Half way through my internship, my boss suggested I move on from casework and try my hand at answering policy questions. I'd built up a broad knowledge of the 'party-line' and parliamentary process doing casework and to help, I was given the Ministerial Responsibilities Book – 100 pages of contact details for every government department and minister in Whitehall.
Working in opposition, being a policy intern is considered easier as there is more freedom to criticise government policy without being held to account. But as the General Election of May 2010 drew closer, my job became more important as constituents demanded alternatives from the opposition and competition for votes hotted up.
In our constituency, fox hunting, transport links and foreign policy issues made up the bulk of the post-bag and my job was to find an answer to the concern and draft a letter back on my boss' behalf using bills and speeches to find the answer. Queries were often varied and I would regularly write to government ministers too, to clarify a specific area of policy. There were also briefings to prepare for my boss before debates, and speeches and I'll never forget how it felt to hear the words I'd written spoken out loud in the House of Commons!
One of the most interesting parts of being a policy intern was the insight, and realising that every MP is tied by the Parliamentary voting system and the 'party-line' was quite a shock. The phrase 'toeing-the-line' is said to have come from the lines on the floor of the House of Commons, which mark the area in which MPs can stand when addressing their counterparts. The lines, positioned two sword widths apart, shouldn't be crossed when the House is in session. In reality, although MPs no longer carry swords, the result of failing to toe the party line can be just as devastating and can see an MP have the Whip withdrawn, resulting in suspension from the party and a guaranteed end to any political career.
To avoid cutting your boss' career short, you need a good measure of what they can and can't say in letters and emails to avoid embarrassing slip ups. Sometimes, there is no right thing to say and it's essential to master the art of saying something, while still saying nothing at all. The job also depends on who you work for – government or opposition, backbench, minister or shadow role – as all have to approach correspondence in different ways. To add to the complexity, MPs of the same political party rarely all agree which makes it important to have a good relationship with your boss and to understand what matters to them.
Ultimately, this part of my internship made me realise just how little I really knew about the reality of British politics, despite having studied for a degree in the subject. There is so much more to the job of an MP than getting voted in. They have to develop opinions on things they (and you) know nothing about and as their staff, you have to be on hand to pick through the mass of information and explain where they should stand on the issue – sometimes at the drop of a hat. Some of the most bizarre requests have included constituents who wanted to know the policy on compost, the height of pavements and why some market traders can offer fruit for sale in pounds as well as kilograms, so you have to be prepared for just about anything, and when all else fails – always have a back-up plan.
