What is lobbying and why is it important?

Lobbying is the process of attempting to influence the decisions made by officials in the government. As a member of the public, the best mechanism you have to do this is through the use of your local MP.

If you don’t attempt to inform and influence the decision making process then your concerns won’t be heard or considered. Don’t leave it to someone else to speak up for you, they might not know your concerns or desires, or worse still they might not care.

Members of Parliament are powerful national figures, who are elected to represent a constituency of about 90,000 people in Parliament, and this includes you!

How can I find out who my Member of Parliament is?

Go to this page and enter your postcode into the box.

What is my MP able to do for me?

Whether or not you voted for your local MP, or even agree with their political views, they are obliged to act on your behalf if it is an issue they can help with.

You can also lobby them to gain their help with your campaign, they are able to submit parliamentary questions, write a letter to the relevant minister, or even arrange a meeting with the minister responsible for the issue of concern to you.

Lobbying also enables you to force an MP to show where their allegiance lies on a particular subject.

So how can I lobby my MP?

You can lobby your MP in a number of ways:

• You can set up a meeting with them.
• Write a letter or email
• Using your local media by getting them to raise the issue or highlight a campaign, challenging your MP for a response.

How do I contact my MP?

Your MP splits their time between their constituency office, and their parliamentary office where they are required to attend debates and meetings in the House of Commons.

The usual way to contact your MP is either by writing a letter or sending an email. Many MPs gauge public opinion by the number of letters and emails they receive on a particular subject, so writing to them is important. If you wish to contact your MP regarding a national issue, such as cannabis law reform, I would suggest that you contact them at their parliamentary office. The address for this would be:

(Name of MP, e.g. George Osborne MP)

House of Commons

London

SW1A 0AA

If you prefer email to snail mail, then your MPs email is likely to be in the following format:

First name.surname.mp@parliament.uk

e.g. george.osborne.mp@parliamant.uk

If you wish to obtain any other specific details about your MP, then you can contact them or their secretaries by calling the House of Commons Switchboard on 0207 219 3000 and asking to be put through to their office.

Whether you write by post or e-mail, always include your full name and address, together with a contact phone number if possible, if you don’t do this you probably won’t get a reply.

What should I include in any correspondence?

A carefully considered letter is far more effective, and will attract greater support, than an intense, ill-thought out tirade. I know it is sometimes difficult to divorce your passion and emotions from what you write. Keep it short and to the point.

Remember that they are in a formal position, and as such are actively encouraged not to allow emotions to cloud their judgment, so ensure you put forward a formal, rational argument regarding your particular issue.

It is always advised to plan your letter or email carefully. Ensure you include your full name and address; MPs are only obliged to respond to their own constituents.

It is always important that you ask your MP something concrete; for example ask them whether they would support moves to reform current cannabis laws, or you could just ask them to clarify their position and give reasons for it.

If the issue you are raising is of particular relevance to you, then ensure you highlight your personal interest because your MP is more likely to pay greater attention it.

If you want your MP to raise your issue with a particular Minister, if you know their name, instruct them to pass the matter to the Minister on your behalf, again they are obliged to do this.

If you are feeling daunted by the idea of having to write a letter, why not use one of our templates and just personalise it a little?We have some template letters on the introduction page here

Other tips for writing to MPs

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