It was a very early start and, of course, we hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. It is difficult to get to bed with so much to do and see in a new city!

Meeting a Member of Parliament: I secretly wished that the gods of intellect would give me grace in speech around this important official of England.

Entering Portcullis House: (Portcullis House is the office building directly across from Big Ben where some MP have their offices.) We were questioned by security guards and had to walk through a metal detector, which is normal protocol when entering a place with very important people. Then, we waited in the lobby for Simon Hughes. Jenny and Sarah went over their questions for the interview while Christopher, Hannah, and I organized the equipment.

While waiting, we were met by one of Simon's interns. We chatted with him, as we waited, and learned a lot about Simon. One thing that struck me was how truly hard Simon works; 15 hour days are the norm, in fact. I don't know anyone that works that many hours in one day. This left me quite excited to meet Mr. Hughes.

When he arrived, I could immediately see why people voted for him, as he was instantly likeable. We took an elevator up several stories, and then had to walk up some stairs to his office. Along the way, he ran into one of the maintenance staff. Simon warmly greeted her by name and wished her a good day.

In Simon's office: It was a very large room with a fantastic view of Big Ben! He had several computers, one of which was occupied by another a young man fervently working away. There were papers everywhere. This definitely was an office that was constantly buzzing with work. As we set up our equipment, Simon didn't waste a moment of time. He politely excused himself to his desk and told us to get him when we were ready. As we fussed with lighting and camera angles Simon signed document after document and replied to letters from people living in his borough.

Finally, we were ready to learn about Parliament, the Liberal Democrat Party, the Prime Minister, and Simon's role in everything. Having done many interviews in his day, with much tougher interviewers than us, he was a real pro. I was fascinated to learn about how the British governmental system differs from our own. I'll let Simon explain to you in the videos, he can do a better job.

One thing that I found interesting about their system is that each Member represents far fewer people than Representatives in Congress do in the United States. With fewer people in each Member's jurisdiction, called a constituency, there can be a genuine exchange between the people and the government.

Simon said very earnestly during our interview that there should be more women and minorities in governments throughout the world. I found his point powerful and poignant. It was really nice to hear that he felt strongly that a diverse government would help to make things better. It impassioned me to want to make a change, and I hope that his interview and his thoughts will inspire you as well.

Today gets my offical "stamp of approval",

Part 1: Working in Parliament and Representing Southwark	Part 2: Prime Minister's Questions	Part 3: Elections and the Liberal Democrats

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