Our friends at City’s of Sanctuary Uk have created a great hand book “Speak Up For Sanctuary“, which we as a team often refer back to. They share the following tips for writing to your MP:
- Write from the heart. Pepper your letters with your values and the origins of why you care. Use your own experiences to paint an alternative vision – do you volunteer, attend community events or have you ever hosted a refugee family? Look for points of connection with who you are writing with, even if they hold a Hear from an MP different position to you. Perhaps you are both parents or run small businesses- these can all be good ways of reaching across the divide. In our letters and emails, less is more.
- Try and focus on one or two key issues, and try and always come up with something you want them to take action on. The person who reads the letter will be busy, so you need to catch their attention and keep it, so be simple and concise.
- You may want to think of ways to make your letter stand out. You could include a poem, a painting or a recipe.
- Always do your research – if your MP already supports your cause instead ask them for ways that you can collaborate together, perhaps an event or a photo opportunity, in order to influence change. If you receive a generic response, reply providing further resources. If your MPs provides a supportive response, be sure to monitor how they vote in parliament and if needs be, hold them to account later down the line.” Taken from City Of Sanctuary Speak Up For Sanctuary Handbook
