"Can I just stop you there for a second? Thank you, no need to apologise – so can we just go over it again? OK, so you've got a problem with your neighbour. Sorry yes, with your neighbour's dog. Your neighbour's dog is jumping up at your fence and damaging your roses? Yes I do understand, it's just I'm actually in Westminster and we're quite busy at the minute so it might be difficult to come and have a look. Yes, of course we have time for you, I'll call you back."
As I put the phone down to take notes about the call, the giggles I had been suppressing erupt. This was the third time I had spoken to this caller in as many days about a variety of 'problems'. My colleague, who knew this constituent well, explained that she was one of the 'regulars' who called up more to chat than anything else. After my third call I was beginning to learn that laughter was the best way to stay sane as we dealt with so many similar calls, sometimes 20 a day, and hundreds of letters and emails.
It was May, I was in the third month of my internship and Westminster was edging ever closer to the general election. Many MPs had a comfortable majority of at least 1,000 votes in their constituency; however others, such as my boss – fought a tight battle in 2005 and had a slim majority to defend.
For MPs, a good relationship with their constituents is essential. Word of mouth and a good reputation can count for a lot at the ballot box. Dealing with constituents, often referred to as casework, is one of the most important jobs in an MP's office and the first thing an intern learns to master.
There are various aspects to casework; from answering the phone, writing letters and emails on behalf of constituents and attending advice surgeries with the MP to meet local people. It can be hard to keep emotions in check as problems range from the serious or sad to ridiculous. Dealing with the correspondence is the best and worst part of an intern's job. All constituents believe their problem is important and you should drop everything else to solve it.
In some cases, we do drop everything. We are often called upon to help constituents with immigration issues, domestic violence, addiction and depression. What many people don't realise is that in many cases an MP's office is a last port of call for those who have fallen through the cracks of civil society. Often constituents start a phone call with: 'I'm sorry to call you but there's no-one else left'.
To help, you need patience, good people skills, the ability to stay calm and think logically.
Working for an MP gives you an insight into just how powerful a name can be; I remember my first 'don't you know who I am' moment when I used my MP's name to get through to the top immigration official at a national airport after being passed from pillar to post for an hour. I felt a mixture of pride and achievement as I got through to the right person and helped our constituent get where he needed to be.
I've known people who do not like casework (it can often be viewed as a lesser job than a parliamentary researcher's role) but for me, it's the most important part of the job. It is also important for the MPs, often helping them get re-elected. And the satisfaction of helping others is unbeatable.