Female Preacher Runs for Seat in British Parliament
One of the candidates worth watching at the British General Election is the young Beth Prescott, who was selected by the Conservative and Unionist Party to be its official candidate in Dewsbury and Mirfield. The 24-year-old politician is also a licensed minister of the Church of the Nazarene and has preached at various churches around her area.
This is Prescott's second shot at Parliament after placing third in the 2015 election for a seat in Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford. She is now challenging the position of Member of Parliament (MP) Paula Sheriff. An electoral prediction website gives her a 65 percent fighting chance.
Born and bred in Dewsbury, Prescott describes herself as a "Yorkshire lass with no degree." Instead of going to college, she worked at a supermarket. "I quickly realized that university was not for me and I dropped out on two separate occasions," she said. Her work experience
made her a champion for apprenticeships.
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What she lacked in college education, Prescott made up for in terms of experience and ambition. She got into politics by studying the subject at A-level and joined the Conservative Party at age 18. As a donor development campaign manager for Christians Against Poverty, she saw the impact employment had on families.
"I, like many, will never forget receiving my first paycheck. I remember getting passed my wage slip at work and suddenly I could not wait to get home after my shift," she said. "There is no feeling like the one you get when you receive your wage slip after another month working hard to provide for your family," Prescott added.
Another passion of Prescott is the Dewsbury Hospital, where her mother works for the Accident and Emergency Department. She also looks forward to pushing for the establishment of an enterprise zone in Dewsbury. "I came into politics because of (Dewsbury) – it's the only area I ever wanted to be MP for," she added.
