Tower and Town, May 2018

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The Westminster Effect

I have always been intensely keen on politics, having been surrounded by it at such a young age; it was the topic of debate at most family suppers. However, I always felt that I was either never able to keep up with the speed of conversation, or fully understand what was making people hold such conflicting views. So, I felt that in order to know more, I must take the initiative; I began reading more about politics, how a democratic country such as Britain works, such as the legal frameworks in place to prevent individual rights from being abused from an arbitrary government; such as a constitution.

Yet, as I continued to read and learn more about politics, I only found myself going around in circles, or finding something else that I was not sure about, meaning I had to start again and approach my views towards understanding politics differently. I used various techniques to reach a better understanding of politics; from listening to the radio, to reading books and even trying to watch Prime Minister’s Questions and giving my own answers to questions proposed to the then PM David Cameron. However, all my different approaches were having a limited impact on helping me to understand the true debates and conflicts that surround politics. Yet, my awakening to understanding politics came about when I was lucky enough to do a week’s work experience in the Houses of Parliament; here I was able not just to read about how such a complex and efficient machine runs. Rather I was able to experience life inside Parliament, and gain a natural insight into the home of democracy dating back hundreds of years. So, I believe that an awakening cannot truly happen until you take it upon yourself to experience your passions first hand, rather than in front of a screen, as this allows you to witness and hear things that you may well have otherwise never been able to.

Arthur Clark