Member News
By Thomas Morris - 14th February 2011
Thomas Morris, 15, is the son of David Morris, Conservative MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale. Last week he met the PM and the Hoff during a whirlwind week at Westminster.
When I arrived at Parliament for my work experience I was really worried that I was going to end up as the tea boy. I wasn't sure that anyone really valued a 15 year old work experience intern, even one whose dad is an MP.
But now the week is over I can't wait to get back: I'm addicted to this life.
I have to admit that I did do an awful lot of data entry and it was mind numbing, but life in Parliament is so varied that I survived it. Our shared office consisted of my dad David Morris, Andre Walker (his researcher) and Guy Opperman's team (Con, Hexham).
We were all cramped in together but everyone was really nice so it was okay.
On your first day you realise that these people do not work 9 to 5. At 5pm in our office they were starting to think about getting lunch. We left at 10pm and I was stunned to hear my colleagues refer to that as "bunking off early".
Later in the week we left in the early hours of the morning. This is not a job, it's a lifestyle.
On the second day I was recruited to help give a private tour of Parliament to David Hasselhoff.
I don't normally tell people about my dad's 'music industry connections'.
Who wants their friends to find their dad with a mullet on Top of the Pops? But let's be honest, even I have to admit being friends with the Hoff is super cool.
Sadly my role in the Hoff visit wasn't exactly glamourous.
I had to carry the famous Baywatch buoyancy aids and other assorted junk. Please don't ask me why the Hoff decided to bring all this stuff but he did and I was lugging it to Norman Shaw North.
My task was made easier with help from Nick Hasselhoff – nephew and roadie – who genuinely thought I knew my way round the building. Oh how wrong he was.
I only made it to our office because I spotted Keith Vaz MP (Lab, Leicester East) who is in the office next door. I looked confident following him, secretly praying he was heading back to his office. I got lucky.
Day three was a meeting of Conservative MPs from marginal constituencies at Number 10 with David Cameron.
My dad and Andre insisted I gate crash it, which I had mixed emotions about. I wanted to see Number 10 but I didn't want to tell my school I'd been arrested as a stowaway. Thankfully the PM welcomed me with open arms and his staff gave me a tour. I was so happy.
That night we worked on a speech for the following day's debate on prisoner voting rights.
Sadly the speech went in the bin, because on our way to work we were told to go straight to the station and get a train to Morecambe.
Apparently BBC North-West Tonight wanted to film my dad playing the guitar to highlight his campaign to reopen Morecambe Winter Gardens.
We don't routinely carry a guitar round but in the time it took us to get to the constituency my dad's press secretary (Dominic) had persuaded a local firm to rig up a sound system and lend him a Les Paul. No wonder my dad gets so much media, these guys know what they're doing.
So my Westminster whirl wind is now over. I'd bag carried for the Hoff, met the prime minister and seen my dad relive his musical youth. All that remained was to do the Friday constituency surgery. Listening to everyone's problems reminded me that this life isn't all about glamour and guestlists. Real people rely on my dad and in my own tiny way I'd contributed towards helping them. It's not cool to admit that I'm proud of that, but I really am.
I am happy to say that this experience has been one of the most influential moments of my life so far. To me this defines what I want to do in my life and it also inspires me to do the best I possibly can in my exams, so that I have the greatest chance to return to this amazing place of work.
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