Adam Bertscher is a doctoral candidate and a Graduate Teaching Assistant in Social and Policy Sciences at the University of Bath. His research focuses on what we should be doing to prevent and mitigate industry influence to protect public health.

Four months in the belly of the beast, or as the politicos call it, the House of Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee, left me dazed, dazzled, and dripping with insights. My journey into the heart of the British bureaucracy was like a rollercoaster ride, filled with thrills, chills, and a heck of a lot of enlightenment.

I had the honour, the privilege, nay, the sheer luck of wrangling two inquiries. Not just any inquiries, mind you, but ones that pierced the veil shrouding those mystical creatures known as public officials. Our first expedition was a deep dive into the murky waters of public appointments. We were the knights of justice, putting the Commissioner of Public Appoints on the hot seat, on a quest to ensure fairness, equity, and the most mythical of all - transparency.

The second crusade was all about the Information Commissioner's dance with the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000. We were on a mission to uncover the secrets of the government's painfully slow response times to FOI requests, the backlog of FOI complaint cases, and the dark art of private messaging platforms. The mysteries of the bureaucratic underworld were right there for us to unveil.

I wasn't just a bystander in this circus, oh no! I was the ringmaster. I juggled evidence sessions like a pro, courtesy of the Communications Team. I combed through heaps of research, drafting briefings that fuelled the committee's inquisitions. These briefings were the rocket fuel for our committee members, empowering them with knowledge and giving them the ammunition, they needed to slay the bureaucratic dragons.

And I didn't stop there. Oh, no, milord! I helped mould the committee's approach to scrutinising the Cabinet Office, dissecting its functions, and performance, all in a day's work.

International treaties? Check! I was there, soaking it all in, and even tossing in my two cents during the scrutiny process. I rubbed elbows with Members of Parliament, these seasoned warriors of the political arena, fuelled by a passion to improve government policies and actions.

But wait, there's more! I moonlighted as a shadow in various offices, like the Journal Office, Hansard, and the Public Bills Committee. It was like being backstage at a rock concert, witnessing the roadies making the magic happen, and it hit me—this is how the sausage gets made in Parliament.

Then, the pièce de résistance, the Prime Minister's Questions. The fireworks, the verbal duels, the accountability right there in the beating heart of British democracy. I was living the dream, folks! I even got a front-row seat to watch Rishi Sunak parley with the Liaison Committee, a masterclass in holding the government's feet to the fire.

But it wasn't just business; it was about the awe and majesty of the place. The Houses of Parliament became my personal playground. I showed my friends, family, and colleagues around, becoming the sage of history, regaling them with tales of this iconic institution. Walking through those hallowed halls, I felt like a minnow in a sea of giants, a mere blip in the grand tapestry of democracy.

The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel was another dimension altogether. These legal maestros craft the very laws that govern the UK, and I sat there, mouth agape, as they unveiled the complexities and challenges of drafting legislation. It's a high-stakes game, a tightrope act, and my respect for these legislative architects skyrocketed.

And as I reflect on this whirlwind of an internship, I feel like a gladiator who just survived the lion's den. I know I made a dent in the armour of public bodies, chipping away at their impunity. My colleagues, the unsung heroes of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs committee staff, took me in, mentored me, and showed me the ropes.

Working in the heart of London, near the juggernaut that is Westminster, gave me a chance to rub shoulders with the who's who of the public administration and politics world. I walked away with a LinkedIn page full of contacts of contacts and a rollicking good time.

So, here I stand, the lowly PhD-student-come-intern who rode the bureaucratic bull, lived to tell the tale, and came out the other side wiser, wilder, and ready to take on the world. My time with the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee was one hell of a ride, and I wouldn't trade it for all the tea in England.

Guy Cowman-Sharpe is a PhD researcher and Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Sheffield. His research focuses on the impact of the USMCA agreement on the Mexican automotive sector. His interests include trade, development and global production networks.

My primary motivation in applying for the Political Studies Association House of Commons Select Committee Team placement was to learn more about research-based careers outside of academia. My own research focuses on the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) and so I was initially supposed to be placed with the former International Trade Select Committee, however after the replacing of the Department for International Trade with the Department for Business and Trade my placement was moved to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee.

I took four months out of my PhD programme in order to do the placement and during this time I mostly worked remotely, with 2 days a week spent in London at the Select Committee Team office near Parliament. I made sure that my two days onsite coincided with both the weekly team meetings with the Committee Chair and the weekly inquiry evidence sessions in the Committee rooms in Parliament. This provided an invaluable experience in seeing how the scrutinising of government policy operates up close.

Despite having to be placed with a different Committee from the one I had originally planned to work with, being with the EFRA Select Committee Team worked to the advantages of my research interests. My main task during the placement was to plan an inquiry into the impact of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) on the United Kingdom’s agri-food sector. This involved creating a terms of reference for the inquiry, planning inquiry sessions, drawing a list of witnesses to be contacted for the inquiry and orally briefing Committee members on the inquiry plan. I was able to conduct extensive research on FTAs involving the UK, particularly the CPTPP.

Alongside working on the preparations for this inquiry I was able to attend events from various organisations, both online and in-person. I attended report launches hosted by the Resolution Foundation, the Independent Commission on UK-EU Relations and the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. I was also able to attend training webinars hosted by the Select Committee Team bringing in experts relating to certain policy areas and I attended as many as I could on the subject of trade – a particular highlight was a training webinar presented by the European University Association on the terminology of the Windsor Framework.

I was also involved in a Committee visit to the Animal Plant and Health Agency (APHA) site in Weybridge. For this visit, I prepared a briefing pack for members and attended the site and meetings throughout the visit. Being part of an official visit was a wonderful opportunity and I was responsible for distributing notes among Committee members following the visit and leading correspondence for following up matters with both APHA officials and ministers at DEFRA. My last main piece of work before leaving the placement was to provide a briefing pack to members ahead of an inquiry session on pet welfare and abuse. While not an area of personal expertise, I found it fun and engaging to research a new policy area and suggest questions for the Committee to ask of experts as part of the inquiry session.

Throughout the placement I also was able to explore the Palace of Westminster and make use of the Parliamentary pass I had been issued. Highlights included a tour of Parliament, watching the action from the Commons gallery at Deputy Prime Minister’s Questions and lunching with my team on the terrace.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Select Committee Team and would be keen to explore career pathways in Parliament following the end of my PhD. I am very grateful to the Political Studies Association for the opportunity to take part in the placement.