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This Is the Youngest British Lawmaker in Almost 350 Years

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Mhairi Black, in many ways, is just like any British 20-year-old. She loves soccer, and is a season-ticket holder for soccer club Partick Thistle, which is based in the Scottish city of Glasgow, a short drive from her hometown of Paisley. She also enjoys playing and listening to music.

One thing that sets Black apart from her peers, however, is that she is now a Member of Parliament after winning the Paisley and Renfrewshire South seat on Friday. The Telegraph reported that through her defeat of sitting Labour Party legislator Douglas Alexander by more than 6,000 votes, Black became the youngest British lawmaker in more than 300 years (after 13-year-old Christopher Monckton in 1667).

“The people of Scotland are speaking and its time for their voice to be heard at Westminster,” said Black, who represents the Scottish National Party (SNP). “Thank you to everyone who turned out and voted for me,” she said in a tweet.

Before the youngster assumes her responsibilities in Westminster later this month, however, she still has a final-year politics exam at the University of Glasgow to get through.

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Write to Rishi Iyengar at rishi.iyengar@timeasia.com