Sadie Smith

Sadie Smith has worked as a bag-carrier to various Members of Parliament for the best part of a decade.

During this time she has made several forays into the world of political blogging, which have typically involved flame-wars and laboured Hollyoaks metaphors.

Any views expressed here are hers, and do not necessarily reflect those of whichever MP she’s currently working for.

Sadie on Twitter

Charlotte Henry

Charlotte graduated from the Lancaster University, having majored in music technology, and studied politics as a minor.  Since then she has always been interested in ways of using technology to improve and engage people in politics. She writes the blog Digital Politico.

After a few months interning in parliament for Lib Dem MP Don Foster, Charlotte started C.A.H Multimedia, a company that works with clients to develop their social and web presence. She has worked with a wide range of commercial, political, and third sector clients.

Away from work and politics, Charlotte is an obsessive music fan, collecting vinyl and CDs from across the musical spectrum, as well as a devoted follower of Tottenham Hotspur FC.

Charlotte on Twitter

Francesca Preece

Francesca has been a card-carrying Conservative since she was 15 and credits her grandmother, Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill – an extremely distant relation - with her political inspiration.  

She was an unofficial cheerleader for the Conservatives in the General Election Campaign in 2010, appearing accidentally in several photo calls with David Cameron.  She also stood – and failed miserably – as a council candidate in East London the same year.

Her Terrible Tory Girl moniker comes from her schooldays when in a mock election (the only election she has won) she stuck 'Blair sucks' post it notes on whiteboards and put Tory manifestos in teachers' registers at a church school in Kent.

Francesca on Twitter

Emma Burnell

Emma Burnell has been a Labour activist since she was tall enough to put a leaflet through a letterbox.

She represents the Socialist Societies on Labour’s National Policy Forum, having worked for the Fabian Society and previously run SERA – Labour’s environment campaign.

Emma is proud to say she walked down the aisle on her wedding day to the theme from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which she believes tells you everything about her you need to know.

Emma on Twitter

Martin Shapland

Martin is a parliamentary researcher for John Hemming MP. He is also active in youth politics and has previously chaired the Lib Dem’s youth and student wing.

Now based in London, Martin was born in Cumbria and brought up in the West Midlands where he found a largely irrational love for his university town, Birmingham.

He has a keen interest in education policy and international affairs and enjoys relaxing with a good book, if and when he can find the time.

Martin on Twitter

Nik Darlington

Nik Darlington is a journalist and historian.  He began his career as a management consultant with Simon-Kucher & Partners in London, where he specialised in higher education strategy, including advising major UK universities on tuition fees, and online pricing for newspapers.

Since leaving consultancy in 2010, he has written widely on current affairs, history and sport for a number of online and print publications, as well as writing book reviews for The Spectator. A compulsive cricketer, he'll play for anyone who asks, especially if the tea is good.

Follow Nik on Twitter