Gregory Power

I applied for a job with Robert Jenrick, who, as many of you know, is my own MP. The role was for a Content Creator vacancy, and I genuinely believe my experience and skills were well suited to it. Did I expect to get the job? No, absolutely not. Did I want the job? It’s a mixed answer. Professionally, it would have been a great opportunity to develop my skills. Personally, I have fundamental disagreements with Robert Jenrick and the way he conducts politics. I’ve made those views clear to him directly and on this platform, and I stand by them. Applying for the role didn’t change my principles or my morals, and it certainly wouldn’t have changed them if I’d been offered the job. I still believed I was well suited to the role based on my experience and skills, and it’s not the only Content Creator or social media role I’ve applied for. What has disappointed me isn’t that I wasn’t offered the role. It’s that I haven’t received any response at all. Not even a courtesy email to say my application was unsuccessful. I think that’s disappointing, especially when you’re applying to work for your own MP, the person elected to represent you. Over the last 12 months, as many of you know, I’ve tried to contact Robert on a number of occasions about issues affecting me, other people and the wider community. I’ve often felt as though I’ve simply not been given any time whatsoever. This experience has only reinforced that feeling. I don’t expect special treatment. I simply expect the same courtesy I’d expect from any employer: a reply. Even if the answer is no, at least you’ve been told where you stand and it puts your mind at rest. This is one of the reasons I’ve consistently argued over the last year that employers who advertise jobs should be required to notify every applicant of the outcome. If they fail to do so, there should be consequences. People invest hours preparing CVs, writing cover letters and various other documents, only to be ignored. At a time when youth unemployment remains a serious issue, leaving applicants in the dark only adds to the frustration and uncertainty. It doesn’t take much to send a short email confirming the outcome. Separately, I’ve also contacted Robert Jenrick’s office to ask about obtaining another PMQs ticket, as I haven’t attended Prime Minister’s Questions for nearly a year. As many people know, the way to request a ticket is through your own MP. Once again, I’ve had no response at all. Even if there weren’t any tickets available, a simple reply saying, “Sorry, there aren’t any available,” would have been enough. Being left in the dark again is disappointing, and I don’t think that’s how constituents should be treated. For me, this is about something much bigger than one job application. It’s about professionalism, accountability and basic respect. Whether you’re applying for a job or contacting your elected representative, you deserve a response. I don’t think that’s an unreasonable expectation.