This past weekend, I went on my first big girl business trip to none other than Glasgow, Scotland.
Through my internship placement with the Hansard Society Scholars program, I traveled to my MP’s constituency in Glasgow as a volunteer to see how the constituency office works. I and my supervisor are the only staffers based in Westminster, and our MP maintains a small constituency office in his area with a staff of four.I arrived in Glasgow late on Thursday evening and made my way to a hotel in the city. To my amusement, the hotel turned out to be Scotland-themed, meaning that just about everything was plaid. The bedskirt, the blanked, the drapes and even the desk chair all served as a reminder that I was, in fact, no longer in England (in case I somehow forgot).
The next morning, I enjoyed a full Scottish breakfast (a replica of the traditional English breakfast of sausage, bacon that’s really just ham, eggs, grilled tomatoes and baked beans, but with black pudding) (I did not eat the black pudding– google it) and set out to walk to the office.
On my way there, I began to get a feel for the city– Glasgow is gritty in a way that felt similar to Philadelphia, with an industrial flare and it’s own unique charm. The biggest difference, though, is the weather. Glasgow, which is about 400 miles north of London, is notoriously cold.
Despite the chill, I made it to the office without a hitch and after so many weeks of skypes and phone calls with my colleagues, it was nice to meet them in person. During my day in the constituency office, I did much the same work I would do in the London office, but was able to spend more time with my MP and sit in on several meetings with international NGOs and local charities.
In addition to this, I also attended my MP’s weekly surgery. A ‘surgery’ is a session in which MPs will meet with constituents one on one to discuss issues directly impacting the constituent such as a visa application or housing issue. My MP returns to Glasgow for Friday-Sundays in order to hold surgeries every week.
Having done a significant amount of constituent casework in my time in Westminster, it was interesting to see my MP interact with constituents first hand and to understand what kind of issues fall under his purview.
As I’ve continued to notice over the course of the program, though the US and UK are often compared, they truly have very little in common. To get a one on one meeting with your representative or Senators in the United States is a huge deal: with larger constituencies and fewer people representing them, there is simply less opportunity for individual attention. However, our federal system (which is not present in the United Kingdom) allows for state and local attention to citizen issues.
I spent my evening wandering Glasgow and treated myself to a fairly nice dinner (fun fact: Glasgow is massively affordable) before calling it a night in preparation for a day of campaigning.
As someone who grew up on a secluded road in a fairly small town and who has not worked on a political campaign, I have never witnessed door knocking first hand. As I continue to weigh my career options for my next co-op and after graduation, I knew that this would be a valuable experience. So, I rose bright and early to join my MP and a small team of volunteers in making the drive to Perth, Scotland to support a local city counselor in a bi-election campaign.
While exhausting, I enjoyed the day immensely for a number of reasons. First, I LOVE long car rides. I find them exceedingly relaxing and the Scottish countryside provided a nice break from the bustling, crowded streets of London. Car rides are also a fantastic setting for getting to know people as, when stuck in a car, there is nothing for you to do except talk to one another. It was a great opportunity for me to chat with my MP and the rest of the team.
Second, the canvassing itself was a great time. After watching my MP knock on a few doors, I grabbed some flyers and went on my own way. Though my feet are sore, it was a pleasure to help get the word out and to interact with the people of Perth, if only for a moment.
Lastly, I enjoyed this experience simply because it was so ridiculous: l, an American undergraduate, contributed to a political campaign in Scotland. This feeling is similar to the sense of fond disbelief with which I remember that my first ever apartment was in Belgrade, Serbia when I was 19 (thanks, co-op!) and always reminds me how grateful I am for the opportunities that Northeastern provides.
If you’d told 14 year old me that I would be living abroad by the age of 19 I absolutely would not have believed you. I’m not even sure I would have believed it at 18, either. And yet, here I am, on my third global experience as I wrap up my junior year and looks towards 21.
To have these opportunities now, when they are centered around education and professional development and it is so much easier to simply drop everything and go than it would be later in life is such a gift, and one I am thankful for every day.
The Hansard Society Scholars program ends in just under a month and I will be returning to Boston for my first full semester of classes since 2016. It didn’t seem real until I registered for classes last week and started planning out when I’d be able to pop into Rebecca’s.
As I look back on this program, I am exceptionally glad that I applied. (fun fact #2: I applied from this program from a cafe in Belgrade because my apartment there did not have wifi for the first six weeks I was there. I would head there straight from work and after a certain point, the staff began to have my usual order waiting for me).
This week I am focusing on the academics of the program in preparation for my second dissertation meeting. Check back next week for more!
