And that initial curiosity eventually led to him becoming the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Falkirk West.

Since 1999 Scottish politicians have been making decisions on devolved matters from their base in Edinburgh, with the Holyrood government's remit including education, health and justice.

While Scotland may now have its own voice, for many the question remains – what does a MSP do for his or her constituents?

Michael's political career has spanned the length of the Scottish Parliament, first becoming a list MSP for Central Scotland in 1999 and then winning the Falkirk West seat for the SNP – now the largest party in the parliament – last year, so I spent a day with him to find out exactly what the role involves.

Splitting his time between his town centre constituency and Holyrood, he is never in one place for long.

He said: "It is a job where no day is the same. As a back-bencher a big part of my job is to challenge the government.

''It is also my job to sort out the issues of my constituents; I work with them and invest in them. If they have problems with the council or justice system, I can help them. I have to be very accessible to constituents."

It is this increased accessibility which Michael believes is the reason for the success of the Scottish Parliament.

He said: "People recognise that we are now more accessible. I receive a lot of e-mails from constituents with their issues of concern. As well as my surgeries I also have a lot of constituents calling and e-mailing in.

"In my experience people go to their MSP instead of their MP because we're involved in the Scottish Parliament and deal with broader issues which affect the public, such as health, education and housing. These are the main issues people have concerns about."

Michael receives hundreds of e-mails a week, and a large proportion of his time is spent reading these, with everyone coming from a constituent receiving a written reply.

The 37-year-old spends three days a week based in his East Bridge Street constituency office and heads through to Holyrood for committee meetings on Wednesdays and for the full chamber meeting on Thursdays.

Juggling work and family life commitments is notoriously difficult for politicians, but Michael, who is married with a young family, feels it is one that can be done.

He said: "It's not a nine to five job; it goes beyond that. It involves activities in the evening and it can be difficult to balance work and family life.

"It's a job that has long hours, but, having a young family, I have to keep time for them. I cannot do everything that I want to do because I need to spend time with my family as well, but most people understand that.

"I go home at night whereas I have colleagues who are in Edinburgh Tuesday to Thursday. I can now understand why people take time out to spend with their family. It's a 24-hour job that never stops."

Although always fascinated by politics Michael's route into the profession was not instant. He started his working life as an occupational therapist before turning back to the subject which he had been interested in since childhood.

He said: "I don't come from a political family but from a young age I used to go up and stand with the people handing out leaflets at election time. I got more into politics at high school and was in the debating society and on the student council.

"Although I had campaigned against poll tax, I never actually thought about a career in politics. It was only when other people asked if I was interested that I thought about it. It happened very naturally."

As well as listening to their constituents at surgeries, MSPs also represent their area during First Minister's Questions, held every Thursday.

Back-benchers get the chance to quiz the First Minister on current issues. Questions are put in a ballot and if selected can be raised during the half-hour slot.

Another part of an MSP's role is the work they do with committees. Michael is a member of the health and sports committee, and on the day
I spent with him he was rushing off to the stage three debate of the Public Health Bill.

He said: "Committees do all the detailed work. There is a lot of background reading for committees.

"MSP's are chosen for committees, but you can express an interest in certain areas. I have a health background and am very keen on sport so expressed an interest in the Health and Sport Committee."

Also high on Michael's agenda for that day was a meeting with Falkirk businessman George Stevenson, owner of Mathiesons Bakeries to discuss issues within his sector nationally.

Michael said: "Meetings like that are a good example of where at a constituent level there is concern about a national issue. I will now take up these issues with the relevant people. I see helping businesses within my constituency as a big part of my role as MSP.

"I also work closely with Falkirk Council and other organisations. It is my job is to try to help others make their voice heard.

"An example of this was when I proposed a Private Member's Bill so all new care homes would have sprinklers in them."

For those looking to pursue a career in politics Michael has plenty of advice.

He said: "Some young people are too keen to get elected too early. It is important to have life experience before you go in to politics."

But Michael is also keen to highlight his job satisfaction. Before heading off to his third meeting of the day, and with countless e-mails still to be responded to, he said: "It is a rewarding job and a very privileged position to be in, one that anybody that has had that opportunity realises."