Czech student enjoying experience of working at UK's Houses of Parliament

London's Houses of Parliament are home to 659 MPs, 678 lords and - at the moment - one Czech student. Zuzana Smidova is currently serving as an assistant to Labour MP Chris Pond, as part of a Hansard study programme at the London School of Economics. When I spoke to Zuzana on a terrace in the Houses of Parliament - just metres away from the Thames - I asked her how she felt the first time she entered the world's most famous parliament building.

"Absolutely amazed. It's got such a beauty and so much history behind it that just walking through the labyrinth of corridors here is amazing. It's just a pleasure every time you even get lost in it - it's great!"

Obviously a lot of people these days are worried about terrorism - what's security like here at the Houses of Parliament?

"There are some policemen who do carry around a gun, which is quite frightening. The sense of a danger of a terrorist attack here is quite big, especially a few weeks ago when there were some troops employed at Heathrow airport. But even this is the most likely place where a terrorist attack could happen - London - I think this must be the most secure building in London, given the danger, so it's OK."

How does your MP, so to speak, treat you?

"Oh, very well. He's a very friendly guy, down to earth. He makes a point of going for lunch with the whole team, with the whole office altogether. When he is here - because he's got a few days when he's at his constituency - we go for lunch together, we discuss what's been going on in the chamber, we discuss what's been published in the newspapers. So he's very interested in his researchers' opinions and he's a very nice guy."

Have you met Tony Blair or any senior MPs?

"No, I haven't but I have had the pleasure of stuffing envelopes in Gordon Brown's office. Unfortunately you don't get to meet them even in the corridors. You can see them at Prime Minister's question time, or treasury question time, from the gallery, but that's about it."

Now you've seen the corridors of power from the inside would you be interested in a career in politics?

"Not really, no, I don't think so. It's interesting but not for me, not my cup of tea."

And some readers may be familiar with Zuzana Smidova's name - she was Radio Prague's Ostrava correspondent a couple of years ago.