Stella Creasy, social media, and politicians with 'hinterlands'

Politicians like to insinuate that they have a ‘cultural hinterland’ — a range of interesting interests beyond Westminster. Take Stella Creasy, the MP for Walthamstow, who describes herself as an ‘Indie Kid’. This morning she read a Telegraph post by Peter Oborne about modern politicians being too inexperienced and dull. ‘Think of Healey; Crossman; Crosland; Jenkins; Callaghan; Castle and others,’ wrote Oborne. ‘They had knocked around life far more than the modern generation. They were much broader in their interests: at home in arts, academic or military life almost as much as Westminster.’

‘Whatevs,’ answered Stella on Twitter. She was already, it so happened, having a Twitter conversation on one of her broader interests, The Cure:

Dear god- young man in Walthamstow says The Cure ‘not really his thing’. Now listen son…this is proper music etc etc #teachthekids #indiemp

— stellacreasy (@stellacreasy) March 21, 2014