Ola Kasprzak with Malcolm Chisholm

Politicians, preoccupied with political rivalry, can forget the most important thing –  the needs of people they represent

Read Ola Kasprzak’s fascinating and forthright report of her experience  of shadowing two politicians in the Scottish Parliament and City of Edinburgh Council – she says they changed her negative opinion of politicians but her conclusions should be read by anyone standing for election this year. Or any other year.

WHY I WANTED TO TAKE PART?

I saw the Opening Doors shadowing programme as a great opportunity to increase my knowledge about political institutions and decision making processes so that I could make people in my community more aware of their rights and civil responsibilities and empower them to express their needs and concerns.

I think many people do not fully understand politics and realize how it affects the quality of their lives. They often perceive it as very abstract and unconnected to their everyday problems. This in turn can make politics even more distant from the ordinary member of society.

I come from a country where, for at least the last two decades, people have felt disengaged from politics. Frequent changes on the political scene and many scandals created a feeling of confusion, powerlessness and discouragement among Polish society. The situation illustrates how politicians, preoccupied with political rivalry, can forget the most important thing –  the needs of people they represent.

Ola at Swietlica, the Polish drop-in club in Leith

Perhaps these bad experiences help to explain the lack of civil engagement among the Polish community living in Scotland. Financial circumstances and the struggle to satisfy more basic needs may be another element.  Added to that,  the current economic and political climate (scapegoating migrant workers for the rise in unemployment), reinforces tensions and discrimination.  As a result members of ethnic minorities feel more excluded and withdraw further from social and political life.

WHAT I DID?

Shadowing Malcolm Chisholm in the Scottish Parliament and Lesley Hinds in the City of Edinburgh Council gave me a chance to see the work of politicians on two levels. Both of them ensured that I could observe the wide variety of their work.

With Malcolm I could see the work of different committees (Equal Opportunities, Subordinate Legislation and Public Petitions) and find out who they consist of and how they make decisions. I liked the fact that committees ensure public participation  and take into consideration opinions of different witnesses, specialists and members of organisations related to the issue.

The discovery for me was Public Petitions Committee, where every voter can lodge a petition. I think it could really benefit  society if this opportunity was better known.

Being in the Debating Chamber, where the competition between parties was visible in the way they present their views, was also an interesting experience.

Another part of the shadowing scheme I really enjoyed was spending time with Malcolm in the constituency, which included his surgery, visiting local community organizations (Mental Health Project and West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre in particular) and knocking on people’s doors and asking about their concerns. These were actions I did not expect from a politician and they definitely added a human face to the job.

Thanks to Lesley Hinds I was able to see the work of a city councilor, observing the Fire Board Committee and Labour Group discussing different topics and issues before the Council meeting. I discovered that the role of councilor requires a comprehensive knowledge from so many different areas. I also went with Lesley to her surgery, where people come with different concerns but all of them – even those which seem trivial – are treated seriously.

Lesley also gave me the opportunity to shadow her work in other organizations she is involved in, like community council and North Edinburgh Arts Board. It gave me an insight into how people from other communities work together and what they do to improve their lives.

CONCLUSIONS – ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

The shadowing scheme definitely helped to change my negative perception of politicians and increased my trust in them.

Thanks to Malcolm and Lesley I saw a human side of politics. I have learned that politicians are not just distant, patronizing figures, who are focused mainly on their careers but make an effort to be closer to people and hold  dialogue with them on an equal level.  I was  surprised there are so many ways of accessing politicians and politics for an ordinary person  – with public petitions committee as an additional advantage in Scotland. Above all, I have realized that the politician’s role requires a lot of time commitment, organizational skills and extensive knowledge.

However, I think that communication and cooperation between politicians and communities still needs to be improved.

1. Politicians should make an effort to speak to the public but, on the other hand, people have to understand that this is also up to them to improve their lives.
2. More actions should be taken to increase peoples’ awareness of ways of influencing politicians and politics (like, apart from voting in elections, public petitions committee, cross-party groups, politicians’ surgeries and other forms of contacting them).
3. People need to learn more about other forms of civil activity. The importance of their involvement in non-governmental organizations (the third sector) should be emphasized. It is undoubtedly easier to impact politics working together with others. Association gives a group of people an identity and additional strength. Also cooperation and networking between different organizations can result in more creative ideas and give people more voice in political institutions.

I think this would ensure greater understanding of issues different communities and individuals face and help to change their reality for the better.

Ola is now working with local voluntary organisations after studying ‘Working with Communities’ at Jewel and Esk College. She is actively involved in Swietlica, the Polish community group in Edinburgh.

The day has certainly demystified some of the Parliament’s workings and put a human face on the institution.

Ben Stollery is the latest person to take part in our Opening Doors scheme. Here he describes how his day shadowing Malcolm Chisholm MSP gave him an insight into the workings of the parliamentary committees –  and more confidence to get involved in politics. That’s politics with a small ‘p’…now over to Ben.

it was interesting seeing this process of calling the Executive to account in action

After meeting Malcolm at the parliament I accompanied him to a sitting of the Equal Opportunities Committee, of which he is a member. It was the day that the Minister for Housing & Communities, Alex Neil, was to appear before the committee. He received some probing questions about his department’s proposals and it was very interesting to see a process live that I’d only ever glimpsed on TV before. The knowledge and concern of the members was evident and it was interesting seeing this process of calling the Executive to account in action.

Malcolm explained to me later that the fact that proposed legislation went first to the relevant committee – before going for debate on the floor of the parliament – was a distinguishing, and appealing, factor of the Scottish system over the one at Westminster.

At lunchtime I accompanied Malcolm to the opening of some new housing association flats in Leith. Malcolm gave a short speech and we were shown around the new accommodation. I enjoyed meeting the other guests, including a Community Councillor, and gained some insight into Housing Association’s experience of the downturn in the construction industry.

In the afternoon was the Subordinate Legislation committee (the remit of which is not easy to explain but I think it deals with the small print that allows the Scottish government to function and negotiates the boundaries of what the parliament can legislate on). A bit dryer subject than that of the morning’s committee but interesting nonetheless. I was reassured when even a top QC who was giving evidence at the meeting said that, to be honest, he didn’t understand the question the MSP had asked and could he repeat it!

The day has certainly demystified some of the Parliament’s workings and put a human face on the institution. As I’m wishing to engage more with current affairs and politics (with a small p’) I am now more confident, as a result of my visit, in engaging with the Parliament and my representatives there in the future. Thanks again to Malcolm and Fay at Leith Open Space for the opportunity.

The first step in the new Opening Doors programme: (from left to right) Ola Kasprzak, Malcolm Chisholm and Fay Young

How can local communities influence political decisions? Ola Kasprzak and Maka Mwamwaja are hoping to find out as they begin this year’s shadowing programme, Opening Doors 2009, by observing the work of  Malcolm Chisholm MSP both in the Scottish Parliament and in his constituency of Edinburgh North and Leith. 

There has surely never been a more interesting – or important – time to go behind the scenes of parliament.

On Tuesday 19 May, at roughly the time when Michael Martin was causing a stir in Westminster by resigning as Speaker of the House of Commons, Ola and Maka were sitting down in a quiet corner of Holryood.  They were there  to agree a shadowing timetable with Malcolm which will give them an insight into how he divides his time between parliament and constituency duties.

Both Ola and Maka are actively involved in community work and are keen to learn how policies are made and where key decisions are taken.  Malcolm’s work as a member of the Equal Opportunities Committee offers a chance to  study one of the most important differences between Westminster and Holyrood.

The Scottish committee system, as Malcolm explained, gives MSPs much greater  influence over how laws are made in the Scottish Parliament. “It isn’t perfect,” he says, “but it encourages power-sharing and enables MSPs to gain greater expertise and understanding of specific issues.”

In the picture: Malcolm explains the role of committees to Ola and Maka

Ola graduated in politics at Copernicus University in Poland and is now studying ‘Working with Communities’ at Jewel and Esk College as well as being actively involved in Swietlica, the Polish community group in Edinburgh.  She is looking forward to comparing the theory of politics with what happens in practice but she has another motive for taking part: “I am interested in empowering people,” she says, “I am hoping to use the knowledge I gain to support people in my community and make them more aware of their rights.”

Maka, a computer scientist currently working with the NHS, is also involved in intercultural community work which encourages the integration of minority communities.  He is secretary of the Tanzania Edinburgh Community (TzECA) and the last time he was in the Scottish Parliament was as a member of the team accompanying the Tanzanian High Commissioner on a tour to meet Edinburgh’s  business, academic and political leaders.

“I know very little about the political structure,”says Maka, who will begin his shadowing by following Malcolm’s evening engagements with community groups in North Edinburgh.  “I want to gain experience of engaging with people in authority so I can work more efficiently on community matters.”

Welcoming Ola and Maka to the shadowing scheme Malcolm commented that it was a pity more people did not understand the work of the Scottish Parliament. “It is surprising how many intelligent, well-educated people do not know know much about the powers of parliament or how that differs from local authorities.”

Perhaps they should apply to join Opening Doors!

PS: Before shadowing Malcolm, Ola and Maka get the chance to learn how the political structure fits together when they meet Mike Cowley, lecturer in politics at Telford College (and a member of Leith Open Space group), for an introductory workshop.

[report by Fay Young, co-ordinator of Leith Open Space, pictures by Nick Gardner]