PARTY!!!

It has been days of partying in Northern Ireland.... Political Partying that is. The last three days I have been experiencing two different political parties in Northern Ireland, Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Tuesday I spent the day in Margaret Ritchie MP Constituency office in Downpatrick. The staff was so kind and were very welcoming. It was fun answering phones and hearing their reactions to an American accent. Margaret Ritchie’s political career began in 1985 when she was elected to Down District Council. Later she was appointed Parliamentary Assistant and Political Researcher to the MP for South Down, Eddie McGrady. Margaret was subsequently elected to Down District Council in successive elections from 1985. She was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2003 and again in 2007.She was appointed Minister for Social Development on 8th of May 2007 and was the sole SDLP member of the new Northern Ireland Executive. In June 2009 Margaret resigned her council seat. In May 2010 Margaret Ritchie was elected was Member of Parliament (MP) for South Down. In July 2012 Margaret resigned her seat at the NI Assembly to focus on her role as Member of Parliament for South Down. She is currently a member of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) in Westminster. You could tell from the emails and calls coming in that people come to Margaret because she gets the job done for her constituents.

Yesterday and today I spent the day in Jim Shannon MP Constituency Office in Newtownards. I shadowed Michael Shaw who handles many of the day to day communications for Jim and it was great to spend the two days with him. Michael actually interned for John McCain so it was great to hear him compare Northern Ireland to the USA on policy and it really helped me understand a lot. Jim was first elected to Ards Borough Council in 1985 and served as Mayor in 1991-92. He was elected as a member of the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue in 1996 until it completed its work in 1998. He was then subsequently elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly representing Strangford. Within the Assembly, Jim served on both the Public Accounts Committee and Agriculture Committee. He was re-elected in both 2003 and 2007, stepping down from the Assembly in 2010 after he was elected to Parliament. Jim was elected to Parliament at the General Election of 2010 and was again re-elected in 2015. It was great working with Michael on research on so many subjects and policies in front of the Parliament like National Minimum Wage and care of the most vulnerable in society. Jim's office was also busying with visits from constituents and local elected officials all coming in for assistants or to discuss the issues of the day.

Both offices were different but they had one key thing in common: service to the constituents. Both elected officials are loved by their communities and when people come to their office, they know they are going to be helped. It's different than what I am use to just because Arizona has 6.7 million people we don't get as much one on one with the people. Also I'm not addressing Jim and Margaret by their first name out of disrespect. That is what they are called by everyone and I think it is a testament to how connected they are to their communities. It really has made me reflect on my job and how we should connect more with the community and I have learned so many tips from their office. Really enjoying this experience and Tim has so many cool things planned to come.