A path to power: a guide to working in professional politics.
What is it like to work in politics?
“There are two things you do not want people to see how you make them...laws and sausages”
Congratulations.
As you are reading the second blog in this series, I am assuming that you have an interest in working in politics, and are therefore taking your first important steps in embarking on a highly rewarding career filled with limitless opportunities.
So the first question we need to answer is what is it like to work in the professional world of politics? What is a normal day in politics?
Well, the simple answer is that there is no such thing as a “normal” day in politics. As you will be aware as someone who clearly takes an interest in current affairs, politics is remarkably fluid. You may start the week on Monday with a plan on what needs to be done, and that plan will have changed two hours after writing it. However, having worked in the House of Commons, I will provide an overview of what it is like to work politics.
Firstly, we need to break down some misconceptions. When I spoke to family and friends about what it was I did I tried to make it sound as close to the West Wing as I possibly could, the truth is, on a day-to-day basis, working in politics could be quite mundane. In fact, the nick- name for my role as a parliamentary researcher was “bag-carrier”. Despite this, the role often was intellectually challenging, and required man different skills to succeed.
As a parliamentary researcher, my first responsibility to my boss was to make sure he was well informed. So the first job every morning was an overview of what was in the media, both print and digital. For better or worse, a large proportion of the political agenda is set by the media. So it is crucial that you become media savvy. This means developing a good idea of which stories can be ignored, and which stories could cause potential political difficulties.
Sounds easy? Well there are complications to consider. Firstly, we now live in a 24 hour media age. A story that seemed important an hour ago can be off the agenda and a new story breaking 20 minutes later. You need to learn what to pay attention to and what to ignore. Also, a digital media world provides great opportunities to politicians. It allows them to communicate more freely than ever before. Twitter and Facebook provide politicians unprecedented access to their constituents. But, these new media formats also offer constituents unparalleled access to their politicians. One misplaced tweet or Facebook posting can lead to a viral political scandal that becomes almost impossible to stop.
Furthermore, like most parliaments, congresses and assemblies around the world, politicians have competing priorities, namely between the demands of their constituents who elected them, and of the party and political leadership who demand their utmost loyalty. So when the local and constituency media are reporting on an issue in the national Parliament that could be controversial it is essential to understand what the broad constituency views will be and what the leadership will demand. If these end up competing it essential to be ready with a solution to this problem that is beneficial to both the politicians constituents and the Party leadership.
One thing I learned in politics is, no matter how proactive one would like to be and how much you would like to be on the offensive, media and constituency management is almost entirely defensive. You need to be aware of where the next attack could come from and know how to deal with it.
If knowledge is power, then information on what is going on in the Parliament is crucial. It is true that you can gain valuable information from what is being said in the papers, but this is nowhere near as crucial as being “in the loop”. Whether this is on how your boss should vote on a controversial piece of legislation, or which politicians your boss should be friendly with for the best chance of promotion, it is essential to build up a network of colleagues that you trust to provide you with accurate information that will not only serve the interests of your boss, but that will help you move up the greasy political ladder later in your career.
So most of your day as a political researcher will probably be finding out information on legislation, the internal workings of other political offices, of what the next big media story will be, or trying to help make sure that the constituents who elected your boss are happy enough with his or her performance that they can get re-elected at the next election.
I must admit here to a small lie. I said at the beginning of this blog that there was no such thing as a normal day in politics. That there are no absolutes are guarantees. Well, this is not entirely true. There is one thing in the day-to-day life of working in politics what is a universal absolute. Get ready for exceptionally long days. Most of the time, if I could get out of the office by 9pm, I was having a good day. Another thing you have to be ready for is to not make allot of money. These jobs are so competitive, that politicians know that they do not have to pay good salaries. If you want to work in a parliamentary office do not expect a banker’s salary.
Political life for me was series of ups and downs. There was nothing more rewarding than walking into the House of Commons everyday to work; to see the leading political figures of the day drinking coffee or a glass of wine at the table next to you. A memory that will always stay with me was being able to go into the crypt in the House of Commons and pay my respects to Lady Thatcher after her passing earlier this year, something that I would never be able to do unless I was working in the House of Commons.
However, I did often feel that I had to sacrifice my principles to get through the day. As great as the West Wing was as a political drama, the real world of politics is nowhere near as idealistic, so be prepared to be shocked by the internal workings of the political process. But, if you are prepared to go into politics with an open mind, it will be incredibly rewarding, and over the next few blogs I will offer as much advice as I can to help you achieve your political ambitions.
I am very glad I experienced politics, and may one day return to the profession. But I am now delighted to be teaching at the British Fortune School in Beijing, with an outstanding staff and excellent students.
So, for the next blog we will look at the all important subject of education, and what you realistically need to achieve to fulfil your political ambitions.
Ben Fellows is a graduate of Oxford University, a former Research Fellow of Berea University in Kentucky and is currently teaching economics, history and the creative arts at the British Fortune School in Beijing.
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