Queen Mary Politics students go behind the scenes at Parliament
Politics students from Queen Mary's School of Society Environment visited Parliament this month for a Q&A with politicians and parliamentarians.
A selfie photograph by MP Uma Kumaran in the houses of parliament with Queen Mary students in the background
This month politics students from Queen Mary University of London gained exclusive entry into Westminster to interview MPs and peers about the day-to-day workings of parliament.
The session formed part of Queen Mary’s Parliamentary Studies module – run in formal collaboration with the Houses of Parliament – and featured a series of Q&A sessions with senior politicians.
Students had the opportunity to ask questions about how parliament operates in practice – from the legislative process and select committees to constituency work and online e-petitions.
Valentina Kalanyos, a third-year History and Politics student, chaired one of the sessions with local MP Uma Kumaran, herself a former Queen Mary politics student.
Valentina said: “I got to select some questions to ask the MPs and speak more on a personal level to them, as I was lucky enough to be one of the chairs for a session and get a seat at the front.
“I was particularly glad to get the chance to MP Uma Kumaran who very kindly spent longer with us than expected. As a former Queen Mary alumna, she was popular with the students, and she answered all our questions.”
The Parliamentary Studies module is designed to provide students with comprehensive academic understanding of how Westminster works, combined with a practical approach to gaining real life experience in politics.
Dr Daniel Gover, who leads the module, said:
“The Westminster visit is always one of the highlights of our Parliamentary Studies module, allowing students to experience parliament first hand and interact directly with MPs and members of the House of Lords. We are hugely grateful to all those who gave up time to speak with our students about how parliament works in practice.”
The Parliamentary Studies module is the only higher education module formally approved by the Houses of Parliament.
As one of the institutions that delivers a version of the module, Queen Mary students also attend classes on campus with senior parliamentary officials.
Valentina said:
“The MPs weren’t talking about theory – they were discussing how politics actually works, talking about the reality of their lives as MPs, as well as discussing the limitations and frustrations of their jobs.
“You can’t get this kind of knowledge and insight through a lecture or textbook. You need to talk to someone: this is the value of this experience.”
“If you have a genuine interest and passion for British politics, take the Parliamentary modules at Queen Mary.”
Five politicians spoke to the students as part of this year’s visit. In addition to Uma Kumaran MP, students also heard from Alan Campbell MP, Leader of the House of Commons, Rebecca Harris MP, the Opposition Chief Whip, Ruth Cadbury MP, the Chair of the Transport Committee, and Liberal Democrat peer Lord Pack.