Contacting your MP

It is often useful to reach out to your MP to tell them about your organisation and what you need, so that they can help you and promote your organisation. MPs may also contact you themselves to visit or engage with your community.

You can find out who your MP is at https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP including their contact details.

This is your opportunity to introduce your organisation as a vital part of your community and build a lasting relationship with your MP. Let them know what impact you are having, and what your community needs to thrive.

If your MP is new, congratulate them on their win when you contact them. They might not know who you are and will be looking for ways to connect with people in your community.

Invite your MP to visit your organisation so you have a greater opportunity to tell them what you do and how you can work together. You could host a tour of your activities and create a photo opportunity of them with your community to use in the press and social media.

Email templates

Locality have created some email templates to save you time:

• Template email to say congratulations to incoming MP post-election, introduce themselves and invite them for a visit
  
• Template email invitation for MP to visit
• Template email to introduce your campaigning asks to an MP if you don't have time for a visit

Remember, if there is an election coming up you should contact all candidates to be politically independent and balanced.

Make sure your charity and the MP benefit from the visit. Don't let them leave without listening to your community's needs, your impact and how you can work together in the future.

Prepare

• Create a clear agenda for the visit and share it with the MP and your colleagues in advance.
• Agree how you will promote the visit in advance so you can share information about it quickly once it has happened. Get the MP's social media details and make sure they have yours.
• Show your impact, passion and knowledge. Ensure the visit takes place at a time the MP can see your activities and speak to participants where appropriate.
• Try to set time aside for a quiet/private conversation about your community's needs and ask about the MP's opinions and their party's policies.
• Know what you want to achieve from the conversation and prepare your questions and evidence in advance. This includes local needs, and promoting national asks such as those in Locality's Manifesto (we've created a one-page version you can give to your MP).
• Try to get the MP to commit to any follow up conversations or events.
• Plan the photo opportunity. Choose a place that will showcase your work. Make sure you get relevant permissions from anyone in the photo.
• Let Locality know so we can help you prepare and promote your visits. Email members@locality.org.uk

After the visit

• Make a note of the MP's answers to questions and what they were interested in so you can follow up in future emails and invitations.
• Email and thank them for their visit. Remind them of how you can work together. Ask them to join your mailing list or follow you on social media.
• Share any social media posts or local newspaper articles about their visit.

Tell your community about the visit and what the MP said they would do on your social media, newsletters, website etc.

• Send a press release about the visit or event to your local newspapers highlighting key parts of your discussion (as agreed with the MP).
• Tell Locality so we can promote it to a wider audience and show your MP you are part of a national network. We may be able to help influence further. Let us know via
  • email members@locality.org.uk
  • social posts using #PowerOfCommunity and tagging @localitynews (X/ Twitter) @localityUK (Facebook) @locality (LinkedIn).

While you can support individual policies and issues, make it clear that you don’t support the MP or their party. Make sure you understand charity and electoral law.