CAAT - Act: Meet candidates

Step five: Meet your MP

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A face-to-face meeting with your MP is the best way to get the campaign message across. It gives you the opportunity to find out more about what your MP thinks and why, and answer any questions or objections and is the easiest way to obtain a commitment to support the campaign – our ultimate goal. It can seem intimidating if you've not done it before, but don't be scared! MPs want to hear your views. You might even find you know a lot more than they do about this issue!

Objective One: Now after the election we're aiming to persuade as many MPs as possible to show their support for the campaign by signing a demolition order for UKTI DSO's closure.

Objective Two: Even if your MP isn't supportive of our campaign, ask him or her to write a letter to the Prime Minister so that your concerns about arms sales are heard at the highest political level.

Preparing for a meeting
At your meeting
Follow up

Arranging a meeting

Start early to arrange a lobby meeting. You are probably not the only one who would like to talk to the new MP.

To arrange a meeting, you normally just need to email, write or call. Check the personal or party website for contact details, or phone the MP's local political party. Explain what you would like to discuss as your MP may like to do some preparation. If you have postcards to present or will provide a photo opportunity, mention this too.

Be prepared

Good preparation improves your chances of convincing your MP and you will feel more confident and comfortable in answering questions.

Do some research about your MP to get an indication of what his or her position may be. There's more information here or you can always contact CAAT's office to ask if your MP and his or her party is known for a certain position on the issue.
Make sure that you have the latest information about CAAT's campaign. The new report PDF (895k) on the government's arms sales agency included with the Campaign Action Guide is designed to help you and more information can be found on our website.
What is the key message that you want to put across? Is there something you want to emphasize? Try to find some hard-hitting statistics to back up your key message.
What do you think are the most likely arguments your MP will bring up in support of the arms trade? The arguing the case page includes the most often used arguments in support of arms exports, and some ideas for how you can counter them.
Prepare something that shows that the issue is important to the constituency (for example, a bundle of signed campaign postcards). Call CAAT if you're planning a meeting and we will send you any we have.
Consider preparing something visual which you can take to the meeting, and taking a camera. Remember that as well as telling your MP about the campaign, our aim is to persuade as many MPs as possible to make a public pledge of support. Politicians are always keen to get in the press, so it's very helpful to offer a photo-opportunity! CAAT can send you giant demolition orders or some large posters to which you can pin signed demolition orders.

At the meeting

Arrive on time! Don't forget to allow for any transport delays.
Introduce yourself. Tell your MP why the issue is especially important to you.
Take notes during the meeting. If you are in a group decide before the meeting who is going to take the notes.
Present your key message succinctly to your MP and tell him or her why it is an important issue. Try to answer your MP's questions and make sure that the MP understands your point of view.
Be friendly and listen to your MP's point of view, but remain focused on what you're trying to achieve. Stick to the issue. For example, if they try to side-track you into general discussion, you may need to politely but firmly say "that's clearly an important issue, and I would be willing to discuss it further, but before we do so I would like to finish discussing your position on UK arms exports."
Present some sign of public support for the MP (signed petitions, press articles etc.) to convince the MP that it is an important issue.
If the MP is supportive of our campaign ask him/her to take action in signing a statement, posing for a picture with your group or maybe even writing a joint press release.
Offer to give the MP some information on the campaign.

Providing your MP with further information

In May we published a new report PDF (895k) making the case for the closure of the government's arms sales unit. Alternatively, you can order copies of the following by emailing enquiries(at)caat·org·uk:

UKTI briefing: Arms sales at UKTI
A supplementary briefing sheet outlining UKTI DSO's recent arms selling activities
CAAT's alternative performance report for UKTI DSO

Follow-up

Send a letter or press release about the meeting to the local media, including some pictures.
Send a thank you note to the your MP reminding him or her of any agreed action points.
Keep your MP informed about important developments. If your MP made any promises to take action for our cause, make sure that you check after a while if he or she has taken the promised action.
Let CAAT know how the meeting went! Even if they were discouraging it's extremely useful for us to know what was said and his or her concerns so we can understand his or her position better. And if your MP supported the campaign, we want to record and celebrate this! Other local campaigners may also be able to learn from your experience.

Download the full Campaign Action Guide

Talk to us!

Telephones, picture by DanBrady on flickr

Please let us know what action you take and any response you receive, so we can see how the campaign is progressing and use your success to inspire others. Email campaign(at)caat·org·uk or call 020 7281 0297.

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