshire is stuck two decades in the past, burdened by outdated or harmful views. This is compounded by the fact that young people often feel silenced by the restrictive opinions of their parents and family members, leaving them without a supportive network dedicated to their future. He acknowledged this, noting that young people desire a vision of Hereford that differs from their parents’, and that it’s part of his job to embrace and cater to all constituents.
I asked about his concerns regarding the 'brain drain' – the phenomenon where young people leave rural areas in search of better opportunities elsewhere. Jesse considers this a serious issue and said it was a key motivator in establishing NMITE (Hereford’s engineering university, founded in 2018). He’s particularly passionate about NMITE, stressing the importance of providing young people with opportunities to stay in the county without sacrificing the quality of their education. He highlighted how NMITE graduates can work with local companies, strengthening their economic base and creating more job opportunities comparable to those in Bristol or Birmingham.
Jesse shared a telling statistic himself: while the government recognises that 50% of young people can or should attend university, 70% of young people in the South East do so, compared to just 18% in Herefordshire. This disparity reflects a lack of opportunity, self-belief, and support for young people in the county. Jesse put it bluntly: “We cannot afford to have that 70% brain drain in Hereford.” He hopes NMITE will expand its subject offerings, ensuring a broader range of opportunities for young people.
Lola Cook interviewing Jesse Norman in Hereford
I then brought up the topic of misinformation on social media platforms like TikTok, which many young people rely on for news. With parents often unable to provide reliable political knowledge, teenagers turn to these unverified sources, leading to the spread of harmful and sometimes radicalised views. I asked how opportunities could be created to ensure young people from all backgrounds receive a basic, unbiased political education. Jesse, with his background in philosophy, argued that knowledge itself cannot be biased by definition; it’s people’s perspectives that skew this knowledge. He remarked that social media has fostered an “attitude of radical distrust,” where soundbites reduce complex issues to seconds-long clips, stripping them of context. “We need a culture of truth-telling,” he said.
When I asked his thoughts on introducing basic political education in secondary schools, Jesse expressed scepticism. He worries about the pressures this could place on children, arguing that they should enjoy the world around them without being burdened by politics too early. He cautioned against prematurely politicising young people, especially when many may not be interested in politics at all.
My conversation with Jesse was undeniably insightful. It’s clear that he is passionate about the future of young people in Herefordshire. However, I found myself wishing that some of his views, such as those on political education, were more daring. For many young people, their upbringing has been inherently political – whether through experiences of poverty, violence, or having family members in prison. Providing a basic, unbiased political education could offer them context for their life experiences and instil a belief that they, too, can be agents of change. Every young person deserves this opportunity.
P.O.V. is supported by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. It is a youth listening and empowerment project from Rural Media Charity. Democracy is one of the project’s themes for 2025.