People of a constituency (a particular area) elect members of parliament to represent them in that parliament. Most members of parliament are members of a political party, but a few are independent.
The Work
There are 2 different parliaments. You could be a:
Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) – meeting in Edinburgh, during normal office hours
Member of Parliament (MP) – meeting in the House of Commons at Westminster in London, usually starting in the afternoon and continuing into the evening and night.
In any case, you could be:
taking part in debates and making speeches
asking questions in Parliament and voting on proposed new laws
meeting constituents to discuss their problems
answering letters and emails from constituents
speaking at public meetings and events in your constituency and elsewhere
giving interviews to newspapers, radio and television
campaigning locally and nationally for yourself and your party.
Pay
Current salaries for MPs are as follows:
MSP – £64,470 a year (as of 1 April 2020).
MP – £81,932 a year (as of 1 April 2020).
You would get an extra payment if you had a special responsibility, such as being a party 'whip'.
You also get payments for certain staff and office costs and expenses.
Conditions
You would work many additional hours, including evenings and weekends.
You have to travel a lot, at home and sometimes abroad.
You may have to live in London during the week.
You often work under pressure, and you may have to make difficult or unpopular decisions.
You have to do a lot of background reading and research.
You do not need to have formal qualifications, but many have a degree (SCQF Levels 9-10) or a professional qualification.
Most members go into parliament after another career, often in law, economics, journalism or trade union work.
Entry is very competitive: local people must elect you.
If you want to represent a political party, the party nationally must approve you and the constituency party must select you before you stand for election.
Before being selected you would normally need long experience of working for the party, either paid or unpaid, and you may have been a local councillor or political researcher.
It helps to attend party conferences and events and to network with party staff members.
You must be at least 18 and eligible to vote in elections for the parliament you are trying to enter.
Most parties run training courses on subjects such as election law and procedures, public speaking and personal presentation.
Getting On
With experience, you could move on to become a party 'whip' (ensuring that fellow members follow party policy) or a spokesperson on a particular subject.
If your party is in government you could become a junior minister or cabinet member.
You could lose your job at any election, but if you do, you will probably be able to use your contacts to find a related job, perhaps in the media or as a business consultant.
More Information
Each parliament deals with different issues. These are summarised below.
The Scottish Parliament passes laws on domestic matters including health, education, housing, transport, local government, justice, agriculture and fisheries, the environment and economic development.
The UK Parliament passes laws on matters such as defence, taxation, welfare benefits, energy and immigration, as well as domestic affairs for England and sometimes Wales. It also has responsibility for UK foreign policy.
You can find a list of Scottish Political Parties below.
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