Using Your Elected Representatives

There are several ways you can approach your MP in order to try and influence government decision-making.

Writing Letters

Whilst some people think that writing letters to politicians can be a waste of time, an example from CAAT's campaigning shows the reverse (see story below). It is estimated that every letter received by a politician represents about 80 people who care but haven't got around to writing. That is why politicians take notice of letters - it represents at least 80 votes!

We believe that the best way to have influence through letter writing is to write to your own MP asking her or him to raise the issue with the relevant Minister. That way your MP becomes aware of the issues as well as the Minister. By convention, a letter forwarded by an MP to a Minister must receive a reply.

If you don't know who your MP is, visit Up My Street and do a quick search, either by your postcode or by the the name of your very constituency. It is worth knowing a little bit of background about your MP before contacting them. Three web sites have useful information on local MPs: www.politics.guardian.co.uk , www.epolitix.com and www.theyworkforyou.com. For more information about the Government departments that have responsiblility for arms export issues, see ' Who does what in Government' in our Frequently Asked Questions Section.

Some tips for writing to your MP:

• Be polite and concise - try to keep to one side of paper;
• Write in your own words. Don't just copy the text from somewhere else - make it personal;
• tackle just one subject in a letter;
• Ask for a reply ... and send a copy to the CAAT office.

You could try emailing your MP, but it seems that some respond less frequently to emails than to letters that arrive in an envelope! The usual, but not universal, formula for MPs' email addresses is brownj@parliament.uk

A few well-aimed letters...

This transcript of the debate on the Arms Export Bill that took place in July 2001 shows the usefulness of a few well-aimed letters. Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for calling me to make my maiden speech to the House. We are debating a topic of considerable public interest. I say that in particular because the first parliamentary correspondence that I opened when I arrived here four weeks ago was a letter from the Redcar branch of Campaign Against Arms Trade bemoaning the failure to pass such a Bill in the previous Session and asking whether I would support its introduction. The second letter that I opened four weeks ago was from the Redcar branch of Campaign Against Arms Trade bemoaning the fact that no such Bill had been passed in the previous session and asking whether I would support its introduction. The third letter that I opened as a new Member of Parliament was from the Redcar branch of Campaign Against Arms Trade. And so on. I replied to all 34 letters, saying that I would support the introduction of such a measure and that, furthermore, I would write to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to commend the Bill to her. So I sent the letters on to her. We are all very pleased to see the Bill, but I think this is an unpromising first step towards the eventual publication of my collected parliamentary correspondence. Vera Baird, a newly elected MP, spoke in the Export Control Bill debate because a CAAT supporter in Redcar had encouraged people to write to their MP.

Meeting your MP

A step further than writing to your MP is arranging for a small group to go and visit him or her to talk about the arms trade. For this it is important to be prepared and it is always worth contacting the CAAT office so we can let you know if your MP has shown an interest in arms trade issues before. Pressure from within the constituency is frequently a key factor in influencing an MP's views. Lobbying an MP who is sympathetic to ending arms export subsidies may encourage him or her to make time to take action in the House and in her or his part. An MP who is strongly supportive of the arms industry may reconsider the issue if a well reasoned case is calmly presented by constituents. This is especially true if the MP encounters colleagues who have also been lobbied.

Some people will have MPs with front-bench responsibilities for arms exports, foreign affairs or trade, or he or she may sit on one of the relevant Select Committees. If you are one of these people, visiting your MP could have a very important impact. However, meeting with other MP's is equally important. If sufficient MPs have the issue raised with them, then this will filter through to those with power. It is also important to realise that this is not an issue on which MPs will necessarily follow the "party line".

Tips for visiting your MP include:

• Don't just turn up - make a proper appointment;
• A group of about 2-4 people is probably a good size - you will be able to have a good discussion without being too intimidating;
• Know your subject - contact CAAT before you go to be well-briefed;
• Follow up the meeting with a letter of thanks and let the CAAT office know how the meeting went.

Your other representatives

On some issues it is also worth contacting your MEP. If you live in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales, you can also raise issues that have an impact on employment or the economy with your national representatives:

• Europe: www.europarl.org.uk/uk_meps/MembersMain.htm
• Northern Ireland: http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/members/constmap_res.htm
• Scotland: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/membersPages/
• Wales: www.wales.gov.uk/who/constit_e.htm