How to write to your local MP

Writing to your local MP can be a powerful way to speak up for the causes you care about.

We’re often led to believe that our political power as citizens only comes at the polling station during elections, but there is is a lot more we can do to have a voice for change.

What do local MPs actually do?

The primary purpose of MPs is to act in the national interest. British Parliament works on a constituency basis, so your MP also represents your local area and everyone living there.

MPs consider and can propose new laws, as well as raising issues that matter to you in the House.

Regardless of their party and whether you voted for them or not, they represent you and have an obligation to respond to your communications.

What can your MP do for you?

They could raise your concerns at a debate (MPs debate policy, new laws and pressing issues), write to a minister on your behalf, or pose formal questions to ministers in the House of Commons chamber.

Because of our political system, MPs can be both legislators (making laws) and executives (governing and making policy). They can also hold powerful scrutiny positions on Parliament’s many Select Committees, that challenge the Government on areas of policy.

Sometimes MPs can be Ministers – such as the Home Office Minister or even the Prime Minister. Ministers have more power to change policies, Committee members can challenge the Government on areas they focus on, and senior Party MPs can shape their party’s policy. So writing to your MP can be a good way of highlighting something you’re concerned about and asking the government to take action.

However, it’s worth noting that Parliament and central government are only responsible for certain matters – like tax (involving HMRC), the NHS, benefits and immigration (not an exhaustive list) – so depending on what your issue is, they might not be the best person to help. If they are, you can write to them.

How to write to your local MP

Make it relevant – even if it’s a national issue, make it relevant locally. MPs prefer to tackle issues that directly affect their constituents.

Keep it brief and to the point (and goes without saying, but polite).

Include your full name and address (including postcode) – they are only obliged to respond to their constituents so you need to show where you live.

Demonstrate support for your issue – they’re more likely to action your concern if you can show that other constituents share your views. This is why petitions & letter writing campaigns work!

Be clear with an ask – what do you want them to do?

Before you write, do your research! Their positions in Government or the Opposition benches, whether they sit on committees, and their stated political interests can all be found on Parliament’s website.

And you can see their voting record, what questions they’ve asked, what statements they’ve made in parliament, and what debates they show up for on They Work For You.

If you don’t want to write, most MPs hold regular ‘surgeries’ in their constituencies, either in person, on the phone or online, so you can book an appointment to see them and raise your concerns that way.

What if your local MP isn’t the right person to contact?

Your concern might be better suited to your Council.

Councillors have differing responsibilities depending on which council you live in – so this guidance is general, but depending on where you live (in England) you may have two levels of council – District: dealing with housing, planning, rubbish collection, local environment, etc. and Country: dealing with educations, transport, roads, fire, libraries etc. Otherwise you will have one council.

Depending on your issue, try to find out which council to contact and the most appropriate Councillor to approach, but if you’re not sure, ask them to forward it to the most appropriate person. Write To Them is a useful resource to help.

Like your MP, your local councillor’s duty is to represent the needs of your ward to your local council and other organisations. They have a duty to all their constituents, including those who did not vote for them – so if your issue is local, they’re a good place to start.

UK parliament is divided into two – the House of Commons (where your MP sits) made up of elected officials, and the House of Lords, who become members through a complex mixture of appointment, religion, hereditary entitlement, and self-election.

Proposed new laws have to be considered by both Houses. They might not be elected, but Lords still get to vote on, debate, and amend the bills that will affect us all when they become law, so you could write to a Lord to inform them of an issue you think they should care about. Or, if a topic is coming up for debate, you could provide information to help form their opinion on which way to vote.

While you have to contact your local MP, you can write to any Lord. It’s worth looking for one with a special interest in your issue if you can, and make sure you research them before you contact them.

If they’re also a minister, it’ll probably be hard to influence their opinion, so it’s best to pick someone who’s not working directly for the Government.

You still need to include your address, to show that you live in the UK.

And many of the peers don’t have official offices, so it’s best to use a service like Write To Them, to find and contact a Lord.

It’s worth noting that, unlike MPs, Lords aren’t obliged to respond.

Other ways to take action

If you want to get involved politically but don’t have the time to do all the research, you can support a letter writing campaign. Charities and campaign organisations will give you the template to send to your MP on their behalf, to demonstrate support for an issue en masse.

Find the charities and campaigning organisations working on the issues you care most about and join their mailing lists/follow them on social media to find out about their petitions and letter writing campaigns.

If you want to really up your political game, join a political party that aligns most closely to your views. You’ll be able to vote to shape policy and choose leaders to represent you, giving you a stronger voice between local and national election cycles

And you can also contribute to public consultations. When developing new policy, amending existing policy, or implementing, the government will often call for the public or key industries to add their comment, as a way of being informed by stakeholders.

For environmental consultations, the DEFRA website is a good one to keep an eye on, As well as the Environment Agency.

Finally, Citizens Advice has a template letter you can use to write to your local MP here.

Don’t be afraid to make your voice heard!