Lunch with David Cameron

It's hard to believe that my last day in Parliament was 2 weeks ago from this coming Friday. On March 27, I walked out of the doors of Westminster Palace for the last time during my stay here. This was a moment I had mixed feelings about since day 1 of my internship; my last day meant I'm that much closer to seeing my family and friends again, but also signaled my time in London coming to a close. When the moment actually came and I walked down the same long halls that I had walked to the Tube every day for the past 3 months, I was hit with enormous feeling of sadness that I wasn't quite expecting. In fact, I tried to prolong my time in the Palace by exploring every inch and corner that I hadn't seen before I had to officially leave. This included a visit to the roof of the Palace and one more trip out to the Members' terrace that sits on the Thames and has an incredible view of the waterfront.

The view from the roof of Westminster Palace

Members' Terrace at the Palace

My last week in Parliament was extremely busy and included lots of long hours all 5 days of the week. In the UK, when Parliament dissolves before the election, the Government actually completely shuts down and Members of Parliament are no longer considered MPs, but rather a Party Candidate running for office. The only people who remain a part of the Government are Government Ministers, like my MP. Much of the week was spent making sure my MP's inbox was empty and we had responded as best we could to each constituent email. I also worked on lingering constituent case work that hadn't yet been resolved. On one late night in the office, my coworker and I had a wine night with my MP and another Minister in our office. It was so much fun to get personal time with such significant political figures here in the UK while casually drinking wine and listening to old Frank Sinatra records that my MP almost always has playing in his office.

On my last Wednesday in Parliament, I had quite the surprise at lunch. After watching the last PMQs of this Parliament on television, Ben and I headed down to the Debate in Portcullis House to grab something to eat. As we were standing in line with our lunch trays in our hands, waiting to select which food offering we wanted, Ben leaned over and whispered in my ear, "You know who that is in front of us, right?". To be honest I really hadn't noticed who was in front of us, as at that point I was focused on what amazing option I wanted to eat for lunch that day. As I looked up, I noticed that David Cameron was waiting in line for lunch right in front of me! He was accompanied by his wife and 2 children, and they all stood like Ben and me, waiting for their food with trays in their hands. I was delighted to see that David and I both decided on the jerk chicken and rice that day for lunch. As Ben and I headed to sit down, David and his family happened to sit at the table next to us, eating like everyone else in Portcullis. It was so relaxed and casual that I just couldn't believe I was eating lunch next to the Prime Minister!

I realized that I haven't really talked much about my time in Parliament and I want to make sure I write down everything so that I can look back on this time and remember all that I did. Therefore, I want to make sure I recap what a typical day in Parliament was like for me.

Mondays through Wednesdays I would wake up with my alarm around 7:40 a.m. After hopping in the shower and eating breakfast, I'd head for the Tube by 9:20 to make sure I arrived at the Westminster stop by 9:45.

After scanning my ID at the Westminster pass holders-only entrance of the Tube, I'd head into the Palace for my work day.

The day would typically start by going through the inboxes, both my own and my MP's. If we had received lots of campaign emails on particular issues overnight then I would draft a response to these mass campaigns to send to my MP for his approval before responding to the constituents.

After this, I might work on individual casework, which involves a constituent raising concerns or having a problem that can be solved through the Government. These might include tax issues, benefits, or immigration problems. I'd go through the constituent's correspondence with our office, whether by email or by snail mail, and then figure out how to best solve the problem. I'd typically write letters on behalf of my MP and the constituent to a Government Minister or agency. Or, if it was an immigration issue, then I would call the Home Office on behalf of my MP and constituent to figure out how we could resolve the problem for the constituent.

Around 12:30 or 1, I'd head for lunch with either my colleague Ben or one of my friends who also interned in Westminster. Lunch was usually at the Terrace Cafe or the Debate in Portcullis; or, if neither of these menus looked good or we just wanted a quieter lunch then we would head to Bellamy's. My lunch depended on the day's menu, but lunch in Parliament never disappointed. The food was prepared by chefs, who always had a wide varieties of offerings of extremely delicious food for really low prices, as all the food in Parliament is Government subsidized. My favorites for lunch were curry, the lamb wraps, sweet potato soup, and the jerk chicken dish.

After an hour lunch, I'd head back to the office to continue working on either casework or emails.

Because my MP is also a Government Minister, he would some times have confidential meetings in the office and Ben and I would have to step out. Each day when this happened we would go down to the Terrace to grab afternoon tea and a sweet. He introduced me to Malteaser Bunnies and crumpets with jam, which were 2 of my favorite go-to afternoon treats.

My day would then wrap up around 5 and I'd head back towards the Tube and on to my flat, where on my way home I might grab ingredients for dinner if it were my night to cook (Tuesdays) or I'd go on back to the flat to catch up with my flatmates over dinner.

Each day gave me a glimpse at a job in the real world, working real hours and having actual work responsibilities and I'm so grateful for this opportunity at getting an inside look at Parliament.