A constituent telling their MP what concerns them or asking for his or her support is hugely powerful.
You can get involved in UK policy campaigning in a way that suits you, from sending an occasional email to your MP to organising visits for them locally.
Find your MP
It is easy to find out who your MP is and how to contact them. You can call the House of Commons Information Office on 020 7219 4272 or find your MP on the .
Before you contact your MP it's helpful to know a bit about them, including which party they represent and any specific political interests. This helps you tailor what you say in the most effective way.
Email or write to your MP
If you don't have much time, then an easy way to get your views on record is to send an email or letter to your MP. Be clear and concise, and set out what you're asking for.
It's very helpful for planning future work and developing important relationships if we know how MPs are responding to our campaigning work, or other issues that you raise. If you're happy to share their response, please let us know what they said.
Have a meeting with your MP
If you have more time, meeting your MP in person for a discussion will have even greater impact. Most MPs hold regular advice surgeries for constituents either on a first come-first served basis or by appointment, so just contact your MP鈥檚 office to find out when they will next be available to meet with you in the constituency
Having a face-to-face meeting with your MP gives you the opportunity to let them see your knowledge, experience and interest in the chemical sciences. Due to the busy schedules that MPs have, your meeting is likely to be short, so plan the key points you want to get across to them.
If you want to discuss something detailed or technical at the meeting then it can be useful to put down any key points on paper, or in an email, for the MP in advance. If you are contacting your MP as part of one of our campaigns, there will be a short briefing available which you can use both as a guide for your meeting and for handing to your MP when you meet.
Taking things further
Establishing direct contact with your MP, as one of their constituents, will have a great impact. But if you have time to get even more involved then there is no need to stop there.
If you can help arrange for your local MP to visit a business, school or university in the constituency then this is an excellent way of getting them to appreciate the value of the chemical sciences. If you have an idea about a place your MP could visit, we can suggest the best way to take that forward.
Other elected representatives
While many of the issues that we campaign on in the UK come under the remit of the government in Westminster, some (such as education) are devolved to the Scottish Government, Welsh Assembly and Northern Ireland Assembly. So if you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland you can contact MSPs, AMs and MLAs as well as MPs. If your issue is especially local, you may wish to contact your local councillors or if you are raising something that is decided at European Union level then you can contact your MEPs.
You can find out who all your elected representatives are by entering your postcode at www.writetothem.com - this will tell you who represents you as MP, MEPs, local councillors and devolved government representatives (where relevant). If you are not sure exactly who to contact, we can offer advice.