My work experience with Bobby Dean 

by Elina Daryani

My week at the office has been extremely fulfilling and engaging. Monday started off with a general introduction from Julie, followed by a look into the sorts of emails an MP’s office might receive. We then had a go at drafting casework emails to constituents. I was particularly interested in writing about the persecution of Eelam Tamils in Sri Lanka, which I also wrote about for one of the September web articles.

On Tuesday, we went to Parliament and attended the Treasury Committee meeting with the Bank of England. As a second-generation Iranian, I was especially interested in hearing about how Trump’s war in Iran has impacted inflation. MPs also raised questions about youth unemployment, climate change and AI. I found this experience really engaging as it gave me a first hand insight into how select committees work and the sort of things MPs do in Parliament. It was also great to hear directly from the Governor of the Bank of England and members of the Monetary Policy Committee in person.
 

On Wednesday, we started working on a report for the Treasury Committee meeting. We then moved on to writing web articles for the Sutton Libdems website, based on things Bobby has recently said or done. I chose to write about Bobby’s visits to Sutton United and Brixton Blood Donor Centre, the Infant, Parents and Carers Bill, and the Chemmani mass graves in Sri Lanka. This was a really insightful and valuable experience that strengthened my written communication skills as I had to adapt the articles into a specific tone, suitable for the website.
 

Everyone in the office has been really lovely and welcoming, and speaking to the people that work here has been a particular highlight. I’ve really enjoyed listening to people’s different career paths and what led them to working in politics. This week has definitely given me some guidance on what I want to do in the future, as well as providing me with experience to help support upcoming job applications.