That Philip Hammond Email in Full

Rhoda Klapp

As I commented on the other thread, not up yet or lost in the depths of the Spectator's server or maybe even censored, you might use these same excuses to justify slavery. Well, if I can import Africans who will do this for nothing, given a little encouragement, it would be irresponsible not to.

Who is Hammond's intern? Some poor kid being given an opportunity? Or the offspring of some well-connected mate of his? How are they able to live in or commute to central London?

However, this is not just a Tory scum problem, unpaid internship infests the professions and the media. It should be covered by minimum wage legislation (if we must have a minimum wage, it must cover everybody, no?).

David

It shows absolutely nothing more than you said before. And Hammond's attitude is correct.

I had to work unpaid as an intern for experience, it's not unusual. In any sphere.Particularly the media.

Fergus Pickering

I'm sorry. What is the objection to what Hammond, and according to him lots of other MPs are doing? People who work in charity shops wok for nothing. I have no doubt many young people work in Charity Shops. My daughter worked in Oxfam. Was she being exploited? In what way exactly. It is true that if you had to live on your wage, then a wage of nil would not do the trick. But obviously these interns are not doing that Therefore someone, probably their parents is/are supporting them. Which does rather cut out the underclass, I do see. But then Hammond would not be taking them on, would he? And nor would anyone else.

DavidP

The fact is that a university education is more about self-actualisation than preparation for earning a living. An internship could be regarded as further education actually preparing the intern to be employable. They could be said to be lucky not to have to pay the employer.

Nick Cohen

Ta, that's my intro

David Boothroyd

It's one of the dirty secrets of politics that, because there's such great numbers of young people keen to work in Parliament, some MPs in all parties were willing to exploit their staff - paying next to nothing for very long hours. (There is a well-known story in Labour circles of a rare 1990s revolt by the staff of one who now holds high rank in the Government)

The TGWU Parliamentary Staff Branch succeeded some years ago in requiring staff salaries to be on a standard scale with slightly more protection. It would be a shame if the working conditions of MP's staff were to fall victim to the expenses scandal.

Leslie Edwards

Another demonstration of the something for nothing attitude of too many MPs. Time he got real!

cityboozer

This is standard practice in the media and what is an MP now if not a media professional?

PS. It is a real shame that Martin never seems to respond to comments left here.

Costello

"As Alan Milburn's recent work on social mobility demonstrated, the professions are still largely inaccessible to all but the relatively privileged. "

Yes Martin and this is entirely thanks to you and your kind. Bring back the schools system that was responsible for the greatest jump in social mobility this country has ever seen - the Grammar/Secondary modern system - and the problem is solved. Albeit it would take a decade or two (or three) to repair the damge done by the last 40 years of socialist education policy.

Costello

"It should be covered by minimum wage legislation (if we must have a minimum wage, it must cover everybody, no?)."

Including charity work yes. And how about when (as happens in the, rural, area i'm from) friends pool in their time and trade skills to help each other out when one of them is having a house built - surely using your logic this should be illegal unless all were paid? My time is my own and if i choose to use it to work - paid or unpaid - or simply to sit around doing absolutely nothing that is my business and noone elses.

Hawkeye

Martin,

Can you assure us that the Labour party do not use unpaid interns for any purpose? And what about the LibDems?

Or do you just reserve the criticism for tories?

Ian C

What's your point Martin?

If someone wants to work for free in order to experience something they would not otherwise be able to, who are internship providers to stop them?

It is all part of competition. If candidate A for a job has done this and B has not, A is putting themselves at an advantage over B. Anything wrong with that or should "there be a law against it?".

Heaven forbid.

Rhoda Klapp

Charity work does not apply. Friends helping each other does not apply. If a commercial concern has employees getting paid in a for-profit business, then all who share that work ought to get paid. If an MP has paid employees then those who share the work ought to be paid.

Some media outfits, I'm thinknig about the music industry for a start, take on interns with a vague promise of employment if they are good enough, keep them for six months fetching coffee then ditch them for a new lot. The experence is almost useless, there is no intent to employ.
Remember YTS? They used to get paid by the govt. And the firm which employed them was obliged to keep some sort of training record for them to take away. That was the minimum acceptable. Who did away with that? I remember it in the Thatcher years.

Rhoda Klapp

It's hard to come on here agreeing with Bright and Boothroyd, but surely a higher authority says the labourer is worthy of his hire?

Edward McLaughlin

Whilst sympathising with some of the comments which insist that people should be free to take up positions of their choice; I think the fact that such non-paid arrangements, will of necessity be taken up by a very particular type of person, can only lead to a very one-dimensional and unhealthy working environment for the people involved in such important work.

Kram Ekosum

Medical students used to essentially work "unpaid" as they prepared to be doctors. Nursing students still do as part of their education. It did not do the current generation of hospital consultants or GPs any harm. In fact it may have informed them about the path of their future careers! Naturally it does depend on how much "work" is being done and how the travel costs, hours/breaks and teaching sessions are regulated. There needs to be a balance between getting experience and pure service. For those proto-marxists out there, you should be glad that some "upper class" twits are bring made to work for nothing. May give them a taste of real life, hey!

Fergus Pickering

My daughter's Occupational Therapist's degree consisted of two years study atthe university and one year's unpaid internship, if that is what you call it, split into four (I think) bits. Was she being exploited? The hospitals certainly got her work for nothing. And it was work all right.

Rhoda Klapp

If your internship is covered by a serious training plan and it is time served in expectation of a major qualification then it is in a different category to fetching coffee for an A & R man or journalist with a hangover and being excluded from any real work which goes on for six months then let go to be replaced by some other mug, which is what a media internship generally entails.

Who is Hammond's intern? If it's a well-qualified graduate getting a proper introduction to the work that's one thing. If it's the child of a mate getting a foot in the door of the gravy train (ouch!) that's another.

Martin Bright

What's going on? A proper debate about a serious issue. There are arguments for allowing people to be paid for their labour in training and experience. But it's important that that the issue of fair access to those opportunities is addressed. There are a number of arguments that Philip Hammond had at his disposal, it is the one he chose to deploy that bothers me. He is talking about his intern as a product. That worries me.