The week I have spent at Westminster has been extremely enjoyable. I have always been very passionate about politics so to have this opportunity has been very much appreciated.
This experience has given me a lot of insight into the workings of parliament at a deeper level of understanding. I now feel I have more knowledge on the daily occurrences in Parliament and tasks that need to be performed by MPs and others.
Attending things like the Chamber to watch debates have been very valuable to me, this is due to the fact that you are able to watch and experience MPs in their element. This gives a lot of detail into what is required of a Member of Parliament and is very interesting.
Also, attending the event of World Refugee Day in the Speaker’s House meant that I was able to see the causes that are supported by Parliament. I believe this is vital as it raises a lot of awareness and brings a vast amount of appreciation and understanding regarding this cause.
The work that I have completed in my duration of work experience has further been useful as it allowed me to explore deeper into certain aspects of politics, and factors surrounding it. This experience granted to me by Huw Merriman MP has been a great pleasure and has meant that I can see the role of him personally and parliament as a whole. This, therefore, providing me with an expectation of the occupation and to allow me to make a more informed decision in regards to options at university and my career aspirations.
In conclusion, my week of work experience has firstly exceeded my expectations and has allowed me to feel more informed on this subject and the role of someone such as Huw.
Prior to doing this week of work experience my family and I had the pleasure of meeting Huw; it was under difficult circumstances but Huw gave us a platform to help others despite this. This was in 2016 after my dad had passed away, after this, we were determined on raising awareness for meningitis and septicaemia, and also raising money for a charity dedicated to this. Huw showed complete compassion and warmth to my family in these circumstances, for which we will always be grateful. We embarked on a walk from Hastings to Eastbourne to raise money for this charity, Huw accompanied us on part of this and shared our desire to bring attention to this, in hopes that other families will be aware and not have to lose a loved one. The help that Huw gave us in this, brought us one step closer to not letting my dad pass in vain. This gave us a lot of hope, in the care he showed to something so personal to us. So to be able to take part in this week in Huw’s office felt very fitting.