I often encourage people to write to their MPs – in talks, on this blog, in Birdwatch (the October column of which I have just written) and at the weekend’s Bird Fair.
Sometimes, in fact quite often, people say that they never get a response from their MP – and that puzzles me as I have always had responses (of variable quality but all things considering of quite high quality) from my various MPs, of various parties, in various constituencies. I now have an advantage that my MP knows that I write a blog, knows that I will post my letter on my blog (if about environmental matters which they almost always are), and knows that I will summarise his reply and say nice things about him replying even if I can’t agree with what he has written – but my good experience goes back many years.
MPs take notice of your letters/emails – they depend on your votes. If you never communicate with your MP he or she will not know what you think – if you do communicate with them it will make a bit of difference. Why let all the people who disagree with you make their points when you don’t? That doesn’t make much sense does it?
In an idle moment I mused that there is probably a way of finding out how good MPs are at responding to their constituents – and there is. Have a look at writetothem.com for information on 2015. Where does your MP stand in the league table?
I was interested to see how the pro-grouse-shooting MPs who spoke in the Westminster Hall debate measured up in responsiveness.
The average MP replies to c50% of constituents’ letters – I’m honestly not sure whether I find that a good % or a poor one.
But I do find Jim Shannon, Richard Drax, Craig Whittaker and Nick Herbert at a response rate in the 20%s as very poor and Therese Coffey, Chris Davies, Simon Hart, Nigel Evans and Geoffrey Clifton-Brown in the 30%s as poor too.
I’ll give you some tips on writing to your MP through this week – but, in essence, they work for you and should respond to your views.
I spoke in detail to two Welsh voters at the Bird Fair and they were up for writing to their MP – and I hope they remember to do so.
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I regularly write to my MP, Nicky Morgan and I ALWAYS get a thorough response, even if this is partially borrowed from the relevant minister or ministry and I know that other correspondents have the same success rate.
Although I don’t see eye to eye with Ms Morgan politically, I acknowledge that she works tremendously hard for Loughborough and is adept in making sure that she is rarely out of the local paper! This has meant that she has made a highly marginal seat much more secure for the Conservatives and it would take a landslide to depose her.
Little things like replying to letters do make a difference!
Kevin – agreed! And please keep it up!
Our MP, John Howell, has an 83% response rate according to writetothem.com. However I can’t recall any letter which didn’t just add his name to the Conservative party line. His predecessors were Boris Johnson and Michael Hesseltine who I reckon would have had their own views (which I probably wouldn’t agree with, either).
Mark, you mentioned Margaret Greenwood, Lab., Wirral West – she is prompt and attentive in her replies.
To be fair to previous MPs in this and other constituencies where I’ve lived, I have found they always replied.
I emailed my MP, Nicola Blackwood, in 2015 regarding your 2nd petition to ban driven grouse shooting and she replied with the same DEFRA nonsense that we are all familiar with. In October last year I wrote to her regarding your 3rd petition, this time by post. I enclosed a couple of carefully selected items from the evidence submissions that i hoped she might read and you kindly sent here a copy of your fine book. Not a peep. She was given the bum’s rush at the last election so she’s no longer my MP.
Hello Roly!
Nicola was my MP also. I used to send absolutely passionate emails to Nicola over the evils of fox hunting and soon learnt that (a) she had no real interest in wildlife (she was also supported financially by fox hunting interests in a partly rural constituency) and that (b) she never, ever, supported Early Day Motions (so it was a waste of time contacting her about them). However, she did bother to reply to me. She was very interested in women’s issues and human rights… However, what happened next was that an existential threat to residents living next to the Oxford – Bicester Railway line (the threat of 5000 ton freight trains travelling at 60 mph with 7.5 metres of bedroom windows!) took over my many communications with Nicola, and I decided not to bother writing further about wildlife issues (for fear of alienating her? That is the power an MP can have over you.) She was very good on the railway issue, but remained devoid of empathy for the fate of British wildlife. I do not understand how someone could sympathise with people while treating other animals as objects. We now have a Lib Dem opposition MP (Physics teacher) whose attitude to, and fight for, wildlife I remain to discover…
I have written to My MP, Dr Dan Poulter (C), several times and met him 121 once. I’ve always had a reply to any letter I’ve sent him. It’s often just the party line, but then I’ve usually written about environmental issues which aren’t his particular interest – he has a reputation for championing Mental Heath service provision and doesn’t always toe the party line about that. No MP can have an informed opinion on everything so I don’t expect a bespoke letter on my topic every time.
A previous MP was Andrew Tyrie (C) who was also excellent at always replying. I got mostly bespoke letters from him, and was impressed that when he disagreed with my views he wasn’t afraid to set out why he did so in a well argued and respectful manner.
I was surprised to see that Dr Poulter had a low response rating on WriteToThem.com. I think this only measures responses to messages via that site, though – and like most MPs Poulter is clear in his standard acknowledgement email that he can’t reply to most standard messages from 38 degrees etc and I don’t blame him for that either. In the old days 1 paper petition counted as 1 letter, regardless of the number of signatures, and the modern e petition by professional petition sites is similarly a straw pole but little more. It’s just too easy to sign while knowing little, and indeed caring not much more, about the topic in question.
I’m always polite, which I think is essential, and I try not to be party political myself.
I must say, though, I’m very surprised and disappointed to learn that many MPs don’t always respond – I must have been lucky, I don’t think I’ve ever not had a reply.
“a straw pole” never carries much weight
I email my MP regularly. We are not of the same political persuasion and she invariably trots out the party line when replying, which she does mostly. As most of my emails to her are negative about her party policies it is good that she takes the time to reply!!
At a slight tangent but, I hope a relevant one, particularly as this post, is bookended by ones on the topic, how many MPs visited (or have visited) the Bird Fair? (Are they invited?) How does this compare to the numbers of politicians visiting game fairs, county shows, etc? I’m not sure how much birding and related subjects put into the economy each year but it must be a considerable amount. Given how much cash the hobby puts into his constituency (North Norfolk) you’d think Norman Lamb ought to be a regular visitor as should some junior minister (at least) with a related portfolio. Writing to them is good of course but going to the Bird Fair would make them far more aware of many issues than any number of letters.
john – thank you – see tomorrow’s blog!
I have always received a reply from Mark Tami my Labour MP. If I send him an email about wildlife issues he always responds with a letter. Plus he’s a member of LACS. So good on him.
I always get a response when I write to my MP, Chi Onwurah although of late I have noticed that the response usually comes from one or other of her ‘case workers’ which is a little frustrating – she could at least sign the letter! What she does do that I appreciate is always forward my letter to the relevant minister and then forwards me the response. That way I get to register my views with the government too which is a bonus.
When writing to MPs and ministers one has to view it as being similar to the dripping of water onto limestone rock – like a single water droplet an individual letter has little impact but just as the rock is worn away and shaped by the endless succession of drops, a continuing succession of letters from as many constituents as possible will eventually have a significant effect.
I’ve always had a response from my MP, but it can take a while – that probably influences the writetothem figures.
MPs should always respond to constituent’s letters. The only excuse for not doing so is that the constituent didn’t actually write the letter. Where they simply click a button to write to their MP, without adding anything of susbstance of their own, the MP is in my view entitled to respond in the same sort of way – for example with a generic response on their website. If you want to engage and perhaps influence your MP you should aim to do so by writing to them in your own words. There is an important place for petitions, multiple letters and so on, and they do influence MPs: but you shouldn’t expect a reply to something you didn’t write.