I work for a Member of Parliament AMA.

[MPStaffMemberAMA]

I work for a Member of Parliament AMA.

Obviously I won't write anything identifiable otherwise I can't be completely honest with my other answers.

Yes a definite step down in that case!

No I don't. I don't want to really. I've told my Member don't do anything that will get you arrested and we'll all be fine!

All jokes aside, I've worked in all sectors and in every single organisation I went through one or more rounds of redundancies. Sometimes I was exempt, sometimes I got through, sometimes I got made redundant. Nowhere is bullet proof.

I love what I do (though I hate the abuse) and what will be will be. I save job ads that I would do if I wasn't doing this so when I do need to look I have a library of potential roles to target.

I used to be a researcher and parliamentary assistant for a very active MP. Was quite surprised to read you’ve done lots of other jobs before this, would have been quite rare when I was in parli. Maybe a few internships or junior jobs, but I got a paid internship straight out of uni and then worked my way up. Left after 5 years, mainly because pay was dreadful for someone trying to live in London! What lead you to want to do it at this stage of your career? Do you live in London? It was a fun job for me but I was also quite glad to move on!

What's your view of clerks/House service generally? 👀

Thank you, that is an excellent and considered reply to my rather flippant question... It's this cheap gin that my friend bought from Aldi.

Thank you for your reply. I grew up watching ‘Yes, Minister’ which is quite close to the truth about how the country is run, I suspect.

There's such a range with people straight from uni or close to first jobs, then those of us who have been around the block, watched from afar then got stuck in when our families have grown up and we need something else to suck up all our time 😂

The pay is dreadful and I hope IPSA does something about it with the latest staff consultation. The abuse we get is unprecedented in any role I've ever been in but no additional danger money.

My political passion has been a slow burn that got too hot to ignore over the last few years. An opening came up for my favourite MP (the fact I even have one speaks volumes about why I'm doing it!) and I was successful at interview.

I live within commuting distance of London but I'm not based there. I go as often as I can because it's the most amazing place to get connected to the bigger network of the people running the country (or not as the case may be) and learning from others. But I love the constituency and being based there is a privilege because we're at the heart of the community.

I wouldn't call it fun but part of the reason I'm not sure what I would do next is that it's so varied and I'm learning about something new literally every day. I had never heard of Rosebank a week ago and now we're expected to be experts on it within days. So fast paced I love it!

Ha yeah, the variety was great! I remember frequently panicking having to learn about subject I’d never heard about before and having to get a speech done which was read out in the chamber the next day. Stressful but also exciting so I totally get what you mean. I was very passionate about it. Might be worth looking at a PA agency with varied client lists next…. I’ve had the most amazing varied experiences with them (crazier than some I had when I worked in parl even!) if you’re not sure what else could scratch that itch!
well done for all the work you do - I know it’s not at all easy!

Sadly no I don't. You have to have a huge ego to be successful because you have to wait everyone in your constituency to know your name and like you. So it's an ego trip coveted by people who want to wield power. Turns out, there's not actually much freedom or power so many just schmooze and entertain themselves.

Party lines and parties are big barriers to MPs making an individual difference. The civil service really holds the power so until there's a culture change there nothing will change.

I can honestly say I haven't had any of those conversations internally so I wouldn't want to speak for others.

What makes you most likely to pay attention to a campaigning or advocacy email from a charity?

Thank you for replying to my earlier question. And indeed the whole AMA.

Obviously we don’t know who your MP is, but both sides have had less than successful PM’s in recent times, so I think you’ll have experienced this either way.

What’s it like for you and your MP when it’s obvious that the writing is on the wall, so to speak, for the sitting PM. Starmer very clearly lost the support of the PLP and Boris famously spoke of the herd moving on his side. Your MP must have felt frustration defending a line they may no longer had conviction in, or indeed feeling the dissatisfaction of their constituents. Plus the lack of or slowing of progress on important issues due to leadership challenges.

I appreciate the wheels still turn but some of the big issues this country faces needs long term thinking which 7 (or is it 8?!) leaders in the last decade doesn’t encourage!

If the Member has a personal interest in it or there's a unusual or unique hook. E.g. a spinal injuries charity and a constituent was hurt by a falling tree. Or banning something that align's with their views such as animal testing. People should do their research on their MP to write a personal message that stands out. Then the MP can contact for follow up.

MPs are about a week or two ahead of the general public in terms of reading the room. So I knew beforehand what would play out because my MP has their ear to the ground across all parties. On those occasions the Member is kind of allowed a free vote vs whipping once the wheels have started turning. We get so many emails when the winds of change are blowing and we feed back to the Member what the constituency view is.

Don't become an MP if you have low frustration tolerance for sure! You waste a lot of time geeing up support for something or someone only for it to melt away. The leadership challenges are a waste of parliamentary and staff time. The process of governing stands still. So I'd bin them off for efficiency reasons alone!

Thank you. My whole listening feed is political podcasts at the minute and I really try to listen to both sides of the political debate to understand as well as I can (jeez, that’s difficult with a couple of them at times!) so that sort of linked to my earlier musing re journalism and politics. The whole Starmer resignation felt inevitable a couple of weeks before if you listened, with the writing on the wall way before that. It’s all so interesting so really appreciate this thread.

They were all wrong re appointments in the new cabinet though - interesting in itself!

Thanks again - I hope you and your MP continue to be able to do good work.

You are most welcome.

There's a lot of gossip and rumours but you learn to know which sources to trust. I knew something because someone in my team overheard it in the canteen so I knew it was definitely true! I wasn't tempted to rush out and put a bet on it though 😉

Thank you for your good wishes. Making a difference is good for the soul and that makes me a better person all round.

@MPStaffMemberAMA “The civil service really holds the power so until there’s a culture change nothing will change.”

Do you see this government as able to take on the task of changing that culture and the balance of power?

Because until we have a government willing to do this, surely we’ll just continue in the same cycle of managerialism, stagnation and incompetence, despite the efforts of people like yourself who genuinely want to make a difference. And I say that with a level of skepticism.

Any government could. But it's how you go about it. Telling them they're comfortable in tepid bath of managed decline doesn't exactly endear them to you!

Any local government or civil service department could change. But it would take a strong coaching style of leadership rather than imposing top down changes by people who don't know how things really work.

I'd be up for the challenge but my phone has yet to ring from the last government or this one...

@MPStaffMemberAMA I understand that those of us hectoring our leaders don’t necessarily know how things really work.

But if the civil service possibly operates from a ‘this is how things have always been done’ mindset and protects those habits, who alternatively does know how things work in order to make change?

And does anyone actually know how to bring about cultural change in these power structures? Because it is seriously needed.
Do you think a change in the political culture is needed?