It’s a hot summer’s day in Wapping and as sun streams through the classroom windows, Wes Streeting is patiently and thoughtfully answering the joyfully eclectic questions from a class of year 5s at his old primary school.
‘What do you think of DJ Marshmello?’ ‘What’s your favourite film?’ ‘How many days a week do you work?’ (‘Never heard of him’; ‘Star Wars: the Empire Strikes Back’; ‘Six’.) Svelte and tanned in a navy Airtex shirt and jeans, Streeting explains to the children that he has never liked it that politicians often don’t answer questions, so he always does, and he sticks to his word, sometimes stopping to think for a good 30 seconds before answering. As he assiduously makes sure each child gets to talk and takes every question seriously, he comes across as incredibly at ease, confident, kind and genuine. He is also relatable, funny and quick to laugh. In other words, this is not your average politician. And if you were thinking of inventing a backstory for a politician which would score highly on every vector required to pique the interest of voters and appeal to multiple demographics, Streeting’s hinterland would be hard to beat.
