From Stowmarket to Westminster
Over the past week, my year group at Thurston Sixth Form has been taking part in work experience across the county, and I was fortunate enough to secure a place at the new constituency office for Dr Peter Prinsley MP in Stowmarket. Here, I have taken part in all kinds of work, from drafting press releases to helping manage communications, but the definitive highlight of my week was an excursion to the Houses of Parliament on 30 June, something that will stick with me for a long time!
I had never actually been to Parliament before - something surprising, I suppose, considering my love for politics. So when it was proposed to me as an event for the week, I was overjoyed, and I can say it certainly lived up to expectations.
We arrived by train (and a short black cab journey) to Westminster, and before I knew it, we were in. I was given a tour of the astonishing halls, chambers and Portcullis House by members of the team. There were some incredibly significant historic sites I could see: where Charles I was put on trial, where Emily Davison hid during the 1911 census, and where Nelson Mandela addressed the Houses. I was able to walk right in and amongst both the House of Lords and Commons, the exclusive St Mary Undercroft, and admire some truly magnificent architecture: gigantic tapestries, the gilded Sovereign’s Throne, and statues of every political figure you could think of, from Edmund Burke to Clement Attlee, and all else in between.
They weren’t all just carved in stone, though! I was lucky enough to see and even meet quite a few MPs from across the country, including the Speaker of the House, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, whose work I am a great fan of. Following this, I was treated to a delightful lunch on the Terrace and took some amazing photos with Dr Prinsley by the Thames. Then, we were off to the London office, where I joined a conversation with him and his team about some key local issues.
Afterwards, we went to the gallery in the House of Commons, and I was able to listen in on a debate on the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, which was incredibly interesting, not just as an opportunity to see the workings of Parliament, but also because of some really quite shocking statistics, aptly delivered by the incumbent, former and shadow Secretaries of State for Health and Social Care.
Naturally, my last destination of the day was the gift shop, and it was a great way to end it: I picked up a few great souvenirs for friends and family.
Overall, I truly enjoyed that trip, and the wider work experience. This was just one part of an outstanding week, filled with countless opportunities and challenges. It has been so good for my writing, networking and communication skills, and I would urge any other similarly like-minded students looking for placements to consider the Office of Peter Prinsley MP!
Written by Oscar, Year 12 student at Thurston Sixth Form
