Talk to your MP

Thousands of Terrence Higgins Trust members and supporters have emailed your MPs on issues ranging from chlamydia screening to prescription charges to care and support for people living with HIV.

This has been vital to our success campaigning for change with both national and local government to make sure HIV and sexual health are given the attention they deserve..
But many of you want to do more, such as speaking to your MP in person. MPs receive many emails, but a face-to-face interaction is sure to make them really notice your concern and, more importantly, do something about it.

Visiting your MP is easy. They hold constituency surgeries, which are normally weekly sessions you can attend to explain and discuss your problem – whether its benefit reductions, cuts to services, discrimination or anything else. Here’s our guide to organising a visit:

1) Phone your MP’s office

Here is a great tool for finding your MP’s telephone number.

Phone up your MP's office to ask when their next surgery is. The surgery will either be first-come, first-served– in which case get there early – or you will be asked to make an appointment.

2) Prepare to meet your MP

Have a clear idea of what you want to talk to your MP about. What issue are you particularly concerned about, and how will you be affected? If you know specifically what you want them to do, that's ideal. If you don't know, don't worry - it’s their job to decide what needs to be done about your problem.

Here are a few tips:

• Be courteous. MPs sometimes unfairly bear the brunt of people's anger with the Government. Your MP will want to help you if they can, so use the opportunity to be as constructive as possible.
• Don't be disheartened if you mainly speak with your MP's assistant. They are likely to be the person who carries forward your concern on the MP's behalf anyway.
• Think about whether you can ask your MP for some specific actions, like writing to a Minister or the Local Authority, asking Parliamentary Questions, voting for an amendment to a Bill, tabling a debate, or signing an Early Day Motion.
• If you have any questions or want more guidance on what to say and how to say it, please email us via campaigns@tht.org.uk .
• Remember – your MP won’t expect you to be an expert. You just need to tell them your concerns and ask them to do something to show their support. They’ll be interested in hearing how an issue affects you as a constituent. You're making their job of representing their constituency easier by telling them about your problem. Otherwise, there's no reason why they should necessarily know about it.

3) After the meeting

Follow up the meeting with a letter thanking your MP for their time, confirming what you talked about and what action they've agreed to take. If they said they'll do something on your behalf, you can follow up a few weeks later to see if they’ve made any progress.

Meeting your MP in person can be a really rewarding experience, and many MPs appreciate the chance to talk to a constituent directly. It’s also a great way to make sure HIV and sexual health stay on their radar.

If you do meet with your MP, we'd love to hear about it, so please let us know by emailing campaigns@tht.org.uk