A West Lothian school pupil has been selected as the 2026 Robin Cook Intern following a highly competitive recruitment process. The paid internship, named in honour of former Livingston MP and Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, provides a local young person with first-hand experience of politics and public service both in West Lothian and at Westminster.
St Margaret’s Academy pupil Niamh Cunneen impressed the selection panel with her enthusiasm for politics, commitment to her local community, and strong record of leadership and volunteering. Alongside serving on St Margaret’s Academy’s Pupil Parliament, Niamh has completed both her Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh Awards, volunteered for several years at her local gymnastics club before becoming a qualified gymnastics coach, and helped establish and run an Enterprise Club for younger pupils at her school.
She has also completed Levels 3 and 4 British Sign Language at West Lothian College, demonstrating her commitment to developing new skills and helping make communication more accessible to others. Niamh, who hopes to study Politics at university in the future, developed her interest in public affairs through Modern Studies and is passionate about encouraging greater political engagement among young people.
Following the recruitment process, Livingston MP Gregor Poynton met with Niamh and St Margaret’s Academy depute headteacher Claire Gill to congratulate her on securing the internship. During the placement, Niamh will spend time working with Gregor and his team at the MP’s constituency office in Craigshill before travelling to Westminster to gain experience of parliamentary life ahead of the summer recess.
Gregor said: “Firstly, I want to congratulate Niamh on securing this year’s Robin Cook Internship. We received an outstanding number of applications from talented young people across West Lothian and the standard was exceptionally high. Choosing a successful candidate was incredibly difficult, but Niamh’s enthusiasm, maturity and genuine passion for public service really stood out throughout the process. What particularly impressed me about Niamh was the breadth of her interests and experiences. From volunteering and coaching gymnastics, to studying British Sign Language and playing an active role in her school community, she has consistently looked for opportunities to learn new skills and contribute to those around her.”
“One of the reasons I established the Robin Cook Internship was to ensure that young people from across the Livingston constituency have the opportunity to see first-hand how politics and public service work in practice. Too often, opportunities like this can feel out of reach. That’s why the internship is paid at the Real Living Wage and gives local young people the chance to experience both constituency and parliamentary work regardless of their background. Niamh will spend time with my team in Livingston and at Westminster, meeting people from across public life and seeing the realities of frontline politics and public service. I’m looking forward to welcoming her to the team and seeing what she gets out of the experience.”
The 2026 Robin Cook Intern, Niamh Cunneen, said: “I am delighted to have been given this opportunity, and can’t wait to get started and expand my knowledge in politics. I believe this is a great opportunity for young people to develop experience in politics and I can’t wait to make the most of it!”
Claire Gill, depute headteacher at St Margaret’s Academy, added: “We are delighted that Niamh secured this sought-after internship with our local MP. She is a motivated and hardworking young woman with a genuine passion for politics, and we are confident she will make a valuable contribution to Gregor’s office during her time there. This opportunity is a well-deserved recognition of her commitment and enthusiasm, and we look forward to seeing all that she achieves through this experience.”
The Robin Cook Internship was launched by Gregor Poynton MP in 2025 to honour the legacy of the late Robin Cook, who represented Livingston in Parliament and served as Foreign Secretary. Last year’s intern, Lena Zielinska from Broxburn Academy, gained experience both locally and at Westminster, meeting senior politicians and UK Government ministers during her placement, including the Foreign Secretary and Scotland Office ministers. Lena also delivered a speech at the Robin Cook Memorial Lecture in London marking twenty years since Robin Cook’s passing. The internship is funded through Gregor Poynton MP’s parliamentary staffing budget and is paid at the Real Living Wage, helping ensure that young people from all backgrounds can access opportunities to learn about politics, Parliament and public service.
