Don't Count Cameron Out- The Politicizer

It has been a rough few months for British Prime Minister David Cameron. As if keeping the first coalition government in forty years united wasn’t hard enough, Cameron recently lost his Communications Director Andy Coulson amid scandalous allegations that he was involved in cell phone hacking while working at News of the World. Although the student protests of the Fall have subsided and Conservative Party Headquarters is no longer under siege from thousands of tuition fee crusaders, the effects of the deep austerity measures implemented by the government have begun to drag Cameron’s Conservatives down in the opinion polls. A Com Res poll issued on February 9th shows the Conservatives now trail the Labour Party by seven percentage points.

Less than a year ago the Conservatives won a plurality of seats in the House of Commons, besting Labour by over five percentage points. So what happened? Cameron’s “full, comprehensive” offer to the Liberal Democrats to join in an official governing coalition was met with concern from party faithful and the spending cuts promised in the Conservative Manifesto have proven tough for the nation to swallow. Several British commentators are already speculating that this is just the beginning of an even bigger slide in the polls for Cameron and one that will result in the Labour Party reclaiming their majority in the Commons.

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Interning Internationally- Eye of the Intern Blog- Internships.com

Our generation has been called many things: Generation Y, Echo Boomers, Millennials, or Generation Next. My personal favorite comes from political pollster John Zogby; he chose to refer to people born between 1983 and the early 2000s as “First Globals.”
What the heck is a “First Global”? Zogby asserts that our generation is going to be tasked with renewing the American promise abroad and learning to thrive in a truly globalized world. So what’s that mean for you? Get comfortable working with a variety of people and develop international literacy early. Interning abroad is one of the best ways to develop international experience as well as make incredible memories.

I spent last spring in the United Kingdom working in the House of Commons and left with a new understanding of parliamentary democracy, and a new appreciation for our own system. In every job interview I have had since returning from my time in London, the first question I am asked inevitably relates to Parliament. Jumping outside of my comfort zone, adapting to a new environment, and demonstrating that I can thrive when challenged are skills that employers in every field respond to. Plus it makes for a great story and a unique skill on your resume!

So if you’re looking to beef up your resume and learn a lot about yourself in the process—keep these 3 tips in mind while searching for your dream internship abroad.

1.Talk with your campus study abroad office to make sure the program you are participating in is legitimate if it’s not run through your university.

2.Make sure you apply for your visa at least 6 weeks prior to your expected departure date.

3. Talk with your classmates who are headed abroad and ask about staying with them when you travel. This not only saves money on hostels but experiencing a city with the people who know it is always better than flying blind.

What about you? If you could intern anywhere for a semester, where would it be?

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Post UK Update

So I haven't updated this in quite some time and I am sure the masses have been waiting singularly for the return of this site. I am officially back from the UK, finished interning in Parliament, fought a British General Election Campaign, lost a British General Election Campaign, lived with my boss, got a new internship for the summer in Boston, and just started work last week.

In February I discontinued my blogging efforts temporarily because the Member of Parliament I was working for was a little paranoid about the idea of me blasting out potenitally sensitive information across the internet. As a concession though I was allowed to give his internet outreach a much needed update. In order to bring new media up to date in Eastbourne the campaign overhauled my MP's(Nigel Waterson) facebook, started managing press hits, as well as a number of tools tied in with the Conservative Party's voter identification software called Merlin. Despite coming up 3,500 votes short working the 2010 General Election was an incredible experience and one that has made me reevaluate some of the camapaigning techniques I have previously advocated. There truly is something electric about working a marginal seat in any country. Watching Nigel and his local team (supplemented of course with a bevy of past and present interns from London) pound the pavement to get out the vote and combat the most negative campaign I have ever seen on the part of his Liberal Democrat opponent Stephen Lloyd was truly inspiring. Combining the best and worst aspects of politics this race was (to paraphrase Cory Bookers 2004 Mayoral bid) a "Street Fight."

Although very different from working in Nigel's Westminister Parliamentary office I found the campaign trail to be a place of great opportunity for someone like myself. More specifically a willingness to work hard and quick thinking were valued over age and how long you had known the Boss. Although the first weeks were stressful as Nigel's Researcher Joel and I established the basic practices of the campaign and divided our duties. We did not overcome the administrative challenges we were faced with until about halfway through the campaign. However, with two weeks to go the campaign hit its stride and began playing offense instead of responding to the lies and smear tactics utilized by the Eastbourne Liberal Democrats. One major issues we were confronted with was getting campaign posters up and keeping them up. Within a day of putting posters up they were quickly torn down by our opponents (a practice Nigel forbade anyone in the campaign from taking part in). This issues got so bad that a former Lib Dem Councillor (local official)was arrested for harrasing our volunteers, attempting to bribe our volunteers, and destroying dozens of Conservative Party signs.

Polling day in the UK is just as hectic here in the States. The major difference I found was the emphasis on the ground game. The size of the modern American Congressional District makes door knocking extremely difficult and usually not terribly effective. Being a tenth of the size makes a Parliamentary Constituency not only walkable, but allows for micro targeting. Based upon returns from our representatives at each of the polling places Conservative Party Software generates "knock up lists" that give specific addresses for us to get out the pledged Conservative Vote. Despite losing Nigel earned 21,223, an INCREASE of 190 votes from 2005. With this in mind I would have to attribute Lloyd's increase of nearly 5000 votes to winning the youth vote as well as tactical voting on the part of Labour Party supports (with a 50% drop in support from 2005).

One of the most surreal experiences of the campaign was being present at the election night count, a process by which all of the votes are manually counted. Further building the tension, packets of 1000 votes are clothespinned together and placed on tables. The way the tables were arranged gave the impression that Nigel had not only won, but possibly increased his majority. However when the votes were tabulated it was clear we had been defeated. Each of the candidates stands on stage alongside their opponents and gives final remarks.

Just one day later I packed my Flat in Maida Vale off of the Warwick Avenue Tube Stop and headed to Heathrow for the long flight home. Volcanic ash extended my trip by a few hours but in the end I made it back to Boston. After a week in DC for CUA's graduation I was back in MA and ready to start my summer job as an Administrative Intern with Fidelity Investments in Boston.

The Age of the Flip

So before embarking on my Eurotrip my girlfriend bought me a Flip Mino mini camcorder. Smaller than most most cellphones the Flip comes equipped with speakers a LCD display as well as a built in USB port so you don't have to worry about losing any cords, a huge help while traveling. The big question regarding this technology is whether or not the convenience is outweighed by the loss of quality from a larger, more expensive model. In my opinion these cameras are not simply a blip on the radar but are fast becoming one of the most important means of personal, political, and media expression available.

With the advent of the YouTube generation people have an incredible desire to voice their opinions (or share funny videos of the their children and pets) and these cameras provide a low cost but technologically advanced means of transmitting these things. More importantly however camera's such as the Flip are empowering the average person and making them a contributing player in a much larger (in many cases) global exchange on a number of issues Politics has not been unaffected following the introduction of this technology either. David Plouffe, Campaign Manager for then Senator Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign, discusses in his book The Audacity to Win the incredible effect video messages had in campaign e-mails. Interestingly enough Obama supporters were not yearning for a clip with an especially high production value, instead they wanted something real. This desire for something authentic is what has propelled the video diary of freshman Representative Jason Chaffetz of Utah to an internet sensation on CNN's Freshman Year video blog. The UK has also seen the introduction of highly portable video camera's in Conservative Leader David Cameron's WebCameron video exclusives. In addition to providing a real look at the inner working of politics video messaging also gives voters not simply a name, or logo but a face and a person to identify with.

Portable video technology will also create a more fluid definition of the news media than exists even today. With almost anyone able to produce, record, or create a clip the sky truly is the limit in regards to who can break the next story or be first on the scene of a major topic.

Soccer Hooligans

We tried to visit this very authentic British pub called the Hole in the Wall over by Waterloo station but were asked by Police to find another place to grab lunch and have a drink as "there were going to be problems here." It seems the bar was taken over by soccer fans and then they were escorted out for fighting.

Mind the Gap

So as a Washington, D.C. college student I consider myself a bit of an authority on public transportation. In my short time in DC I have experienced the good and the bad(see June crash, recent suicides) about the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority. After spending just a few days in London I have some thoughts about the Underground, aka the Tube. Although quite a bit more expensive than my beloved Metro, the Tube is incredibly fast. I think I have only waited a total of ten minutes in about 15 trips. Also the tube does frequent updates regarding the service on each line letting travelers know well in advance if there are any issues.

Something else I enjoyed about the Tube is that each of the stations is incredibly unique. Unlike the D.C. metro system where uniform stations are the norm, British stations are each very different. A reflection of the age of London itself these stations are lined with some of the most effective advertising I have seen in my life. There is barely an empty wall. It makes me wonder why the D.C. metro is so inadequately utilized as far as advertising space is concerned. I have also been blown away by the quality of service from the Underground employees. Each time I have been lost they were quick to help with a smile on their faces. A stark contrast to the horrendous attitude displayed by WMATA employees. Lastly I was shocked to see how clean the cars of the Tube are. Unlike the D.C. metro there are few to no signs warning of penalties resulting from consuming food or drink on the trains.

However, despite the positives I noticed a few less than ideal things as well. Many of the lines on the Tube are undergoing track work during the weekends causing issues for the new traveler like myself. My primary criticism with this impressive transit system is the price though. As I alluded too earlier the Tube is incredibly expensive. With a price of nearly $2 for even the shortest ride "topping up" (adding money too) your oyster card (smarttrip card) can quickly drain your funds. I hope within the next two weeks to pick up a discounted student oyster card to help stave off some of these expenses. The availability of this card, even though it may be tough to get, underscores the need for a student smart trip in the D.C. WMATA system. Not only would this incentives student use of the metro it would also be a means of limited bad behavior on the Metro. If Metro Police can threaten to revoke a Student Smart Trip instead of applying a simple fine they may provide a persistent economic reason for college students to better treat their transit system.

England Update

Gonna keep track of all the places I visit and my thoughts on the cuisine, etc.

Sports Cafe- American style bar. Pretty solid place to avoid all things British, which I do not recommend at all. Nice to have in the case of an important Patriots game though (wish it turned out differently)! The beer was a little pricey and the place was packed. I enjoyed a Becks and a Carlsberg. The latter was far superior, in terms of both taste and price.

On the way home from the beating the Pats took at the hands of the Ravens Tanner, Pat, and I stopped for a pizza and a drink. The pies were delicious but the beer left something to be desired. We were drinking Peroni, it was fine but not a show stopper by any means.

Also realized that many of the pubs here in London utilize the same menu. Slight drag if your looking for variety but pub grub is a cheap alternative for lunch. Will be avoiding any menu with the same bold type stating "English Pub Food Served All Day." Looking forward to checking out some of the more unique and ethnic areas of the city.

London Calling

I arrived in London on Saturday morning. I flew Virgin Atlantic from Boston (Logan) to London (Heathrow). I packed a ton of stuff, so much so that I had a garment bag, a huge rolling duffel, and a small duffel bag in addition to my carry on. The result was a bit of a disaster. I don't care who you are, unless you are the Hulk you would not have been able to carry this amount of luggage around London. With that in mind I elected to take a cab from the airport to the hotel where my key for my flat was supposedly waiting. The ride was really long, and really expensive. Then to cap it off the Hotel Umi did not have my key. I must have misread an e-mail from the Study Abroad people and it took me a good hour to track down the right hotel to pick up my key. Luckily from the time I picked up my key to when I moved into the flat was very uneventful. After unpacking a little bit I actually fell asleep in the living room and passed out for a few hours.

I ended up waking up too two of the other guys moving in. We got our stuff together and then went into the city to grab some food and do a little bit of exploring. Attempting to channel my english roots Tanner, Mike, and myself went off to find a pub for dinner. After much debate and quite a bit of walking around in Picadily Circus (which for the record has no circus animals or any other resemblance to an American circus) we ended up at the Sussex Pub. The food was pretty basic but it was nice to sit down and feel a part of the city. I had a burger and "chips." Also took part in another British tradition of having a pint or two. I drank a 1664 which was a pretty decent beer and something I remember people drinking from my previous trip to Europe. I also tried a Strongbow cider and instantly became a fan. The raging hangover I received from it I was less enthusiastic about.

After dinner the three of us headed out for a late night tour of some of London's most notable sites. We saw Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the House of Parliament. Overall a cool way of seeing the city.