My work experience with Bobby Dean 

by Ela Baker

My four days of work experience at the offices of MP Bobby Dean, including a day in his parliamentary office, provided an interesting insight into the balancing of responsibilities as a representative of Carshalton and Wallington.  

It was especially surprising to see the amount of effort and organisation that is required by a large team to effectively respond to constituent’s queries, including filing hundreds of concerns and drafting responses to new concerns and issues every day. 

For several reasons, the most interesting part of my experience was the day we spent in parliament. I would suggest that this was for several reasons. 

Firstly, sitting in on the Treasury committee, I was impressed by the command of the topic by the 4 delegates from the Bank of England, and their ability to respond to each question with sincerity.  Secondly, it was elucidating to talk to Bobby Dean both before and after the committee session was held. He was forthcoming and candid about how he approaches such a session, and it was particularly interesting to hear from an MP about the difficulties of preparation and the acknowledgment that there is always more to learn. 

These experiences have confirmed my ambitions of a career in politics in which the decisions are made, whilst leading to a newfound appreciation of the necessity of accountability. 

I am grateful for the opportunity and the guidance offered throughout the week by Julie, Hermione, Matt, and Abraham.