Olive aims for the top
A nine-year-old girl put the country on notice that she plans to be a future Prime Minister after appearing on BBC Radio Four’s Any Questions? show at Northwick Park Hospital.
Olive Biggin-Lamming asked the panel which included government minister Maria Caulfield and Kate Andrews, Economics Editor at The Spectator, if the Government supports the NHS, why isn’t it paying its workers more?”
“I think I am right in saying you have a reason why you asked this particular question,” said presenter Alex Forsyth.
Olive responded: “I want to be a nurse and then go into politics and become Prime Minister.”
“Well, you heard her here first and you’ve appeared on your first political debate show so you aren’t off to a bad start,” replied Alex in front of a live audience in the Johnathan Levi Theatre.
It proved a timely question as junior doctors prepare for further strikes over pay conditions along with consultants
Maria Caulfield, who still works as a part-time nurse, despite her ministerial duties in the Department of Health and Social Care, said:
“I would encourage Olive to go into nursing and politics. It is what I did when I left school and first got involved politics to save my local hospital. We need more nurses and we need more politicians with real life experience. I think that would make a tremendous difference.”
Fellow panellist Dr Latifa Patel added: “Excellent question and I have no doubt you will go very far.”
Olive’s declaration of intent was met with loud applause on the weekly show which attracts more than one million listeners.