WRITE TO YOUR MP

[GeneticTest]

yes. I’m shouting.

I work for an MP. We’ve had VERY few emails and letters about transgender/safeguarding issues. It’s really not on the radar.
More people need to write.
If you have a newly elected MP they may have no idea at all.
Lay it out clearly.
Be specific.
Ask questions
Give personal examples as to why you are concerned.
Presume that they know nothing
At the moment it’s not an upcoming piece of legislation, so it’s ‘not imortant’ To many.
If you get an out of date or ‘stock’ answer do try again with specific questions.

Do not be fobbed off
Give your name & address or they won’t answer.

For those With Tory MPs- with such a big gov majority, and no imminent election, they may be more likely to put head above parapet. (They may not, but here’s hoping)

But WRITE. MN Posters are funny and intelligent and articulate and well researched. Let’s use that collective brilliance to convince MPs

Is it best to write via email or snail mail?
I have a brand-newly elected Labour MP, but apart from following her on Twitter haven’t found a way to contact her directly yet, I guess she’s still setting her office up etc

I've tried. My MP is fully woke.

I've tried. No response. Have chased.

I have so many deeply personal things I could write, relating to myself, my history and my child. genetic do you think I should shove it all in? Pick three? Or write about me and get my partner to write about our child?

I get really fearful of receiving a nasty response when disclosing personal information in my real name. My mp has said nothing explicit yet either way. But they're Labour and I'm inexplicably still a member so I know I should.

I am also kinda waiting out the leadership election (newly joined Labour member) to see how that plays out before making myself known to my Labour MP

I have a new MP so have been meaning to write. I was masc-aligned as a child so have plenty to talk about on the child-medication (incl autism and sexuality) and schools curriculum angle. I could do with some hints on the next bits though. Should I ask them to do something? If so, what can I/we ask them to do?

Tory MP if that makes a difference.

All current contact details are available here. They all have a parliamentary email now, and a parliamentary address though many of the new ones do not yet have a constituency office yet.
Many have Facebook, Twitter, and even (in one single case so far) an Instagram presence.
Just put your postcode in.
members.parliament.uk/

There was a massive list compiled on (Lang’s?) thread about the Jess Philips Webchat censorship, detailing all the various concerns held. That would be a good place to start with what to raise I think.

It can be hard to get started on a an email or letter, I know. Sometimes it helps to just pick the issue that concerns you the most and kick off with that. I find adding in links to a couple of helpful articles is useful.

With my (new) Conservative MP, I have started with the freedom of expression issues so I linked to stuff about Maya and Harry, and also gently suggested he might have a word with Andrew Gilligan and David Davies MP

In my follow up email I will concentrate on the schools and rogd issues.

@CUPWomensPledge on Twitter are offering an example email for you to personalise to get you started if you are struggling.

Somebody posted the contents of the email on here recently, if anyone can recall which thread it was on?

I have some drafted text on the census I can post later.

I've written on the schools issue before and he did pass my email onto the Women and Equalities Dept.

I will keep writing OP, I promise.

The census issue background

Caroline ffiske: Gender and a government that’s lost its census www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3802181-Caroline-ffiske-Gender-and-a-government-that-s-lost-its-census

You can also arrange a meeting with them - find out when they are holding surgeries and get booked in. This may be more effective than writing, and some people may also find it easier than putting together a letter (though if you do, I would recommend going with a short list of points you want to make/notes/stats so you don't just go blank!). It also means you can get a sense of which points are resonating most with them during the conversation, and focus on those more (e.g. some MPs may be more responsive to discussions around sports, others around child safeguarding etc etc).

It's also good to keep the conversation going with occasional follow-ups/updates when there are new developments, to keep their attention on the issue.

This is the thread, I did amend the text slightly, referencing those 2 MPs above would also be a good idea. I think my MP is quite a decent guy, so fingers crossed he'll respond soon and the time he's taken so far means he is giving it some thought.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3789873-conservative-party-women-s-pledge

I absolutely agree with everyone saying write to your MP. The Conservatives have a majority which they achieved via lots of disenchanted Labour voters. They want to hold onto that, but they are as susceptible to this well organized, aggressive lobby as any other craven politico. Make your opinion known. Email, write, Twitter, meet them. Silence is compliance in this environment.

Thanks so much for these pointers, I've started drafting a letter!

There is no point with my MP, he is a slug faced dick with no interest in anything but claiming expenses and anyone else's work as his achievement.

We were so happy when he lost his seat in 2017 but the swing against Labour re Brexit cost our very good Labour MP her seat.

Those who advocate doing nothing? Cui bono? Silence is compliance

Who’s advocating doing nothing? Posters have said they have tried but found deaf ears.

I don’t like the sound of ‘silence is compliance’. It’s got a kinda rape-culture, if-you-don’t-fight-back-then-you-consent vibe. Some people are intimidated into silence, fear of reprisal etc. I don’t condemn them for doing what they feel they need to to stay/feel safe.

I wrote to my previous MP, now stepped down, and to all the prospective new MPs standing. Tory response promising - suggested a meeting if she got in (she did), Lib Dem - didn’t respond at all (surprise), Labour - said lots of other v important issues and they are committed to diversity/equality and same sex spaces.
But yes, I need to write to my new Tory mp and request a meeting. I daily collect articles on the whole brou ha so feel like there is so much info - and you almost need to get a feel for ALL of it to appreciate the concerns. However, I am going to focus on children - GIDS, local authority Ed policy, dangers of puberty blockers etc. Passing mention and links to articles on freedom of speech, same sex spaces & science. Thanks for the prompt!

I second the OP.

Friend who stood at election, did not receive one email about self ID.

Local councillors have previously told me it's niche and it doesn't affect most people and I'm the only one talking about it.

I don’t like the sound of ‘silence is compliance’. It’s got a kinda rape-culture, if-you-don’t-fight-back-then-you-consent vibe

What an utterly absurd and bizarre analogy. Someone who works for an MP has stated that there has been very little communication about this issue. Contacting one's political representatives or not is absolutely nothing like rape If people don't raise their objections in a political context, the status quo continues unchallenged I think your comparison is deranged.

Absurd, bizarre, deranged what a lovely response, Thankyou! I didn’t say contacting political representatives was like rape. I said “silence is compliance” has a “rape culture vibe”, and to me it does. Assuming that people consent/acquiesce because they haven’t explicitly said they don’t, is problematic to borrow woke phrasing. Political representatives should be going out to actively find out what people think/want/feel/need, not just sitting there waiting for people to pester them.

I absolutely encourage everyone to contact their MPs, but have no truck with shaming those who don’t, choose not to or feel they can’t.

Nellie is there a way you could share the content you've saved? I've been fairly useless at doing this, but would also like to go and see my MP armed with a lot more evidence than I provided earlier. I

I have contacted my shiny new tory my this morning.