Surreal

Today has been surreal in so many ways.

After a normal (kind of) morning in the office I went over to our Parliament office ahead of the Parliament SNP Group festive party. A last minute call off meant a pre-paid ticket and hotel room would go to waste if I hadn’t gone.

Following a year of working in the wilderness constituency, it was surreal to be working in Parliament itself for the first time. I’ve been inside before as a visitor, but not as a staff member. 

The party was surreal too, in the company of the First Minister (briefly), Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers - plus lots of staffers like me, obviously. 

Walking home back to the hotel down the Royal Mile was weird as well - no tourists at 10pm on a Wednesday in mid December. 

If I were younger and looking at this work as a career, a move to working in Parliament would definitely appeal. The building itself was hugely controversial during its construction due to cost increases (a project mis-managed and paid for by London, as it happens) but those I asked were all definite about it being a good workplace.

A few things will stick in my mind about the evening (I left early, so some brain cells remain). One will certainly be talking to an intern from Richmond, Virginia who has had 2 months working for a Cabinet Secretary and could not have been more enthusiastic (it was real, not the polite kind) about her experience here. 

Goodwill. 

As for reality, I took a call in the morning from someone who had £1.67 left in her bank account as a result of delays in processing her social security claim. Someone who has paid her contributions every month for 40+ years. Someone who expected to retire aged 60 for almost all of her working life, but cannot access her state pension because the (London) Government suddenly changed the eligibility age for women - presumably to fund tax reductions for the affluent.  

The season of… goodwill.