An Internship for the Labour Party: Including An Examination of The Asylum and Immigration Bill 1996

Abstract

During the winter quarter of the 1995-6 school year, I worked as an assistant to Stephen Timms, Member of Parliament, at the House of Commons in London. I was required to organize and respond to Mr. Timms' letters from lobbyists, fellow MPs, and constituents. Also, as an assistant to Mr. Timms I was allowed to sit in on Parliamentary sessions in the House of Commons and assist Mr. Timms in completing his official duties as an MP. In doing this I developed a great interest in the politics of asylum and immigration in the UK today. Mr. Timms is an MP for Newham North East, a constituency in which a large number of immigrant populations reside, and many of these immigrants are in the process of seeking asylum. As I had the opportunity to work hands-on with some of the asylum seekers and work in Parliament as the Asylum and Immigration Bill 1996 was passed, I felt that this was a fitting subject upon which to write my Senior Individualized Project. This paper is organized into three sections: the essay, the annotated bibliography and the journal. The essay is separated into four sections. First, I shall be discussing the historical origins of the Asylum and Immigration Bill 1996 beginning during the post-war period. I will note the roles both the Labour and Conservative parties have played in the development of the Asylum and Immigration Bill1996. Second, I shall examine Margaret Thatcher's years as Prime Minister in regard to the issue of asylum and immigration, and I shall note the nationality acts that were passed during this period. Third, I shall look at the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993 and show how this Act lead to the necessity of the Asylum and Immigration Bil11996. Finally, I shall discuss the Asylum and Immigration Bil11996 and its ramifications.