Solo, Group, or Team Effort? Work Dynamics of Parliamentary Offices for Parliamentarians' Political Communications

Parliamentary assistants (PAs) to parliamentarians are recognised as a critical part of the parliamentary machinery. Despite their relevance in supporting parliamentarians’ work, the literature has shown little interest in them or their practices. Even less is known about the dynamics within parliamentary offices, or how PAs and their interactions shape parliamentarians’ political communication. The mediated character of parliamentarians’ public communication (e.g., on social media) is very often not even acknowledged. This article aims to address a research gap by exploring PAs’ work arrangements and interactions and how these shape parliamentarians’ political communication. The article utilises a comparative approach, focusing on Scotland-based Members of the House of Commons (MPs) and Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). Fifty-three interviews with former and recent PAs and M(S)Ps were conducted and analysed to illuminate the “black box” of parliamentary offices’ inner workings. The article will address the following research questions: (a) How do parliamentarians organise communication-related tasks among their employed assistants? and (b) How is social media embedded in the political communication work processes of M(S)Ps’ staff members? This article identifies three approaches to creating political communication in these offices (solo, group, and team effort). The findings suggest that the implications of utilising these approaches are far-reaching, affecting individual learning and professionalisation processes, agency, workload, staff turnover, and even the office’s capacity to perform. The study also shows that M(S)Ps’ parliamentary offices are remarkably similar in terms of organisation, challenges, and overall setup.