Public Policy engagement has two broad channels; formal (responding to Select Committee Inquiries, being invited to policy workshops, secondments into Government) and informal (chats, coffees, friendships and well-timed words in attentive ears). To be successful at engaging with policy researchers needs to be confident swimmers in both channels and know which to use when.
During the Lib Dem conference in sunny Bournemouth a few years ago, I had the opportunity to attend a late-night fringe event called 'Peers all Ears'. It had the benefit of refreshments and was immediately before the legendary Conference Silent Disco. A collection of variously aged and uniformly switched on Lib Dem members of the House of Lords spoke about their roles and took questions.
I asked my usual question, hoping for a bite, 'What can University of Southampton academics do to help you in your work'. Amongst the normal answers - 'Be more concise', 'Tell me what to do. Not what the problem is', 'Tell me something useful I can use tomorrow, not that I could have used last week' came an answer that surprised me - 'Come and see where I work'.
After the Q&A came to a close, Lord Redesdale popped over to follow up on his offer 'If your colleagues had some idea of how it really worked in the House, they might stand a fighting chance of being able to help. Would you like to come up to for a few hours and I can show you around?'
I've met lots of Lords in my time, and they are uniformly a fascinating bunch, but rarely are they so open. I would be tempted to thank the refreshments, but Lord Redesdale has continued to remain over the years a helpful, open and generous host to researchers at Southampton, making connections with other Peers, House staffers and Civil Servants. He has provided insight, colour and even a guided tour of Sovereign's Robing Room.
I'm glad that researchers have been able to take part Lord Redesdale's dip into the informal channel of policy engagement in the House of Lords and would encourage others to go along the next time PPS curate this visit.