STOP REFORM UK

Contacting your MP Guide

Find your MP

Find your MP, their official website, and their office contact info https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP. 

Email your MP

This guide outlines MPs and constituency etiquette for communications. Most MPs have social media accounts, which you can contact them on as well. You can find their social media accounts here.

If you want to write a letter to your MP on the issues raised in this blog post, there is a ChatGPT prompt to assist you in doing so, with full instructions, here.

Dear [Mr/Mrs/Ms First Name Last Name MP],

1. Introduce yourself and tell them you are a constituent, include your address and postcode.

2. Identify the issue you are concerned about: far-right extremism or Russia interference in British politics. (add link to lobby Labour gov page below)

3. Explain in your own words why this issue concerns. You could:

› Use a personal story.

› Link the problem to past, current, or future impacts on the community and country.

4. Tell your MP what you want them to do (e.g. vote for/against a proposal or lobby the government).

I await your response with anticipation.

Kind Regards,

Your Name

Some key tips

  • Keep it brief. Be concise and get to the point quickly. Aim to keep your email short and stick to a single issue to make it really clear what you want your MP to focus on addressing. Politicians receive hundreds of emails from constituents every day.
  • An original email can be more effective than a form email, so try to use your own words.
  • Be passionate and polite. MPs and their staff are likely to be more receptive to a polite email, and more engaged based on the passion of your writing. Remember that your MP is a human, not just a name on paper. It may seem obvious but being polite goes a long way to getting your argument taken seriously. Always remember to say thank you for their time.
  • Leave your contact details. You will want to start a two-way conversation with the person you’re talking to, so make sure they can get back in touch with you and you know how to get back in touch with them.
  • Ask for a response. You should ask your MP to confirm that they’ve acted and clarify what they’ve done in a response to your letter. And if you haven’t received a reply from your MP after a few weeks, follow up via email or by calling their office to check that your letter arrived.
  • Say thanks for doing something positive. If your MP has done something positive, say thanks – they’ll appreciate it.
  • Be persistent. It may take a short while for your MP to respond, but they should respond! And if you’re not happy with an initial result make sure you follow this up with them.

Template email to lobby your MP for a full public inquiry into Russia interference in British politics

To learn more about Russian interference in British politics see this page.

Template email to your MP (thanks Citizens Reunited)

Dear [MP name],

Public confidence in our democracy is being shaken.

I’m writing as your constituent because over 100,000 people have now signed the petition calling for a full public inquiry into Russian interference in UK democracy.

The 2020 Russia Report warned that hostile-state interference had become “the new normal” and identified credible evidence of Kremlin attempts to influence UK politics. That warning was never acted on.

The recent criminal conviction of former MEP Nathan Gill for accepting pro-Russia bribes shows the risk is ongoing, organised and targeted at elected representatives.

I am asking you to:

  • publicly support the petition calling for a full inquiry, and
  • call on the Petitions Committee to schedule a Commons debate

Ahead of the next election, voters must know that our democratic systems are defended. I hope you’ll add your voice.

Sincerely,

[Name]

[Postcode]

Phone your MP

You can find your local MPs and their office phone numbers at https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP You can call the House of Commons on:

020 7219 3000 and ask to be put through to your MP’s office. Alternatively, you can call your local MP’s constituency office, with details accessible from their official website.

Prepare a Single Question per Call.

For calls, keep it simple with one question. 

  1. Ask to speak to a member of staff who handles the issue (far-right extremism). You may be put through or they might not tell you who this is, and instead just take down your comment. 
  2. On a different day, call and ask whoever answers the phone, “Hi, can you confirm the name of the staffer who covers [immigration/health care/etc.]?” Staff will generally tell you the name. Say “Thanks!” and hang up. Ask for the staffer by name when you call back next time.

Some key tips:

  1. Before you pick up the phone, make some notes of the key things you want to say. This will help stop you getting flustered or forgetting what you want to say.
  2. Introduce yourself and, if you are contacting your local politician, make it clear you are a constituent.
  3. Find out who you are speaking to, so that if you need to follow up with them at a later date you know who to reference or get back in touch with.
  4. Make your case succinctly. You will most likely only have a few minutes to get across your key points as the person you are lobbying may be very busy. Also, you are more likely to get their attention if you can simply and easily explain your concerns and what you would like to see happen.
  5. Be polite – always thank them for their time and leave your contact details in case they want to get back in touch with you.