Kerem Uzdiyen, MSc Development Studies, completed an LSE Parliamentary Internship in 2023/24. The Parliamentary Internships Programme, established by LSE alumnus and governor Barry Sheerman MP, has a proud history of connecting current MSc and PhD students from all departments and disciplines with part-time internships in Westminster.
As someone who’s always thought of going into politics one day, Parliament was always the end goal, at least the Turkish Parliament was. The UK Parliament was just a tourist attraction. I could never have any role there. But that’s the privilege of being an LSE student, the impossible is often possible. Like most students, I had never heard of the possibility of doing an internship in the UK Parliament until I saw the introductory event for LSE Parliamentary Internships on LSE Careers. Then, it was on. I applied to a few MPs from different parties, and the then-Minister for International Trade Nigel Huddleston MP accepted me.
After months of trying to get my security clearance, my first day in Parliament was like a dream: all these MPs around me (look there’s Ed Miliband! – oh there’s Liz Truss just walking by!), having a parliamentary email address, having access to these things you thought were kept by MI6, walking right under the Big Ben, and going into the House of Commons, not as a tourist but as staff. What surprised me most wasn’t all the armed guards (apparently the Parliament is the only place in the UK to have armed police that’s not an airport), but just how casual everyone was. I am from Turkey after all, where armed police have tea next to you. The Parliament was just like any large office.
By the time I had gotten my security clearance, Nigel had become the Financial Secretary to the Treasury. Such is the pace of things in Parliament: blink or you’ll miss it. Being on a first-name basis with the MP I was working for signified the healthy hierarchy in this job. My boss is a person just like me, and they look at it that way too. The responsibilities and the power they have does not change that (at least it didn’t for Nigel and most MP’s who are like him!). By day 2, I had already settled into Westminster, it was just my office from then on. Whilst I was disappointed not to able to engage with Nigel’s Ministerial role, this limitation gave me respect for the culture of democracy here. Civil servants are independent from Parliament and from politics, whereas I worked directly for Nigel. But I soon learned that I also could not be “too political”. In the end, I was being paid taxpayers’ money to help Nigel represent all the people of Mid Worcestershire. That meant no party politics!
If you were to ask where Mid Worcestershire is… Well, I certainly couldn’t tell you that in January 2024 and I don’t think its new name from July 2024 onwards – Droitwich and Evesham – would have helped me much either. However, I now know lots about the rural constituency just south of Birmingham; from the different political leanings of its two towns to the rest of the villages, the beauty of Broadway, the continuous summer festivals in Wychavon, the problems constituents face with NHS dentistry and the redesign of a roundabout in Droitwich. I not only know the constituency in general, but I know its people: from those who seek our help in addressing the injustices they faced (either by state officials or in their private lives) to those who are angry about government policy (you would be very surprised to see how many people get angry at the Conservative Party for being too socialist!). From those who point out their engaging ideas on how to make Britain better, to those who send letters to their MP about every campaign they see.
If you were to ask what I’ve done in the last six months, well, regular work. I created a new monthly report template to share the big updates from Westminster and what Nigel’s done in the constituency every month with our constituents and I wrote the Westminster part of that report every month. I drafted press releases. I responded to campaign emails with government policy. I sympathised with constituents looking for solutions to their issues within our confines. I engaged with WASPI women. I helped remake Nigel’s website, edited and captioned countless videos and probably more mundane office work that I cannot remember and should not add to all this stuff I already listed. There were fun things in addition to work too; I had drinks with my boss, made good friends in my colleagues Alex and Yemi, had the best office manager in Lucy, watched PMQs every Wednesday, and ate some amazing jerk chicken from the canteen.
What was really the highlight of my experience was the small moments. It was sitting next to George Galloway in his first day in Parliament; most MPs weren’t delighted to see him to say the least. It was not knowing whether we were attending a meeting with Nigel until the last minute because he could not go if a representative of his ex-employer was there due to the possible conflict of interest. It was taking the tube and walking back to Parliament whilst chatting with Nigel and a party representative. It was showing the Colombian Speaker of the House around the Parliament. It was being accepted in a place where one of the world’s biggest economies is governed. It was representing our constituents’ interests next to MPs in a meeting on the HS2. It certainly was the absolute chaos of the day PM called the next UK general election.
I’m not saying the UK democracy or Parliament is perfect, but I sincerely think there is a lot to admire. I fear that I got a bit addicted to UK politics because of this experience. Not being a citizen will probably take care of that for me. If I do indeed go back to Turkey and get into politics, I think I’ve learnt and seen a lot that Turkey could get inspiration from.
The views expressed in this post are those of the author and do not reflect those of the International Development LSE blog or the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Featured image credit: Kerem Uzdiyen
