How to Lobby Yourmp

How to lobby yourMP

Protectthe RighttoStrikeLobby

Monday2 November2015,2.30pmonwards

Why are welobbying?

As part of the campaign to stopthe government’s TradeUnionbill we want MPs to hear directly fromtheir constituentsthat thebill threatens theright to strike. Employers will beable to breakstrikes bybringinginagencyworkers to cover for strikers.This couldrisk publicsafetyand impacton thequalityof services. And thebillalso proposesnewheavy- handedrestrictions onpicketingand protests.Striking workers willhave totell their employer all their plans –including what theywillposton Facebookor Twitter or whether theywillusea loudspeaker - two weeks before theystrike. Threateningtheright to strike tilts thebalancein theworkplacetoo far towardsthe employers- and thatwillmean workers can’tstand up for decentservicesand safetyat work, or defendtheir jobsor pay.

EveryMPshouldrecognisethat their constituentshave a right to lobbythemwhether or not you votedfor them. Youcan lobbyyourMPeitherin Parliamentorat theconstituency surgerywhich most MPswillorganiseon a regularbasis. If theydon’thaveregular surgeries, theywillusuallylista phone numberon their websitewhere you can makean appointment to seethem.

MeetingyourMP

In theoryyou can turn up at Westminster anytimethat the House ofCommonsissittingand requesta meeting with your MP. Butthere isno guaranteethat theywill bethere or have time to meetyou. (Thereare manylegitimate calls onan MPs timeboth within Westminster and outside.) In thesedays of heightenedsecurity, there isa strictlimitonnumbers within Parliament.

Arrangementsfor the 2NovemberLobby

In advance

If you are comingto thelobbyonthe2Novemberyou should contactyourMPin advance. Thebestwayto contactyourMPis to email himor her.You can findoutyourMP’s emailaddressat thefollowing website:

Followthe links to MPs and Lordsand then findyour MP. AllMPs have alreadyreceived a letter fromthe TUCaboutthe lobby, so should beaware of theevent.So keepyour email simpleand polite, perhaps juststatingthat you willbe coming,askingfora meeting. Itis always useful to make itclear in theemail that you are a constituentoftheMP.Itisalso worth givingyourMPyour mobile number, if youhave one. This mayhelpthemtrack you down on theday.You can also suggest meeting your MPin theCommitteeRoom allocated to your region outlined in the ‘On the day’ section below.

Ontheday

The NUT will have a registration desk in Westminster Central Hall, Storey’s Gate, London, SW1H 9NH from midday.You will be able to pick up copies of these materials from the registration desk. There will be a rally in Central Hall from 1pm onwards.

Asthisevent islikely tobe very busy anddue tothe security checks, we advise that lobbyistsjoin the queue outside themain entrance tothe House of Commonsat2.00pm. This willbestewarded byunion staff. You willneedto enter througha ramped entrance(the Cromwellstatueentrance) to theleft of theStStephen’s entranceto theCommons.

Onceinsidethe building,alllobbyists willbedirectedbythe House ofCommons’policeand staffto theCentral Lobbywhere you can askto seeyourMP. Thisisknown as the“Green Card”system.

Youwill have to go through ‘airport type’ securityto gain access to Parliament- onabusydaythiscantakeatleast 15minutes Pleasenote that youcannot takelarge bags into the Palace, and ideallyyoushould takeaslittle aspossible in with youasthiswill speed uptheprocess. NobannersorpostersareallowedintothePalaceandneitherareslogans on clothing. The Policetendto bequite strictabout this.

Followingentrythrough thesecuritygatesattheHouseofCommons, lobbyistswillbe directedtotheCentralLobby. ThereisadesktotheleftoftheentrancetotheLobby staffedbyofficialsfromtheSerjeant-at-ArmsOffice. Gotothedeskandaskfora“green card”. Enteryournameandaddressandthepurposeofyourvisit. Youmustmakeaclear statementaboutyourreasonforvisiting.Onthisoccasionitis“tohighlightconcerns about the Trade Unionbill”

Thisisimportantbecauseifyoudonotmeetwithyour MP,thecardisthensentontothe MP’soffice. Youshouldsayonthegreencardthat,ifitisnotpossibletomeetonthedayof the lobby,you would liketo meet them in theconstituency.

Thedeskstaffwilltakethecardandattendants willthenseekthe MPin theChamberand othercommitteerooms. YouwillwaitinCentralLobby.If yourMPhasbeenfound andhas arrived yournamewillbecalledout.Ifyoudonotknow what yourMPlookslike,youmight have to listen out for your name. Youmayfind that Central Lobbycanbe quite noisyand crowded.

Whenyour MParrives, expressyourappreciationforthemeeting.YourMPmayhave somewhereinmindforyourdiscussion.Ifnot,politelysuggestthatifyouleavetheCentralLobbyitwillallowotherlobbyistsintoseeotherMPsandwillmaketheconversationmore comfortable.

IfMPsdo notappearwithinhalfanhourorsoofthegreen cardgoing in,itisunlikelythat theywillcomeatall. Sometimestheywillsendtheirstaffontheirbehalfiftheyarecaught upinothermeetings. Youmustdecidehowlongyoucanwaitbutrememberthatthe longeryoustaytheless likelihoodthere isofcolleaguesfurtherbackinthequeuebeingable toenterandsubmittheirgreencards. Foreverylobbyistthatleaves,thepolicewillallow another one intoCentralLobby.

AlternativelocationstomeetyourMP

Tohelp ease congestionin themain central lobby, several upstairs Committee Rooms (namely numbers 10,14,15and 16) have been bookedin themain HouseofCommons. Theserooms arelocatedon theCommitteeCorridor and are accessibleviatheCentral Lobby staircase. You maybeasked which MPhas bookedtheroom. This information istherefore includedalongside theroom numberbelow. As therooms arerelativelylarge, each one has been allocated to MPs and constituentsrepresenting2or moregeographical regionsas outlined below:

From2-4pm

CommitteeRoom14(booked in the nameof Ian Lavery MP) - NE, NWand

Yorkshire MPs

CommitteeRoom15(booked in the nameof Jo StevensMP) East and West

MidlandsandLondon MPs

CommitteeRoom16(booked in the nameof David AndersonMP)SE, SWandWales

MPs

From4-6pm

CommitteeRoom10(booked in the nameof Emma Lewell-Buck MP)NE,NWand

Yorkshire MPs

CommitteeRoom15(booked in the nameof Rachael MaskellMP) East and West

MidlandsandLondon MPs

CommitteeRoom16(booked in the nameof Richard BurgonMP)SE, SWandWales

MPs

Please note, room bookingsare sometimes changed at the last minute,so there maybe some last minute room changes which the TUC staff will do everything theycan to communicate with youand your union on the day.

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Disabledaccess

If you are disabled, telephone theSerjeant-at-Arms’ officeat the House of Commons, who willadviseyou proceduresfor enteringthe building(phone0207 2193000and ask the switchboard officerto putyou throughto theSerjeant’s office), TheSerjeant’s officedo allow someparking where itisrequired bydisabled people, but individuals willneedto verifythis with theoffice. Itisusualfor oneofyour MPs’ staff to accompanyyouonceyou enter the building. Thisneedsto be arrangedinadvance. Please notifyyour union ifyou haveany specialambulatoryneeds or require anyassistance.

Meetingwithyour MP

Itisbest to beas brief, clear and courteous as possible. In particular have in mindwhat you actually wish to sayto your MPand what questions you want to ask.Iftheysendtheir researcher instead, treat them in thesameway. You shouldthank himor her for takingthe time to seeyou, establish how much time theyhave, haveyour arguments readyandmostimportantly ask themtoexplaintheir views. Beinggood at dodgingquestions ispart ofeverypolitician's skillset. While there is no needto turninto JeremyPaxman, youshould be prepared to pressif necessary.

A separate briefing has been provided on issues to raise with your MP.

Reportingback

We willbe collectingreports back fromall themeetings with MPs sothatwe can compare what theyhave said andhold them to account.TUC andother unionofficers willbeon hand on thedayto helptakeanoteofyour meeting. We willthen collate allresponses in orderto informfurther lobbying workwe undertake on the TradeUnionBill.

If you need any further support or advice about lobbying your MP please contact Chris Brown, Parliamentary and Campaigns Officer by emailing

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