Mhairi Black blasts George Osborne and Labour in blistering SNP maiden speech

The youngest MP in the House of Commons since the Reform Act of 1832 has blasted George Osborne and attacked Labour in an assured and blistering maiden speech today (14 July).

The SNP's Mhairi Black won the seat of Paisley and Renfrewshire South from Labour's former shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander on the back of the nationalist surge that enveloped Scotland at the general election.

The 20 year old, who holds a majority of more than 5,000 votes, paid tribute to Alexander as she gave her first speech from the green benches.

"He served the constituency for many years, after all I was only three when he was elected. But it is because of that fact that I want to thank him for all that he did for the constituency and I especially want to take a moment to commend him for the dignified way in which he handled himself in what must have been a very difficult election night."

The University of Glasgow graduate went on to joke that some of her colleagues had made numerous mentions of Scotland's national poet Robert Burns when they delivered their maiden speeches.

But Black revealed that, after some research, she could top her allies. "I discovered a fact that trumps them all: William Wallace was born in my constituency," the Westminster newbie quipped.

The SNP MP later moved away from historical jokes and revealed that her constituents had "watched our town centres deteriorate".

"We have watched our communities decline, our unemployment level is higher than that of the UK average and one in five children in my constituency go to bed hungry at night. Paisley job centre has the third highest number of sanctions in the whole of Scotland," Black added.

The so called "Baby of the House" also warned that the rise in food banks across the UK was a "symbol that the welfare state is failing" and attacked George Osborne.

"My housing is subsidised by the taxpayer. Now the chancellor, in his budget, said 'it is not fair that families earning over £40,000 in London should have their rents paid for by other working people. But it is OK – so long as you're an MP," she said.

"In this budget the chancellor also abolished any housing benefits for anyone below the age of 21. So we are now in the ridiculous situation whereby, because I am an MP, not only am I the youngest but I am the only 20-year-old in the whole of the UK that the chancellor is prepared to help with housing benefit."

Black concluded that Cameron's administration is "one of the most uncaring, uncompromising and out-of-touch governments" since Margaret Thatcher.

However, the former comprehensive school student did not just aim her scathing remarks at the Tories, Labour came under fire as Black accused the reds of turning their backs on socialist Scots.

"Like so many SNP members I come from a traditional socialist family. Like so many, I feel that is the Labour party that left me, not the other way around," Black roared.