How micro-charities can lobby their MP

Gaining the support of an MP could add weight to your campaign or cause. Not only could they help you gain the support of more MPs, they could help you get more press interest and media coverage, due to their political standing and influence.

 

 

What is lobbying?

 

According to Parliament’s website: “Lobbying is when an individual or a group tries to persuade someone in Parliament to support a particular policy or campaign.”

 

 

How to lobby your MP

 

As MPs have been elected by the public, they have a duty to respond to you when you contact them. However, responding is one thing and giving their support is another.

 

Charities who have distinct policy and campaigning teams are adept at lobbying MPs and getting national support. But you don’t need to have a team or department to get your cause in front of an MP. Micro-charities can also engage local MPs in their work, with the below tips.

 

 

Find your local MP

 

If you’re a micro-charity, chances are your cause may be localised. So, the support of your local MP will be very important in not only raising awareness of your charity locally but also in influencing policy.

 

To find your local MP, visit Find Your MP and enter in your name and location or postcode.

 

 

Do your research

 

Once you’ve found your local MP, do your research on them. What Select Committees are they on? Do they belong to an All-Parliamentary Group? What issues have they debated on? What other charities and causes are they involved in? Do they have a particular issue they are passionate about?

 

 

Have clarity on what you’d like your MP to do

 

Once you’ve done your research and have a clear understanding of the issues your MP cares about and supports, make sure you have a strategy on how you’d like them to support your cause.

 

For example, do you want them to simply attend an event or visit a service or do you want them to raise a particular issue in Parliament? Are you looking to raise your profile and brand awareness in your local area or are you aiming for national awareness of your cause?

 

 

Write them a letter

 

Letters hold more weight than emails, so consider writing a letter to your MP rather than sending an email. MPs are duty-bound to reply so ensure that you have included a reply address.

 

 

Make an appointment

 

When MPs are not in Parliament, they are usually in their constituencies meeting with constituents to hear about issues affecting them. Often, they will hold local surgeries, which is an opportunity to meet with them to discuss your issues.

 

You may need to make an appointment, so check your MP’s personal website for details on any surgeries they may be holding or how to contact their office.

 

You can find out when Parliament is in recess here. This will let you know the dates your MP is likely to be in your constituency.

 

 

Get local press involved

 

If you’re asking your MP to attend an event or visit one of your services, you are more likely to get them to attend if local press will be covering it. So, make sure to call the news desk of your local newspaper and offer them the opportunity to come along and cover the event.

 

 

Say thank you

 

If an MP does attend an event or visits your services, don’t forget to send them a formal “thank you”. This could be a card, letter, or even an email.

 

 

Send follow-ups

 

If you’re engaging your local MP in a particular campaign and they have attended an event or engaged in it in any way, send them follow-ups when relevant. For example, if your campaign has milestones, let your MP know when you’ve achieved the next one and anything you think they should be aware of. It could also be another opportunity to involve them further.

 

 

Build relationships

 

Just as you would build relationships with your supporters, volunteers, and beneficiaries, make sure that you are building relationships with your local MP and their staff. Their staff are the ones who manage diaries and commitments, so establishing relationships with them is beneficial.

 

 

Establish a two-way relationship

 

Any good relationship is one that is mutually beneficial. Instead of always expecting something from your MP, think about how you can be helpful to them. Could you provide them with statistics from your services that are useful to them to better understand the needs of their constituency?

 

By providing helpful information, you will establish stronger relationships with your local MP. They will then be more likely to support your cause or make time to hear your concerns and issues.