There is a really interesting post on Labourlist about the current experiences of interns in Parliament. A current intern, Darrell Goodliffe, describes how IPSA, the authority set up to regulate MPs finances, is making it difficult for interns to be paid.
I am a Communications and Research Intern for a sitting MP and earn nothing; in fact, I will be soon be faced with the choice between starvation and eviction because my MP cannot wade through the layers of bureaucracy and provide me with a wage.
Obviously need to go over to the Lords the pay is so much better:
Lord Soley stated on Lord of the Blogs
“I pay my secretary/researcher slightly less than she could earn else where. I pay £25ph -that is NOT the minimum wage.
I don’t know any Lord who pays an employee as little as you say (minimum wage) but they could and that is the reason I argue for reform. In the Commons I did get it changed so that MP’s did not pay the staff themselves. They were paid by the House. I prefer that system.”
http://lordsoftheblog.net/2010/08/16/expenses-3/#comments