Westminster is brutal; this much is clear in the new documentary following Mhairi Black’s life after politics. In 2015, she became the youngest MP in 350 years and gained viral fame with her powerful speeches. But a few years into the job, its relentless nature took a toll on her wellbeing, leading to her being signed off for three months. During this time, she was diagnosed with ADHD, only then understanding the weight of demands Parliament was putting on her life.
Black speaks candidly about how our most important political institution chews up and spits out people like her, exposing a culture that prizes endurance over health, prompting questions on how such a toxic workplace can ever serve our society with integrity. As she prepares for the opening night of her sell-out stand-up show, Politics Isn’t for Me, we see her reclaiming her life after deciding not to stand for re-election last year. Available on BBC iPlayer.
Prisoner 951
Dancing Ledge Productions / BBC
Prisoner 951 is a four-part factual drama on BBC One that retells the tragic real-life story of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian woman who was arrested in Iran in 2016 on false espionage charges and held for six years. She was finally released in 2022 after her husband Richard Ratcliffe campaigned relentlessly for her freedom. The show dramatises the agonising ordeal, highlighting the UK’s political failures that allowed such an injustice to drag on. I found it very eye-opening and deeply touching. Available on BBC iPlayer.
The Summer I Turned Pretty
Erika Doss