A politician is a person who works to represent people, make laws, and run public services. In the United Kingdom, politicians can work in Parliament, local councils, or devolved governments. They discuss ideas, listen to residents, vote on laws, and work on budgets to fund schools, hospitals, and roads. It is a job that needs listening, speaking clearly, and caring about the community. It can involve meetings, debates, and travelling to different parts of the country.
Senior politicians in the UK can earn around 80,000 to 110,000 pounds per year as MPs or ministers, with some allowances and additional roles changing the total remuneration.
There are not fixed numbers of jobs each year, but there are elections every five years for MPs and local councillors, with many seats contested and new roles arising through party selection and by elections.
Most politicians have higher education, often degrees in subjects like law, history, or politics, and many gain experience in local government, student unions, or community organisations before standing for office.
A student in a school who helps make decisions about events and concerns, learning how to listen to others and work in a team
A person who helps plan local activities like clubs or charity events and learns how to talk to neighbours and work with groups
Someone who talks to groups about ideas and plans, practising clear speaking and confident presentation
Find out what matters to people in your area by listening to neighbours and reading local news.
Meet with community groups, attend school council meetings, and note down concerns like parks, safety, or transport. This helps you understand real problems people want solved.
Read about councils, MPs, and how laws are made in the UK.
Watch kid-friendly explainers or visit a local council meeting with a parent or guardian to see how decisions are discussed and made.
Practice listening to others and speaking clearly about ideas.
Join debates in clubs or schools, practise explaining your ideas with simple, respectful language, and learn to ask good questions.
Help with school or community projects to gain teamwork and leadership experience.
Lead small projects, coordinate peers, and show how you can organise events or campaigns for a cause you care about.
Study how ideas become laws and how politicians work with others.
Read simple guides about policy, watch friendly documentaries, or talk to a local councillor if possible.
Speak in front of others with confidence and clarity.
Join a youth debating group or perform short presentations at school to build comfort with crowds and camera presence.
Decide what issues you care most about and where you want to help people.
Think about education, health, environment, or transport. Understanding your priorities helps when you later talk to voters or groups.
Keep up with school subjects that help in public life, like maths, history, and English.
Consider activities like student council, mock elections, or volunteering with community organisations to gain practical skills.
Demonstrate reliability, empathy, and fairness in your actions.
Help neighbours, support local clubs, and maintain honest conversations. A good reputation helps when you campaign for leadership roles in the future.
Helps plan and explain laws and government plans. Often works with ministers or MPs to develop ideas before they are proposed.
Plans and makes decisions for a town or city, such as housing, schools and parks, and listens to local people.
Works with residents to identify needs, run campaigns, and bring communities together to improve services.
Explore relevant apprenticeships that can help you kickstart your career in Politician. Apprenticeships offer hands-on experience and training while earning a wage.
An MP is an elected politician who represents constituents in Parliament, so it closely mirrors the Politician role in terms of public service and policy deliberation. While the term politician is broad, the MP title embodies the formal responsibilities—debating and voting on legislation, scrutinising the government, and engaging with communities—that such careers typically undertake.
You can get into this job by being elected by voters in the constituency you wish to represent.
Most people show their commitment through campaigning and volunteering for their party.
You could also:
Contact your local councillors or your student office to ask about opportunities to volunteer with them.
To become an MP, you have to be elected in a byelection or general election. You can stand for election as a member of a political party or as an independent candidate.
Each political party has its own selection procedure. Usually, you'll need to get the support of your party's nominating officer before you can become a candidate.
During an election, you'll be expected to campaign in public and online, attend meetings, make speeches and talk to the local media. You'll find it helpful to have some experience in one or more of these areas.
You'll need a good understanding of local and national issues, and keep up to date with current affairs.
The Houses of Parliament offer the following schemes to get involved:
Find more information about parliamentary work placements and apprenticeship programmes.
You can get more advice about becoming an MP from UK Parliament.
You can also find information about working for an MP from Working for an MP (W4MP).
Explore other careers or use our AI to discover personalised paths based on your interests.
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