Dragon Interview: Alexander Cardozo – MP Work Experience

Published on: 2 Nov, 2019
Updated on: 31 Oct, 2019

Have you ever wondered what really goes on in Parliament, especially behind the scenes in the MPs’ offices? Perhaps you have also thought about getting involved in some way? Alexander Cordozo, 17, did, so he applied for a couple of day’s work experience with Guildford’s MP Ann Milton, which he completed in September.

Questions posed by Martin Giles.

Alexander Cardozo with Anne Milton

How did you come to get work experience for Anne Milton and why did you want it?

After hearing from one of my friends that he was doing work experience with his local MP I thought that it would be a great opportunity. I contacted Anne Milton’s office and sorted out dates to do the work experience.

Do you live in Guildford borough? Where do you go to school?

I recently moved into Guildford borough and currently go to school at Charterhouse.

Do you have any political ambitions?

I hope to have a career in politics after university, but I was unsure what that would be like so doing work experience gave me an insight into what the role of an elected representative entails.

I am still trying to work out in what role in politics mine could be.

What were your main impressions? Was Parliament as you expected it to be?

Parliament was much more normal than I expected. Like many people, in the public eye we often build up this god-like impression of politicians but going around Parliament I realised that they are, relatively, normal people.

Physically, the House of Commons is much smaller than it appears on TV which raises the intensity of debates.

What did you learn about the role of an MP?

I learnt, or was reminded, that the role of an MP is far more to do with the constituency than the country. This would appear obvious, but because the majority of politics we see is to do with nation-wide issues, we often forgot this. An MP is there to represent the constituency.

What goes on behind the scenes in Anne Milton’s Parliamentary office?

Anne Milton’s Parliamentary office is full of admin and paperwork which is carefully sorted through so the constituents’ issues are resolved and responded to in time.
It has been a particularly busy time in the House of Commons because of Brexit.

Was the increased level of activity very noticeable?

I have never been to the House of Commons during a time without Brexit so was unable to compare the business in “normal” periods. But the day I was there, I was able to see the majority of Labour and Conservative front-bench MPs which suggests the Commons was busier than usual.

Has the experience left you more or less impressed with our Parliament?

The experience definitely left me more impressed with our Parliament. I was impressed by the emotion and the level of commitment that MPs put into making our country work for the benefit of us all.

I was also left hugely proud by the level of participation outside of Parliament, as well as in it. Walking outside Parliament were dozens of people voicing their opinions and concerns. There are many countries in which people cannot participate as much as they do in the UK and in which they can’t as openly express their opinions.

In recent times, many people have begun to question the extent of our democracy but my experience in Parliament left me with a strong belief in our democratic system.