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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think it should actually be possible to contact my local MP?

43 replies

RollingThunder · 04/01/2013 08:12

I have tried, first I emailed him about an issue months ago - no response.

Then I left a voicmail message for him this was a polite, but distressed message about changes to funding, and my sons SN. NO response to that either!

This is ludicrous - I am unable to get hold of my local MP - or rather, he doesn't respond to anything! -

Any suggestions? Anyways of actually getting hold of them? I can't see anything on his website about local surgeries, so no way of just turning up - have phoned the phone number, and left message, no response, have emailed. Don't know what else to do?

OP posts:
HollyBerryBush · 04/01/2013 08:16

Have you tried theyworkforyou.com?

That gives you the parliamentary email address rather than constituency one.

At the moment MPs will be on winter break, however the HoC runs all year. parliamentary secretaries are not civil servants, and aresn't neccessarily full time

Notquite · 04/01/2013 08:26

Are you and he on Twitter or Facebook? You could ask publicly for surgery details there - more difficult to ignore. Does he have a constituency office phone no. on his website?

Just checked my MP's website, there is a 'Get in touch' tab on the home page with a no. for surgery appointments. Is it possible you've missed anything?

If not, you have a very poor constituency MP. Might be worth trying to flush him out via the local paper letters page?

Original poster
RollingThunder · 04/01/2013 08:26

HollyBerryBush, have tried them now - thanks, and have also filled in the form on his website - will see if either gets a response (Not holding my breath)! I can't believe how hard it is to contact my duly elected member of parliment!

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 04/01/2013 08:27

It depends on how attentive your MP is in any case. Many/most of them will just turn any letters or emails over to civil servants or secretaries for a stock reply - unless they see some political advantage to them in your case.

Have you tried your local councillor? They might be more responsive.

uptheamp · 04/01/2013 08:27

go through local councillors?

Original poster
RollingThunder · 04/01/2013 08:28

Notquite - no constituency phone no - tried that - can't find him on facebook either! - I am not on twitter and would rather not put it on there - its all about my sons SEN, and rather private.

But yes - have tried the get in touch number (which is def not a local one), left a message - there was a voicemail saying that the messages were picked up - but no response from him at ALL!

Will def move on to local letters pages - etc next - just would rather not have to start parading this in public!

OP posts:
Original poster
RollingThunder · 04/01/2013 08:29

uptheamp - good idea - will have a look.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 04/01/2013 08:30

By the way - have you tried (and documented) all the other avenues which are open to you with regard to your problem? If you haven't, you'll just get a flat response back saying 'I note that you still have the option of........' etc. They'll only come in to bat for you (if in fact they do) once you have no other options left.

JamesBexleySpeed · 04/01/2013 08:30

Maybe they were sufficiently unimpressed by your complaint to not want to respond to you? What were you complaining about? Just as an example, MPs wouldn't be interested in a complaint about fortnightly bin collections.

HollyBerryBush · 04/01/2013 08:32

I agree with the local councillor route - they are much more proactive than MPs.

FWIW my friend was a constituency secretary, she only worked 3 hours a day and was lucky if she saw our MP once every 18 months. Hmm No excuses, becasue we are in London, so it's not as if she was on some far flung obscure island. Mind you he was shit and got thrown out of the party!

RedHelenB · 04/01/2013 08:32

Whois it? Our old MP advertised his surgeries in the local paper & I;m pretty certain the new one does as well,.

CelticPromise · 04/01/2013 08:33

You could tweet and say ' disappointed not to hear back after my email and phone call of x date' and keep doing it until you get a response? No need to add any info.

Notquite · 04/01/2013 08:36

I really meant to tackle the communication problem in public rather than your son's issue, I appreciate you wouldn't want to deal with that in front of all in 140 characters!

MPs are re-elected at least as much on their reputation for responsiveness to local people as their party politics, so wouldn't want to be publicly seen as hard to contact.

Your local library might have surgery details, it occurs to me.

Original poster
RollingThunder · 04/01/2013 08:47

cozietosie - no I haven't but there are reasons for that - all very complicated - and what i am trying to establish is, if those avenues are worth trying at the moment (due to changes being made by the govt) and no-one knows the answer!

Jamesbexelyspeed - its about not being able to get support for my sons SEN, due to the changes the conservatives are making and the fact that they are putting something in place within the next three months - but haven't decided criteria etc!

RedHelenB - good point, will look - he certainly doesn't seem to put them on his website though!

Celticpromise - and notquite - good point - not thinking very clearly at the moment - will join twitter,

Notquite - will try library - re local reputation - out area is so strongly conservative, i think he could probably get re-elected even if he never answered the phone to anyone - which is probably why he doesn't!

HollyBerryBush - that is shocking! - am in process of emailing local councilors now!

OP posts:
Original poster
RollingThunder · 04/01/2013 08:49

Have now managed to find a local surgeries number (not sure if it wasn't there before or my brain wasn't working) - i called it (this is the number HE says to call) and the voicmail says - to contact him - call XXXX - which is the original number i left a message on and no-one has responded to!!!!!!!!!!!!

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 04/01/2013 08:53

RollingThunder

I'm perhaps too cynical about politicians. (There is the rare and shining exception.) My experience is, however, that they don't actually want to help unless it's to their political advantage in some way. What they want is for you to go away so any avenue they, or their aides, can use to get you off their back is utilised.

That's why I asked if you'd exhausted and documented all the other possible avenues. Just be prepared for it.

Iggly · 04/01/2013 08:55

Who is it?

Original poster
RollingThunder · 04/01/2013 08:58

Cozietoiesie - absolutely they will - totally agree with you, however the reason for contacting him - is that the F*ing convservatives are putting something into place, without actually making the necessary decisions - so I CAN'T pursue all the avenues available.

Iggly - saying who it is would out-me, potentially (at least make it very clear which area I live in) - and i have posted about a lot of stuff under this name, so would rather not.

OP posts:
HollyBerryBush · 04/01/2013 08:58

brain wave moment<

Write to his chief whip, complaining!

ArtigeneAuberchoke · 04/01/2013 08:58

Embarrass him into responding: write letters about his crap communication to your local paper, local news, post on local community forums etc. Is he high profile (eg a Minister) if so try the national press.

ArtigeneAuberchoke · 04/01/2013 09:00

Chief Whip wont care, his job is to get MPs to toe the party line, Chair of local party is a better bet.

Original poster
RollingThunder · 04/01/2013 09:02

Chair of local party is a good one - will probably copy in chief whip - as why the heck not?

ArtigeneAuberchoke - that is def the next step - just hoping it doesn't come to that! - is not a minister - but I am sure local press etc would be interested - but dont' watn to put all this in the public domain (unless I have to and then I really will go for it!)

OP posts:
OeufsEnCocotte · 04/01/2013 09:03

That's not a bad idea from HollyBerryBush :D

Or you could call/email his local political party's office (not normally the same contact details as the constituency office) eg Anytown Conservative Party office if he's a Tory etc.

Otherwise definitely name and shame via the local press - you don't have to go into personal details, you can just point out that it's impossible to contact him and that you feel very let down and not properly represented.

OeufsEnCocotte · 04/01/2013 09:04

X-post with ArtigeneAuberchoke

Notquite · 04/01/2013 09:05

Good luck, hope he gets his come-uppance one day at the polls, but it sounds unlikely...