Case Study - Anderona
How I got involved
As a
keen observer of political events, I have become fascinated with
the inner workings of Westminster parliament. Hull University
Politics Department contacted students studying within the
department indicating that there were interesting placement
opportunities available at the History Centre. Providing assistance
to the centre by archiving MPs papers seemed like an ideal
opportunity for me to expand my knowledge and understanding of
Westminster.
What have I done?
During my fortnight
spent volunteering at the centre I was able to better understand
and appreciate the workload of an MP. I spent my time looking at
the papers of two MPs as well as a member of the House of Lords. I
was impressed by the amount of personal mail and correspondence
that is received in a constituency office. There is a wide scope of
constituency issues that have to be dealt with in an effective and,
sometimes, non- partisan approach. I was also impressed by the
level of self discipline which has to be exercised by particular
MPs in their responses. At times strongly worded letters are
received and an MP is required to respond to impassioned tirades
with upmost grace and decency, highlighting the realities of any
given situation. 
I was also able to look at the papers of an MP who represented
his constituency in the 1970’s. This enabled me to better realise
the changes that have taken place in the role of MPs over the past
40 years. The MP in question was distinctly more open in his
dealings with constituents, revealing details with regards to his
private life in a bid to help an organisation understand why he was
absent for a particular event. This contrasted greatly with
the papers of more recent MPs who are not at liberty to discuss
events which occur in their private life in a great detail, as
political scandals nowadays attract a significant amount of media
attention. In addition, I observed that, there was an even wider
scope of issues that were raised in the last century than there is
now. It appears that as there has been an ever expanding role for
non- governmental organisations, that citizens are using such
groups as an alternative to resolve their grievances and further
their political objectives.
The most enjoyable documents read were ones
which came from Whitehall. I was astonished by the level of
expertise which became apparent when viewing such documents. One
particularly impressive report featured novel ways for the UK to
strengthen its ties with a foreign ally. All in all, the
experience has been invaluable, I highly recommend it if you are
eager to make your mark in the political world.
A piece about the
politics internships also features on the Politics and
International Studies department page of the University
website.