Contact your MP

Writing to Members of Parliament (MPs) is a way that you can try to challenge something that you believe to be unfair, or escalate an issue that you have been unable to resolve within the NHS.

Why contact your MP?

Politicians have the power to raise questions in Parliament, and represent the challenges faced by their constituents – that’s why we talk to them. It is your MP’s duty to listen to you. Contacting your MP might seem daunting, but it can be an effective way to make your voice heard. And when enough of us take action locally with our MPs, it can lead to national change.

What can my MP do about the issues that concern me?

It’s your MP’s job to make your voice heard in Parliament whether you voted for them or not. Your political beliefs do not to be aligned to those of your MP. Your MP represents your local area and can raise concerns on behalf of local people.

Your MP can:

  • vote on issues in Parliament.
  • write to the government minister responsible for the issue or make an appointment to see them.
  • ask questions in Parliament (‘Parliamentary Questions’ or PQs) about issues you raise.
  • ask for a debate in Parliament. A relevant minister will always attend this debate to respond to your MP on behalf of the government.

Who is my MP?

You can find out who your local MP be entering your postcode here.

How do I contact my MP?

MPs usually have an office in their constituency (your local area), and in Parliament. You can contact them at either office by telephone, letter, or by email. 

Tips for writing to your MP

  • Email or handwritten letter?

Handwritten letters have the ability to stand out, but MPs will also respond to emails, and some prefer to communicate in this way.

  • Include your name and address

If it’s your first letter to your MP, begin by introducing yourself. MPs only listen to concerns from their constituents, so include your address and postcode to confirm they need to listen to you, and so they know where to send a response.

  • Make it personal

Use your own words to explain why you care about this issue. You could talk about relevant facts and figures, explain how this is impacting your life. MPs get sent lots of things from constituents. You want your letter to be powerful so that it stands out.

  • Ask your MP to do something

After you’ve explained the issue, it’s important to tell your MP what you want them to do about it. You’ll want to ask them to take action. State how you think they can they help to solve the problem is really helpful. You may wish them to ask a Parliamentary question which are tools that can be used by MPs to seek information or press for action.

  • Keep it brief

Be clear, concise and get to the point quickly. Aim to keep your letter short (a page or two, max) and stick to a single issue to make it really clear what you want your MP to focus on addressing.

Ask for a response

You should ask your MP to confirm that they’ve acted and clarify what they’ve done in a response to your letter. And if you haven’t received a reply from your MP after a few weeks, follow up via email or by calling their office to check that your letter arrived.

Letter template

MPs are most likely to respond to a personalised letter, and especially one written by a passionate constituent who sets out why an issue is so important to them.

But if you do need a bit of guidance on how to set out your letter, here’s a template example you could use to help you write to your MP.

{YOUR FULL ADDRESS}
{YOUR POSTCODE}
{DATE}

Dear {MP NAME},  

My name is {YOUR NAME} and I am a constituent of {YOUR LOCAL AREA/CONSTITUENCY}. I am writing to you today because I am concerned about {DETAILS OF ISSUE}. This is something that’s particularly important to me as {EXPLAIN KEY REASONS AND ANY RELEVANT PERSONAL EXPERIENCES}.  

I am asking you to take the following steps to address my concerns:  

{BULLET POINT LIST OF CLEAR ACTIONS}

In your response I would like you to outline the ways you intend to address this on my behalf. If you’re unable to address this personally, I would like to request that you escalate my letter to the relevant Minister or department.  

Please do keep me informed of any progress made.  

I look forward to hearing from you.  

Yours faithfully,  

{YOUR NAME}

Any other questions? ­­

Alopecia UK does not currently have a member of staff working full-time in the lobbying/advocacy space. We are hoping we can help individuals to lobby and advocate on issues that affect the alopecia community.

If you require any assistance, please email [email protected] and we will see if we can help. Please note, we are unable to write letters on your behalf.