Following an interview process, interns are individually matched with peers, providing the opportunity to observe and contribute to the proceedings of the House of Lords. Peers are chosen based on their active engagement within and outside parliament, ensuring interns are exposed to a wide and valuable range of experiences, and for their individual interest in providing a supportive and productive working relationship.
Interns work both independently and through involvement in broader engagement structures, including all-party parliamentary groups, select committees and wider shadowing of peers’ individual work beyond parliament.
While each opportunity varies in its specific projects and scope, participants work with peers to identify and agree areas of forthcoming business, then provide research support, written briefings and summaries, inputs to committee work and assistance on all aspects of the peer’s parliamentary work over a 10-month period. Interns work around one day a week with their peers during this time, with the programme intended to fit alongside participants’ academic studies.
Tasks can include:
• Horizon scanning for forthcoming issues within peers’ areas of interest.
• Analysis, evaluation and interpretation of research evidence to brief peers and support their engagement with bills at all stages.
• Preparation and presentation of research and analysis for briefing notes for committees, articles, press releases and spoken contributions in debates.
• Drafting of oral and written questions.
• Research into specific policy areas, as agreed, to support development of private members’ bills.
• Monitoring media coverage.