Hannah Keal

Lembit Opik with Hannah at the Spring Conference

 

"Hannah's Top 10"

1) How do you relax?

Reading. I could not live without books... favourites include ‘The Picture of Dorian Grey’ by Oscar Wilde which is beautifully baffling, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee, which makes me laugh and cry and ‘The Black Album’ by Hanif Kureishi, which is just mind- blowing. I also like sleeping, (when I get time) and listening to music, from Pulp and The Smiths to my latest obsession Reverend and the Makers.
 

2) What’s the one thing you would most like to change about yourself?

I’d like to be fitter, but I’m working on that one!
 

3) How would you want to be remembered?

As someone who made people think!
 

4) What do you feel guilty about?

Shouting at people. And on a wider level, I feel guilty on behalf of all Tories for being Tories, and I feel guilty on behalf of our nation for buying the Daily Mail. The only good use I can think of for it is to recycle it before anyone reads the right- wing tirades it’s filled with.
 

5) What are you most proud of?

I have a sneaking suspicion I’ve yet to achieve the thing in life I will be most proud of, but so far I would count being able to speak my mind in most situations as something of which to be proud of, as well as getting myself involved in so many valuable projects- I’m incredibly busy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way! And OF COURSE my mum and dad, the most committed councillors in Ryedale, who aren’t afraid to stand up for what they believe in.
 

6) What word or phrase do you overuse?

Lots! I tend to wear out phrases every month, I just get obsessed with them and then finally get bored. I also have eternal words which I try and slip into the conversation for no reason, like tautological, or Schnurrbart, which is German for moustache, but it just sounds really nice.
 

 

7) Where do you go for some retail therapy?

Malton! It’s amazing what absolute treasures you can find in shops like Plum- I’m glad we’re beginning to look forward without turning into an identikit town. I also haunt the charity shops for one off bargains. I also love York and London, especially Covent Garden, but I’m a bit skint at the moment by virtue of being at uni. Thank you Mr ‘I won’t introduce top- up- fee’s- oops- would- you- look- at- that- I- just- did’ Blair.
 

8) What makes you angry?

A lot of things, I can rant for England. Political apathy- it really really annoys me when people think their vote is worthless. We campaigned for years to get universal suffrage in the U.K, and people around the world are still fighting for democracy today, and yet we take this essential freedom for granted. Short- sightedness and NIMBY-ism, the BNP’s existence, I could go on... and on... and on.
 

9) Who do you admire?

There are lots of people who I look up to... Pink, the singer, for her refusal to follow the crowd and her feisty firebrand feminism, Barack Obama, because he’s not afraid to call for much needed change in American politics, and Carla Del Ponte, who’s just stepped down from being chief war crimes prosecutor for the UN.
 

10) Where is your spiritual retreat?

My room, when it’s tidy (not very often), with a Radio 4 comedy on and a book in my hand. Or at a friends house just laughing and talking about random things.