Writing to your MP - does it work?

[terrywynne]

I see on here a lot of suggestions to write to your MP when people ask what they can do about climate change, the situation in Afghanisatan etc etc. But what if your MP has a comfortable majority and has always voted along party lines and never publicly criticised their party? Is there even any point writing? I can't see that they give a shiny shit about my thoughts (not a party supporter and disagree with a number of their parties policies). They don't need my vote (never see them, not even at election time) so it seems a bit pointless really.

If you don’t tell them how you feel about something, or explain how something has affected you personally, they will never know how their actions affect the people that vote for them. He might not need your vote but you can guarantee he would like it so it is in his interests to listen and respond. I wouldn’t vote for my MP but we are on first name terms and he has helped me with an issue with the CSA in the past. I always send a letter when I disagree with policy and explain how/why.

I have a Tory MP who regularly gets in the news for being, what I consider to be, pretty offensive. Any time I've contacted him I've just got back the Tory party line. He's an absolute arsehole.

Gosh, thanks for all the thoughts. It's quite a spectrum as to whether your MP works for their constituents isn't it. Thankfully my MP does not fall into the abhorrent category. They are more in the bland, "wanting to make sure they get reselected by the party" category. I don't have any local/personal issues right now to find how they deal with that though I believe their local focus tends to be the other geographical part of the constituency (the part that guarantees the majority...)

Still, I think I will have a go at writing - at least it will be a reminder that a large majority doesn't mean that everyone in the constituency supports your party... interesting point from a pp about copying to other departments/the PM and being noisy. I do tend to not making a fuss but it does seem like he who shouts loudest gets in politics these days.

Mine is pretty bland but I make a point of writing to her every time a serious issue comes up. Just to record my displeasure, even though she’s a Tory who votes along party lines and appears to have no mind of her own.

How are there so many arseholes as politicians? Maybe I should also suggest changing the system unreasonable, empathetic people want to become MPs/get selected to stand. I imagine that suggestion would absolutely find favour....

I used to work in a govt dept and my job included answering MP's letters. People write to their MPs and the MP's offices send the constituents' letters to the relevant department where a civil servant answers them with the required platitudes. If it's some kind of application enquiry, the fact an MP is "involved" tends to push the enquiry to the front of the reply queue.
We'd get the odd one (very very very rarely) where the MP had actually seen the constituent's letter and actively made their interest known to us, those (maybe 4-5 a year) would be sent down from a higher level officer for us to answer.

@Geamhradh

I used to work in a govt dept and my job included answering MP's letters. People write to their MPs and the MP's offices send the constituents' letters to the relevant department where a civil servant answers them with the required platitudes. If it's some kind of application enquiry, the fact an MP is "involved" tends to push the enquiry to the front of the reply queue. We'd get the odd one (very very very rarely) where the MP had actually seen the constituent's letter and actively made their interest known to us, those (maybe 4-5 a year) would be sent down from a higher level officer for us to answer.

Out of interest, is there tracking of what people right about ie: recording x number of letters in support of this policy, y number criticising this action? Or is it just a case of respond and file?

No, Does nothing. They just send back a standard response.
However, there may be something in numbers.

I've written to my MP (Labour) a couple of times about women's rights and she replied to tell me what a horrible bigot I was not to be putting men's feelings first 🙄🙄 and all the things she would be doing to ensure that men were happy at the expense of women. Her majority is not as secure as it once was thankfully

My MP is really good at replying and has taken some issues further. I don't even vote for her but appreciate the proactive-ness. I think it depends who it is though.

No, when I've tried I've had either a standard party line response which hasn't addressed the points I raised or, more recently, no response.

Very safe Tory seat with an MP who is 100% about where he can take his career and find money for his friends than in the constituency (other than the odd photo opp or helping out donors!).

I write to my MP and to the MP of a neighbouring constituency where I work. My MP sends a generic letter, neighbouring MP replies with a personal letter; it makes one feel listened to. I have never needed help as such I just write about issues that are important to me. To be fair to both of them they keep up a local presence. Same party .

I messaged mine over HGV medicals last year, and they were waived within the week. The rest of the time she's a hardline sockpuppet.