The Politics Lab – Student Guide

A voluntary project to build skills and experience.

Politics students have a discussion at a roundtable

What is The Politics Lab?

The Politics Lab is a voluntary project for students on politics courses and others with a strong interest in politics, policy-making, or the media.

The Lab takes on and completes practical projects. Some projects are for clients in the world of politics. Other projects relate to opportunities such as Select Committee Inquiries.

What’s in it for me?

The Politics Lab will help you develop your skills and experience, and the valuable activities you will be involved with will benefit your degree learning and your future career prospects.

Anybody can talk about what an MP does, how a Committee works, and how legislation happens. This project allows you to show that you have been part of political projects. In other words, you can do more than just talk. Not only is this rewarding, but it provides clear evidence of ability and commitment. Involvement will allow you to gain knowledge and understanding of parts of the political, media, and policy-making process. This is also useful for module study and for future activities.

Subjects are chosen carefully. We identify projects which are likely to be of use or interest to our students. However, we are always open to ideas.

How does it work?

The Politics Lab will operate as a series of sessions on a Wednesday afternoon from 3pm to 5pm.

If you take part, you will be expected to carry out some work outside of the Wednesday sessions and to maintain contact with those involved. Where there are small teams, you will agree on a group leader to make sure that communication takes place.

Politics Programme Leader, Paula Keaveney, will enrol students who are taking part onto a general area on Learning Edge, our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). This will make it easier to post relevant material.

Politics students at a roundtable discussion with Sir Lindsay Hoyle

There will be no scheduled Politics Lab sessions during Christmas, Easter holidays, or assessment weeks. However, there may be ad-hoc meetings during these times (either in person or online) to progress work. Should there be demand for this, there will be some Politics Lab activities during the Summer break. This is dependent on there being Parliamentary bodies wanting submissions and/or clients asking for help during this time.

Some of examples of our work to date include:

Research on British Sign Language for Rosie Cooper MP

For use in debates and work on a Private Members Bill to make the language accepted as “official”.

Interviews and research carried out, including research on the international situation. Briefing document produced ahead of Second Reading debate. The team was mentioned in Parliament and received a thank you letter from the MP. Our students were named in the briefing document can now point to this work as part of a process leading to a change in the law. In the Commons third reading debate, Rosie Cooper said: “I have had help from very many people. Locally, it has been all hands-on deck. My specific thanks go to the politics lab group at Edge Hill University in my West Lancashire constituency, who have been helping out by conducting interviews, gathering data and creating a briefing to aid the campaign.” (Hansard 18 March 2022. Vol 710. Column 1196)

Submission to the Home Affairs Select Committee

Students worked on a Submission to the Home Affairs Select Committee on Policing Priorities. This was published on the Houses of Parliament website.

The named students can point to this as part of any applications for jobs or placements. The work attracted media coverage and was featured on the Edge Hill website.

West Lancashire by election

Work around the West Lancashire by election included writing articles for publication, interviewing candidates (again for publication) and recording podcasts. Students followed the whole process from resignation announcement through to the count.

Four articles and three podcasts were published on the Edge Hill website with students also contributing to an article on the Britain Elects website. In each case, our students were named and can demonstrate their contributions in future job/study applications.

Lord Storey and ideas for legislation

Lord Storey is a Liberal Democrat Peer and former leader of Liverpool City Council.

Lord Storey requested suggestions, including justification for choice and briefing material, for a Private Members Bill he proposes to introduce in the future.

Our students developed ideas on public transport and on the environment. As a result of a meeting with Lord Storey, at least one Parliamentary Question has already been tabled.

Political Studies Association Conference Project

The national undergraduate PSA Conference took place on campus in March 2023.

Our students worked on conference organisation and co-ordination, chairing sessions, moderating online comment, presenting their own papers, questioning an MP speaker, and post event articles.

Three articles have so far been published by Edge Hill, including:

Further examples of work

Projects and clients scheduled for 2023-2024 include:

Need more information?

Prospective students, current students, local schools, and individuals interested in suggesting a project are welcome to contact the politics Programme Leader, Paula Keaveney.

keavenep@edgehill.ac.uk