Internships

Each year, there are opportunities to work with the Joint Public Issues Team for a year as an intern. The internships are open for applications in the spring, for roles running from September-August.

We currently run two different internship opportunities:

• Joint Public Issues Team Intern, with a focus on communication, engagement and research
• House of Commons Internship – two roles which split their time between JPIT and the office of an MP

JPIT and the Houses of Parliament Internships – Applications Now Closed

Closing date for applications: 11:59pm on Wednesday 19th July

These are one-year fixed term roles aimed at young adults aged 21-30.

There are two roles available – one working with a Conservative Peer and one with a Labour MP. You may apply for both roles seperately.

Salary: £24,640

Hours of work: 35 hours per week (Not necessarily 9 – 5pm)

Location: London – 2.5 days in Parliament with a Labour MP or Conservative Peer, hybrid working for 2.5 days with the Joint Public Issues Team

• Do you want to gain invaluable experience at the heart of the UK political world?
• Interested in spending a year on the frontline of political life in Westminster and working as part of a dynamic team making meaningful change?
• Are you interested in making links between faith, life and politics?

We’re looking for two passionate and enthusiastic interns who are keen to explore how everyday politics takes place in the office of an MP/Peer and in faith-based advocacy.  

These internships offers joint placements between an MP/Peer and a Church-based policy and campaign team. The interns will work alongside an MP or Peer and their staff as they seek to make a difference through the work of UK politics. They will also develop skills in research, campaigning and communication whilst working as part of the Joint Public Issues Team. The Team (https://jpit.uk) works as part of the Baptist Union, the Methodist Church, the United Reformed Church and alongside the Church of Scotland on issues of justice and peace.

Throughout the year, these two interns will be offered the chance to see first-hand the way Church and society interact whilst applying their own faith to the role.

House of Commons – Labour MP role

The House of Commons intern will carry out their parliamentary placement with Cat Smith MP. Cat Smith is the Member of Parliament for Lancaster and Fleetwood. She was first elected in 2015. Her Parliamentary interests are poverty and equality, women’s rights, and the environment. The intern will be supporting Cat and her office team in a number of ways such as:

• Assisting Cat in responding to correspondence with her constituents,
• Drafting speeches for Cat to give in Parliament
• Helping to table questions to hold the government to account.

House of Lords – Conservative Peer role

This intern will carry out their parliamentary placement with Lord Wei of Shoreditch. Lord Wei currently serves as a Conservative Life Peer in the House of Lords, and was a former Government Advisor in the cabinet office until 2011. His professional interests include leadership and entrepreneurship, real estate, healthcare transformation, technology investment, social innovation, and the role of enterprise in development, both in the UK and globally. The intern will be supporting Lord Wei and his office team in a number of ways, such as:

• Formulating briefings and helping to suggest and table amendments for key bills, legislation and statutory instruments in relation to education, parental rights, innovation and other areas of interest
• Representing Lord Wei at events, policy fora, party functions and help to build alliances with those from faith and non-faith backgrounds
• Planning, preparing and sending out communications digitally and occasionally physically and interfacing with stakeholders within and outside parliament to advance Lord Wei’s interest policy wise and politically.

Both posts start in September 2023 and are based across the Houses of Parliament, Church House Westminster, and home-based working.

These roles are aimed at young adults who are contemplating a career in an area such as politics, campaigning, policy or church engagement. There will be opportunities for professional and personal learning and development to equip the intern for employment after their time on the internship. Whilst we are looking for some evidence of certain skills and experience, candidates will have the opportunity to develop the relevant skills during their time in the role.

Applicants can apply for both roles, but please note that applications for each role will be considered by separate panels.

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Joint Public Issues Team Intern – Applications for 2023-2024 Now Closed

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Video: Applying to the JPIT Internships

Thinking about applying to one of the JPIT Internships? Watch a recording of our webinar which explored:

• The application process
• What we’re looking for in a good candidate
• What it’s like working for JPIT
• Day to day life as an intern

Meet our current Interns

Find out more

You can read a short blog about the parliamentary internship programmes, and how they are funded, here. This relates to the 2023 Sky News and Tortoise report.