Luisa Porritt: 'This is one glass ceiling yet to be shattered'

Luisa Porritt says the job as mayor of London "is one glass ceiling that hasn't been shattered yet"

Nearly 20-years younger than the current mayor of London, Liberal Democrat candidate Luisa Porritt hopes to reflect the "youth and vibrancy" of the capital and channel the spirit of Beyoncé if she is elected.

• This article is part of a series of profiles on the candidates from the four largest parties running for mayor of London.

Growing up in Camden, north London, she never saw herself going in to politics.

Now, though, times have changed.

"There weren't many politicians for me to look up to, particularly women, mostly because there just weren't many around in the forefront of politics," the 33-year-old said.

"Nowadays there are lots of woman leaders who are doing an incredible job and in high profile positions.

"From Kamala Harris in the US to Jacinta Ardern in New Zealand, Sanna Marin is prime minister in Finland and we're nearly the same age."

Ms Porritt says she often looks to Beyoncé for inspiration when making tough decisions

However, according to Ms Porritt, it is not just politicians proving to her that girls run the world.

Throughout the campaign "Beyoncé has been key", she said.

"If I'm having a hard day, I remember the fact she did Glastonbury when she was pregnant.

"She threw up that morning and went out and killed it on stage. If she can do that, I can make tough calls about the campaign."

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Ms Porritt only entered the race in July after the Lib Dem's first pick, Siobhan Benita, dropped out after coronavirus postponed the original 2020 election date.

Her rise through the Lib Dem ranks is a testament to her ability to seize opportunities that come her way.

Until 2016, she "never planned to go into politics, but then Brexit happened and everything changed".

Within two years, the former financial journalist and PR officer had been elected in her home ward of Belsize on Camden Council, unseating the Conservative incumbent by just nine votes.

A year later she was elected as one of three new Liberal Democrats to represent London at the European Parliament - before the UK left the EU at the start of 2020.

Until Brexit, Ms Porritt said she "never planned to go into politics"

During the mayoral campaign "women's safety and equality have come to the forefront", Ms Porritt said.

"The mayor of London can be a powerful voice in pointing out what still needs to change - even where they have no direct powers to change those things.

"We're starting to see a lot of women around the world breaking through into positions of power around the world.

"But this is one glass ceiling that hasn't been shattered yet. And that's partly why I wanted to run."

Ms Porritt said she was "on the receiving end of a lot of abuse" while working in the European Parliament

As a young Jewish woman, she is aware of the risks associated with raising her profile.

"The bigger the platform you have, the bigger the target for abuse," she said.

"I know that being young and female could result in criticism, I've seen and heard it all before.

"But I also think we legitimately deserve a seat at the table."

Ms Porritt describes the atmosphere during her time on the European Parliament as "febrile".

She said: "The fact I was very prominently representing the remain voice meant I was on the receiving end of a lot of abuse, particularly online - a lot of it misogynistic.

"There are risks, but at the end of the day if we don't put ourselves forward then nothings going to change either."

LONDON'S ELECTION: THE BASICS

What's happening: On 6 May, people will vote to elect a mayor and 25 members of the London Assembly. Together they form the Greater London Authority, which governs the capital.

Why does it matter? The mayor has a £19bn budget, is responsible for transport and policing and has a role in housing, planning and the environment. The London Assembly holds the mayor to account. Find out more here.

Who is standing? There are 20 candidates running for London mayor and a full list can be found here.

As a millennial, Ms Porritt is living through the second economic recession of her working life.

Having graduated into the 2008 financial crisis means she can "relate to what a lot of young people entering the job market are going through now".

Young Londoners now face high rents, insecure jobs and a new coronavirus recession.

To date, about 19,000 Londoners have died from Covid-19, while more than 300,000 people in the capital have found themselves out of a job.

"It's got harder for young people than it was for me, but the issues in the jobs market and housing market are the same," Ms Porritt said.

"Having been a bit closer to that experience and going through it more recently, I hope to bring an ability to relate to people and the experiences they're going through.

"We're a young and vibrant city.

"I don't think it would surprise anyone to have a mayor that reflected back a lot of who they are."