Letter: Students paid for political internships in the US, not at Stormont

I am somewhat very disappointed following the BBC radio, TV and online coverage and also newspaper coverage regarding Alliance MLA for South Down Mr. Patrick Brown in respect to unfortunate students being owed thousands of pounds by a bust political travel business have discovered they will not get any of their money back.

The BBC has reported that liquidators confirmed there is "no prospect of recovery" despite almost 90 customers being owed money when their trips were cancelled.

Young people have told the BBC they lost up to £1,000 after trips were cancelled on short notice.

The business was advised by Alliance MLA Patrick Brown, who was a consultant for the firm.

It’s very sad that so many young people were promised, and paid for political internships in the USA that have never materialised.

These students paid out, and in some cases placed themselves in a bad financial situation in the clear expectation that they would receive a unique experience that would enhance their employment prospects and help them to build important professional networks. These students are the real victims here.

Why then, however, that in lieu of an internship in the US, some participants were reportedly offered instead a consolation prize of an election internship with the Alliance Party under MLA for South Down Patrick Brown.

It would be just beyond belief if young people from Strangford, for example, were seriously expected to pay a substantial sum of money to help the Alliance Party campaign in Downpatrick or Belfast.

Questions must be asked and demanded of the Alliance Party within both South Down officers and Belfast HQ officers, particularly given the involvement of Alliance MLA Patrick Brown who was a paid consultant for the company and also his previous role as the party’s Development Officer.

This is a politician who promised so much at the front doors of local people in Newcastle as a fresh, new, clean voice to represent the people of South Down when he sought to win a seat at Stormont?

Gavin Carville, Newcastle, Co Down