Three times a year, I host a Parliamentary Insight Day for young people aged 17–23 from across Surrey Heath.

The groups bring together ambitious college and university students, alongside recent graduates, who want to learn more about politics and the careers available in this field.

Getting your foot in the door can be one of the hardest parts of starting a career, particularly in politics. That’s why I run these days: to give young people the chance to experience Parliament first-hand, spend time with me and my team, and get a real feel for what working in politics is actually like.

We start with a private tour of Parliament, exploring its fascinating history and traditions. We then move on to a workshop looking at the day-to-day realities of being an MP, the work my team does behind the scenes, and what it takes to represent a constituency effectively.

One of my favourite parts is our parliamentary writing workshop. The group takes an issue affecting local people and turns it into a question for a government minister.

It’s a brilliant opportunity to learn how to put forward an argument, get to the heart of an issue and understand how local concerns can be raised on a national stage.

We welcomed a group to Parliament last Monday, and I was genuinely impressed by the issues they raised. From the lack of driving test availability to major international disputes, there was plenty to get stuck into!

Despite having no previous experience of parliamentary writing, the group picked up the style and tone remarkably quickly. Even more impressive was the substance of their questions.

Some were so good that I intend to use them to inform questions of my own in the future. That’s a pretty impressive result for a first attempt!

We also held a Q&A session, giving the group the chance to ask me and my team about our experiences and get practical advice on the different routes into politics and related careers. There’s no single path into this line of work, and I hope hearing about the opportunities available helped them consider their own next steps.

The day finishes with tickets to the public gallery, where the group can watch a parliamentary debate and see what they’ve learnt put into practice.

I’m passionate about giving young people opportunities to get involved, build their confidence and develop practical skills.

It can be tough to gain that all-important first bit of experience when starting a career, and I want these Insight Days to offer something genuinely useful, whether that’s new knowledge, valuable contacts or something meaningful to add to a CV.

If you’re aged 17–23, live in Surrey Heath and are interested in politics, I’d love to hear from you.

To find out more about future Parliamentary Insight Days, please get in touch at [email protected].