IIPP Alumna Rachel Bentley's journey into Politics — Interview
IIPP Alumna Rachel Bentley is standing to be the next Liberal Democrat MP for the London constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark. In this interview, she discusses motivations, challenges and inspiring learning that have led her to undertake a political career.
Interview with IIPP Alumna, Rachel Bentley
What led you to stand for election as an MP at the next General Election?
I stood for election as a councillor in the London Borough of Southwark in 2022 but I had become politically active in 2017 following the Brexit referendum. I decided I could no longer be a by-stander to the damage being done to our country’s social fabric, economic health and international standing. My motivations were beyond Brexit though — I felt a deep sense of frustration with the British political system and the failure of the two main parties to address the deep challenges of soaring inequality and climate change. Being elected in 2022 has been the honour of my life and I take my role incredibly seriously. At times I feel profoundly pessimistic but my belief in a better future drove me to stand as a councillor, and it drives me now to be the next Liberal Democrat MP for the London constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark.
How has your time at IIPP influenced this choice, and what are the most valuable learnings that you have taken with you?
My time at IIPP gave me hope that we could overcome our grand challenges — what we lack is the political will to do it. The course gave me the language to express the importance of public purpose. I had been working in the private sector for two decades where the public sector is often much maligned. The course restored my belief in the importance of an empowered and entrepreneurial state — not to impose but to enable and equalise. I graduated convinced that we must rethink economics. Current measures of GDP, house prices and growth are not fit for purpose. They do not capture the true health of our economy, society or the environment and are often used to disguise deep systemic harm that curtails our ability to thrive both individually and collectively.
Prof. Mariana Mazzucato was absolutely right when she talked about the lack of confidence and the brittle nature of the civil service in the UK. In its current condition it is not able to deliver the scale of change needed, particularly at the local level. It requires proper funding but also a sea-change in the appreciation of local government beyond being a mere delivery arm of Westminster.
Furthermore, I’m absolutely convinced that we must harness the strengths of each sector to resolve our grand challenges. The right often believes the market has the answers and the left often thinks the state knows best and then we all look in a mix of awe and horror at how charities can plug gaps left by austerity. The simple fact is that all sectors have a role in building a fairer economy and an equal society that respects our planetary boundaries.
Finally, when confronted with a problem, we often ask where will the funding come from? That’s the wrong question. We must ask can we afford not to tackle the grand challenges of the 21st Century. We need a complete rethink of ambition. The HS2 debacle and the watering down of climate action commitments are perfect examples of catastrophic political decisions that have been justified by a lack of money whilst failing to acknowledge longer term harms.
What impact are you achieving, or do you aim to achieve within your communities?
Being a councillor is tough. I represent an incredibly unequal part of London and the problems my residents face can be profoundly shocking. Most are linked to housing. Southwark is the largest social landlord in London. There are over 17,000 households on the council house waiting list, much of the stock is of poor quality and overcrowding is rife. Renting in the private sector is incredibly expensive so not an option to all. We are seeing young people leave London when they want to start a family. As a result, our primary schools are closing — a shocking indictment on the socio-economic health of Europe’s largest city.
The first few months following my election were incredibly tough and addressing even the smallest of issues was laborious. Nonetheless, little by little, I started to create change — getting young families rehoused from homes riddled with black mould, enabling women and children to escape domestic violence, greening our neighbourhood and getting town hall commitments to climate finance and measures to tackle period poverty. My biggest successes have come about through convening partners like charities, businesses and the council. Delivering change has motivated me to stand as an MP. I know that with a bigger platform, I could get so much more done.
Finally, the biggest change I want to see is a restoration of hope. I knock on a lot of doors and meet many people in my work. The biggest enemies we face right now are apathy and a loss of trust in the political system and politicians in general. I want people to believe that good people go into politics to make the world a better place, because every single person across the UK deserves a government that works and an MP that cares.
