Richard Blakeway - Parliamentary Researcher for Tony Baldry MP

Life begins at eighteen for the politician. University is the stamping ground for the aspiring apparatchik. Pupils may have studied the political textbooks at school, but for students the text books tend to be supplemented for the practical politics of the Union. Simply look at the so-called "Cambridge Mafia" that produced more cabinet Ministers, including Ken Clarke and Michael Howard, than any other University generation. Current cabinet Ministers, Peter Hain, Charles Clarke and Gordon Brown were all very active politically as students. Of course not all those who reach high office were active at University. Think only of the last two Prime Ministers; Tony Blair was more interested in strumming a guitar than scaling the greasy pole, and John Major didn't even go to University!

Yet look at the National Union of Students, glance at campus branches of the main political parties, and you see the most likely people to be in public policy for the next generation. I studied at Hull University and the Student Union proved an excellent place to develop public speaking skills; to learn how to formulate and communicate a political message; and to learn the art of campaigning. It is also one way to tell whether work in Parliament is for you. Michael Heseltine told those thinking about a political career how if they had one doubt, don't bother. Politics isn't a job, it's a way of life.

University often opens the door to working in Parliament. The major political parties have good student organisations that are as important as the NUS. So, for instance, Conservative Future has regional student structures that are a good link to the parties HQ. Policy forums are also a good way get a CV in politics and to demonstrate interest for prospective employer MPs. The Labour Party has regional forums into which aspiring politicians should input. Nevertheless, the best way of getting a job within Westminster is actually to have a foot in the door. Quite simply it will be difficult to get a job working for a Member without some sort of substantial CV stuff already. That may well mean working for nothing for some months and sadly not everyone will be able to financially afford to do that.

When applying for a job with an MP it is imperative to do your research; to know the background of the MP to which you are applying for a position. The less general, the more specific to that MP your application is tailored, the better your chance of succeeding. I once saw a letter from a graduate saying, "having done my research, I note our experiences and interests converge. I was very disappointed when Labour lost the 1992 General Election and relieved when the Conservatives were ejected from office in 1997". The MP in question was Minister throughout the whole of that government! So it is important to do your research and to sensibly demonstrate some synergy. To decide what public policy interests you most, although always remember that your MP is likely to take a frontbench job whether championing that particular cause is their first choice or not. To learn the constituency of that MP like you wrote the Lonely Planet guide for it. If a hospital's services are under threat, like they are in Banbury, you need to know understand pretty comprehensively and specifically what the impact will be for local people. If the Home Office proposes to build an asylum accommodation centre in your MPs constituency, as they have for Bicester in North Oxfordshire, then you need to know every parliamentary opportunity to exploit to raise awareness of the local campaign. If journalists from "The Guardian" call wanting to know the Chairman of the Select Committee on International Development's view of the situation on food shortages in Ethiopia, you need to know what DFID is doing, what the EU is doing, what the UN is saying and what NGOs are saying. It is also a very varied job; and the ability to demonstrate your "skills set", or whatever the Accenture-speak may be, is vital. One morning in Westminster, you can be helping to implement a media strategy on a Select Committee report; dealing with a local authority problem for a constituent; and inputting into the speech on a parliamentary bill which your MP is co-sponsoring.

To get into Westminster, I would further suggest that you undertake as much campaigning for your Party as possible and doubtless they would very much welcome the offer of an extra pair of hands. Apart from being another selling point for you, it will also give you the opportunity of hearing on the grapevine when vaccines come up, usually I suspect around each recess, as that allows for a sensible opportunity for MPs to restructure their offices, particularly if a member of their staff leaves.

2004 is the year of elections. Mayoral elections, local elections, European elections. Demonstrate you're worth then and the next year a likely General Election would be an ideal opportunity to seek permanent employment with an MP.

Inevitability not everyone suits Westminster. I understand that Peter Mandelson's former researcher, then a lobbyist admittedly under intense press scrutiny, left politics completely after realising his childhood dream of working in Westminster was a nightmare. On the other hand, if Parliament itself doesn't appeal then lobbying, journalism and the civil service are all integral to making the machinery of government roll.