Getting your voice heard in Parliament is a fundamental right for everyone. And letting those in power know what matters to you is vital for getting laws passed and changed. But it might be a bit confusing when you first start looking to get involved – but during UK Parliament Week, which began this Monday, there are many ways to get your voice heard.
This year there are almost 10,000 events taking place across the country and at least one in every single constituency in the UK. But events aren’t the only way to get your voice heard. Why not try these options?
Host a tea party for your community
Hosting a tea party with your local community is a great way to bring people together to reflect on what your community means to you. Why not invite your neighbours around for a tea party to discuss issues and ask them to write down what they think on local or national issues. Then you can pass the information on to local elected officials like your MP.
The 'Tea With My Community' event was inspired by Sir David Amess, who was murdered in service. He was the MP for Southend West and regularly invited his constituents, particularly those from older generations to tea. You can find out more information about how to set up a tea party on the UK Parliament Week website.
Write to your MP
If you know what you are passionate about – or what your friends and neighbours care about – you can write to your local MP or a member of the House of Lords. The UK is divided into 650 areas called constituencies, and each constituency is represented by one MP. You can contact your MP when you, or people living in your area, are affected by decisions made by the UK Parliament or by the Government.
You can find your MP and their contact details here. Or, if you would like to find a peer who may have specialist knowledge and independent experience on an issue you care about you can find details on how to contact them on the House of Lords website.
Get the kids involved
You’re never too young to start thinking about Parliament and the way our laws are made. One way to use your voice is to reflect on what young people think of their local area and the UK. So, why not start a conversation with your family about the work of Parliament while they build their own Big Ben?
To mark the completion of the Elizabeth Tower restoration, children aged between seven and 12, are being asked to create a Big Ben model using materials that represent their local area. You can use any item or even draw it as long as you can explain to the judges why you chose the material. You can find out more about entering the Build Your Own Big Ben competition online.
Visit Parliament
Parliament is housed in a UNESCO World Heritage Site which is open to the public. Anyone can come and get a tour of the magnificent building. It’s an excellent way to learn more about the building but also about how Parliament works and what MPs and Lords do every day.
If you are a UK resident, you can book a free guided tour up to six months in advance by contacting your local MP or a Member of the House of Lords. Although early booking is recommended. You do not have to know your MP personally or support them politically to book this tour.
To find out more about the free Inside UK Parliament guided tours, or the other tours available, head over to the UK Parliament tour page.
Petitions
Petitions are a historic and effective way of getting your voice heard in Parliament. Nowadays you can start and sign petitions about topics you’re passionate about online. E-petitions can be started by any UK resident on the Petitions website and will get a response to the Government after 10,000 people have signed up. Once it reaches 100,000 signatures it will be considered as a debate topic in Parliament.
Petitions can be on anything – recently MPs have debated holding a general election, the Human Rights Act, and nationalising energy companies.
Submit evidence
MPs and members of the House of Lords have many different groups called Committees where they come together to consider policies and the work of the Government. Although they have expertise in the area they’re looking at, they’ll often want to hear from people just like you who know about the topic too.
Whether it’s looking at a certain policy you have first-hand knowledge on – or if it’s looking at how the Government is spending your money – this is the best way to get your voice heard on really important issues. Committees will often ask for written evidence and then if they want to hear more, they could invite you to give evidence to them in person. You can find out which committee is looking for evidence now on their websites.
