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Hello, my name's Mrs. Hastings.
Welcome to today's lesson which is from the unit "What are the different ways we can become involved in politics?" And today's lesson is called "Working in Politics - What Can We Do?" So, we are going to be finding out lots of ways that we can become involved in politics through maybe a career in a politics-related job and career.
So, there's lots to get through.
So, let's get cracking.
Good luck.
So, by the end of today's lesson, you will be able to describe different roles in politics and analyse what is needed to succeed and create change.
The keywords to today's lesson are career, an occupation pursued over a significant period of a person's life, offering opportunities for progression and development.
And change in this context, making improvements in society, policies, or government actions to address issues, solve problems, and create positive outcomes for communities and individuals.
There are two parts to our learning journey today.
The first learning cycle asks, "What are the different politics-related careers?" And the second learning cycle asks, "What qualities help create change in politics?" So, let's get on with our first learning cycle.
What are the different politics-related careers? There are lots of different politics-related careers.
These include roles within politics, sectors connected to it, and careers dedicated to driving change.
Can you think of any? Maybe have a conversation with your learning partner and pause the video.
So, here are some of the careers that you might have thought of that are politics=related.
Jacob suggests MP.
Sam, local councillor.
Andeep, political journalist.
Jun says NGO worker.
Alex says civil servant and Sofia says special advisor.
Now, these are all careers that are related to politics.
So let's have a look at MP, Member of Parliament.
MPs represent their constituency in Parliament, scrutinise the government and debate and vote on laws in the houses of Parliament.
Some MPs have additional duties such as being a minister.
So, you could be a Minister for Education, a Minister for Health, et cetera.
A shadow minister, so this is a minister who is part of the opposition party who can challenge the government minister.
So, the Shadow Minister for Education, the Shadow Minister for Health.
And they would then challenge the actual health minister and the education minister.
Or a committee chair.
So, there are select committees that scrutinise government responses to things.
And you could be a chair of a committee.
In 2025, the basic annual salary for an MP was 93,904 pounds with additional expenses for things such as travel, accommodation, staff, and office costs.
So, obviously if you are an MP, you'll have to spend some of your time in London, but your constituency might be in the far reaches of Scotland or Wales or Northern Ireland.
And therefore, you're going to have expenses going between your constituency and London, as well as maybe other expenses.
And you'll need office staff in your constituency, but also probably some office staff that work for you in Parliament too.
So they, you know, there's those extra costs as well.
The hours an MP works depends on their responsibility and the parliamentary schedule.
So, when Parliament is sitting, then the MP might have to do a lot more hours.
But when Parliament is in recess, that means on holiday basically, then there is perhaps less than to do and they might spend more time in their constituency.
Their time will be split between their constituency and Westminster.
MPs are voted in at a general election.
To stand as a candidate, so to stand as candidate to become an MP, you must be at least 18 years old and be a British citizen, a citizen of the Republic of Ireland, a citizen of a Commonwealth country who does not require leave to enter or remain in the UK, or has indefinite leave to remain in the UK.
Some people or groups are not able to stand as candidates.
These include police, armed forces, civil servants, and judges, okay? So, you have to fulfil those criteria in order to be able to stand as an MP.
So, let's have a look at and check our understanding of that.
Fill in the missing words for the following information about a career as an MP.
An MP represents their what? Scrutinises the government and considers/proposes what? Extra what comes with additional roles? The hours an MP works depends on their what and the what schedule? Police officers, people in the armed forces, civil servants, and who are not allowed to stand in general elections.
So, let's check our answers.
An MP represents their constituency, scrutinises the government and considers/proposes laws.
Extra pay comes with additional roles.
The hours an MP works depends on their responsibilities and the parliamentary schedule.
Police officers, people in the armed forces, civil servants and judges are not allowed to stand in general elections.
Well done if you got those right.
Let's have a look at the career of a civil servant.
So, the civil service works for the government, helping them create and carry out policies as effectively as possible.
Civil servants are politically impartial.
They do not support a particular political party.
But that doesn't mean that they can't vote in elections.
You can still vote in an election even if you're a civil servant.
But what it means is that when you're carrying out policy, you're not swaying that policy based on your political persuasion.
Civil servants work in all areas from education and the environment to transport and defence.
So, you might work in the Ministry for Transport, or you might work in DFID, the Department for International Development, or the department, the DFE, the Department for Education.
The salary of a civil servant would depend on their job role, qualifications, and experience.
But the average is between 30 and 35,000 pounds a year.
There are different routes into Civil Service, including apprenticeships.
So, once you have finished school or college, you can apply for an apprenticeship to become a civil servant.
Special advisors, special political advisors, otherwise known as SpAD or SpADs.
SpADs are political appointees hired to support ministers.
They give party political advice and support.
They are not apolitical.
They do support a particular policy or political party.
They can be policy experts or media advisors, shaping how policies are communicated and presenting the minister's view.
They serve their, both their appointed minister and the broader government.
Salaries vary depending on the job role, qualifications, and experience.
Salaries range from 40,500 pounds a year to 145,000 pounds a year.
So, you may have heard of the Special Adviser Dominic Cummings.
He is an example of a special advisor.
Roles are not usually advertised like other jobs.
They're often advertised through government or party channels.
Political journalist.
A journalist, investigates, collects and presents information as a news story in the media.
A political journalist focuses specifically on political topics.
Journalists and politics help inform the public by reporting on government actions and holding politicians accountable.
This keeps democracy strong by making sure leaders are transparent and responsible.
Journalism salaries will vary depending on sector, location, and experience.
The average salary for a journalist in 2024 was 35,275 pounds.
And non-governmental organisation worker and NGO worker.
NGOs are independent from the government.
They focus on specific causes or issues and play a key role in driving change by influencing government policies and actions.
There are many different types of job sectors within NGOs.
For example, project management, legal, advocacy and campaigning, logistics coordinator, research and policy, fundraising, or field officer.
And it could be a really good idea to look into what each of those entails.
Local councillor.
Local councillors are elected to represent their local community, aiming to improve lives and make positive changes within their community.
They're not paid a salary, but they do receive financial compensation and allowance and expenses.
Councillors must be at least 18 years old and a British or a citizen of the Commonwealth or European Union.
Registered to vote or lived, worked, or owned property in the area that they are standing in for at least 12 months before the election.
Certain people are not able to become a councillor, e.
g.
, you cannot work for the council you're running for, have a bankruptcy order.
Okay, that means going, you've gone bankrupt.
Or have a serious criminal record, like a prison sentence of three months or more.
So, let's check our understanding of what we learned about those politics-related careers.
Match the career with the description.
So, A, civil servant, B, special political advisor, C, political journalist, D, non-governmental organisation worker, and E, local councillor.
So, match it to the numbers.
One, to support ministers, give party political advice and support.
Two, to represent and improve the lives of their local community.
Three, to campaign for a specific cause or issue; make change happen.
Four, to collect and present information as a news story.
Five, to deliver public services and government policy.
Okay, let's check the answers.
A, civil servant is 5, to deliver public services and government policy.
B, special advisor is 1, to support ministers, give party political advice and support.
C, political journalist is 4, to collect and present information as a news story.
D, non-governmental organisation worker is to campaign for a specific cause or issue; make change happen.
And E, local councillor is to represent, 2 to represent and improve the lives of their local community.
So, well done if you got those right.
So, practise task.
What I would like you to do is to write a job description for a politics-related career.
Include job title - clear and reflective of the role.
Job summary - a brief overview of the role and its purpose.
Salary and benefits - pay details and any additional perks.
And then, any additional information that you think might be important.
Pause the video whilst you complete that task.
Well done for completing that task.
So, I asked you to write a job description for a politics-related career.
You might have said the following for a civil servant.
Job title - civil servant in the Department for Education.
Job summary - to help in the delivery of education policy and research.
Salary and benefits - 30,000 pounds and the opportunity to be at the heart of politics.
And additional information - you must be politically impartial and have expertise and experience in the area of education policy and research.
Here's an example for a special political advisor.
So, you might have said job title - special adviser in the Department for Transport.
Job summary - to support a minister with political advice and help shape and communicate transport policy.
Salary and benefits - 40,500 to 145,000 and the chance to influence government at the highest level.
Additional information - you must be politically aligned with experience in transportation policy or communications.
And you might have said the following for a political journalist.
Job title - political journalist.
Job summary - to investigate and report on political news, helping keep the public informed and leaders accountable.
Salary and benefits - average salary, 35,275 pounds with the opportunity to shape public understanding of politics.
And additional information - you must have strong research and communication skills, and an interest in politics and current affairs.
So, well done for completing that practise task.
Let's move on to our second learning cycle now.
So, the second learning cycle is "What qualities help create change in politics?" What skills, experience, and personal qualities are needed to succeed in politics and create positive change? Have a discussion with your learning partner and pause the video whilst you do that, to think about the answer to that question.
So, politics requires an understanding of government systems, social issues, and the ability to work with diverse groups.
Whether in roles like an MP, NGO worker, local councillor, SpAD, journalists, or civil servant, each role contributes creating change in different ways.
There are many skills needed.
For example, communication.
Strong verbal and written skills to communicate effectively with the public, media, and colleagues.
So, it's really important to be working in a team and be able to communicate that effectively.
Empathy and listening: understanding of diverse viewpoints, concerns, and needs of people from different backgrounds.
Not just a single-mindedness when it comes to what the policies are, but actually thinking and listening to a diverse range of viewpoints.
Resilience and integrity: able to handle setbacks, criticism, and tough decisions while maintaining strong ethical standards.
Networking and collaboration: able to build strong relationships with other leaders, organisations, and key stakeholders to create change and influence policy.
And critical thinking: strong analytical and communication skills to understand complex political issues and devise effective solutions.
And these are all things that you can really develop through your citizenship education.
There are seven principles of public life, and these are known as "the Nolan Principles", which are a set of ethical guidelines for anyone who works in public office or any position of trust in the public sector.
Selflessness - to act in the public interest, not for personal gain.
Integrity - to be honest and transparent in actions.
Objectivity - make impartial evidence-based decisions.
Accountability - be responsible and explain decisions.
Transparency - be open and clear about actions and decisions.
Honesty - be truthful and consistent in conduct.
And lastly, leadership - promote high ethical standards and lead by example.
So if you are, for example, wanting to become an MP or you are an MP, then you should be living your life working in a politic-related career with these standards in mind and be sticking to these.
So, which of the Nolan Principles are missing from the list? Let's check our understanding of the Nolan Principles.
Selflessness - act in the public interest, not personal gain.
What? Be honest and transparent in actions.
Objectivity - make impartial evidence-based decisions.
Accountability - be responsible and explain decisions.
What? To be open and clear about actions and decisions.
Honesty - be truthful and consistent in conduct.
And then what? To promote high ethical standards and lead by example.
So, which of the Nolan Principles are missing? Those three that are missing.
So, the ones that are missing are integrity - be honest and transparent in actions.
Transparency - be open and clear about actions and decisions.
And leadership - promote high ethical standards and lead by example.
So, building experience is a really important aspect of helping to create change in politics.
Gaining experience through activities like internships, volunteering, and leadership roles helps individuals in politics-related careers understand the needs of their communities and the political process.
Whether it is interning with a political organisation, volunteering for campaigns, or engaging with local communities, these experiences help people in political careers develop the skills needed to make informed decisions and create positive change.
So, let's fill in the missing words from what Alex and Jacob are saying to check our understanding.
Communicating effectively, building relationships and being able to understand diverse viewpoints are all important what for people working in politics? And Jacob says, "Gaining what through working with organisations, volunteering, and taking on leadership roles can help people in political careers to better understand how change happens? So, the missing word from Alex is skills.
And the missing word from Jacob is experience.
So, well done if you've got those right.
So, to practise for our second learning cycle.
What I'd like you to do is create a three-step action plan for preparing to create positive change in politics.
Step one, understanding of the Nolan Principles.
Explain how these principles would guide your actions and decisions in politics.
Step two, gaining experience.
Outline the specific experiences you would seek out to understand political processes better and explain how these activities would help you develop insights into creating meaningful political change.
And step three, developing skills.
Identify key skills you need to strengthen for effective political engagement and explain how improving these skills would help you create change in politics.
So, pause the video whilst you complete this task for our second learning cycle.
Well done for completing that task.
So, I asked you to create a three-step action plan for preparing to create positive change in politics.
Your action plan may have included step one, understanding the Nolan Principles.
To make a positive change in politics, I would follow the Nolan Principles like integrity and accountability.
These principles would help me always be honest and responsible when making decisions.
For example, I would make sure to be transparent in what I say and do, and always act in the public's best interest, not my own.
Step two, gaining experience.
I would get involved in local community projects and volunteer for political campaigns.
This would help me understand how elections work and what people need in their communities.
By volunteering, I would learn how to listen to people's concerns and get experience working with others to solve problems. And step three, developing skills.
I would focus on improving my communication skills, especially public speaking, so I could clearly explain my ideas and persuade people to support positive changes.
I would also work on being more resilient, learning how to stay calm and focused even when things get tough and/or when facing criticism.
So, well done for completing that task.
I hope that made you think quite hard about what you could do.
So, let's summarise what we have learned today on "Working in politics - what can we do?" There are many politics-related careers from MPs and civil servants to political journalists and NGO workers.
Each career plays a key role in shaping policies, creating change, and holding the government accountable.
These roles have different responsibilities, salaries, and pathways.
To create change in politics, key qualities like communication, empathy, resilience, and collaboration are essential.
The Nolan Principles such as integrity, accountability, and transparency, help guide ethical decision-making.
Gaining practical experience and developing skills are crucial for making a positive lasting impact.
So, well done for completing today's lesson.
I hope you've enjoyed it and that maybe you'll go onto a career in politics or a politics-related career.
Good luck.