Quaker Social Action
Fair Funerals campaign

Funeral Poverty Alliance
Guide to lobbying

Why should I lobby MPs?
If done right, lobbying is an effective way of influencing government policy. Evena handful of MPscommitting to your issue can translate into tangible change.

Who should I lobby?

  1. Your constituency MP
    They might not be the most important MP to your issue, but MPs are influenced by their constituents above and beyond almost anyone else. It’s best to do constituent lobbying on a Friday as that’s normally when MPs are in local offices.
  2. Other MPs you have access to
    Again, they might not be the most important MP to your issue, but you should be able to get a meeting and they might become a committed ally. This could include MPs you already have relationships with, or constituency MPs of people you know who are affected by the issue.
  3. MPs who are interested
    Who has already expressed an interest in the issue? Who has asked parliamentary questions and attended relevant debates? Who sits on relevant committees and groups? You can get this information on the TheyWorkForYou website.
  4. MPs who have power
    Who specifically has the power to make a difference on your issue? You should find out which government Ministers can enact the changes you want to see. Targeting these people can be harder, and you may need to lobby other MPs to get to them, but you need to be clear on how your lobbying links to these key change makers.Usually this means lobbying the party in Government.
  5. House of Lords
    Don’t forget about the House of Lords. They can be easier to influence than MPs.

Think cross-party
You’re more likely to see change if you can make your issue appeal to MPs from across different parties. Don’t be afraid to step outside what feels like ‘natural’ political affiliations. Think about how you communicate your issue and what language might appeal to,or turn off, MPs from different parties.

How do I get a meeting?
MPs are incredibly busy and there are many people competing with you to secure a meeting. Here are some tips:

Contacting your MP

  • Email - This can work for MPs who are already interested in the issue or know who you are, but bear in mind MPs are inundated with emails.
  • Social media–This can be a quick and effective way of getting their attention, and being public it may compel a response. But tweets and Facebook posts are also easy to ignore.
  • Telephone - You’re only likely to get through to your MP on the phone if you already have a relationship with them.
  • MP surgery - If you’re targeting a constituency MP this can be the most effective route in.
  • Written letter -Particularly effective if you’re targeting a constituency MP because they have an obligation to reply. A written letter can make a big impact.

Work collectively
Tweets, emails and letters are harder to ignore if they come from a lot of people. Can you mobilise a group to target your MP collectively? This can work especially well if you’re targeting a constituency MP.

Get your issue in the media
MPs follow the media obsessively. Mediacoverage is likely to increase your access to MPs. Some ways to get your issue in the media:

  • Organise direct action with a direct demand
  • Approach the media with personal stories and spokespeople
  • Organise an eventgiving a platform to effected people and challenging MPs and others to take action

Who else has influence over an MP?
If you’re struggling to get a meeting with your target MP or secure their commitment, think about who else you can approach who might have influence:

  • An MP’s constituents – if you know any, they might be the best person to approach the MP
  • An MP’s constituency media
  • An MP’s adviser
  • An MP’s staff – be as nice to them as possible. They often have quite a lot of control over an MP’s diary.

How to have a successful meeting?

Bring the evidence

  • ‘Elevator pitch’: Figure out how to articulate the importance of your issue in a couple of short,precise sentences. Explain the consequences of taking action and not taking action.
  • Statistics or stories: Showing the scale and severity of your issue is really important. But often personal stories can be even more effective that statistics. Bring some testimonials from people affected by the issue, or come accompanied by someone who is willing to speak about their experience.If you’re meeting with an MP who isn’t convinced by your issue, this can be the most effective way of changing their mind.

Bring solutions
Don’t expect your MP to come up with solutions to your problem. Approach them with solutions that you think can work. It’s good to have some that are achievable in the short term and some that are more ambitious.

Bring a clear ask
Before meeting with an MP, have a clear idea of what you want to ask of them. Some things you could ask your MP to do:

  • Speak to parliamentary colleagues from their party and others
  • Write to the relevant Minister highlighting their concerns
  • Organise a roundtable bringing together people to discuss solutions
  • Ask a parliamentary question about the issue
  • Table a parliamentary debate
  • Introduce a private members bill

Know your MP
Research your MP before you meet with them. Find out why this issue might be of interest to them. Look out for:

  • Any evidence that this is an issue for their constituents
  • Any commitment to similar topics
  • Their membership of relevant groups or committees
  • Have others in their party showed an interest in the issue?

Massage their ego
Like the rest of us, MPs like to feel important. Explain to them why their involvement is so important and what positive impact they can have.

Leave them with a briefing
Before you leave your meeting, leave the MP with a concise written briefing on your issue including your proposed solutions.