A Practical Action Plan for MPs

Ten practical things every MP can do to rebuild democracy in their constituency

1. Set out your objectives for your constituency

Many of your constituents don’t really know what you are trying to achieve in your constituency.
Take every opportunity to make your local objectives visible.
Focus on issues that mean something to local people and report any progress you make.

How?

• Print your objectives on business cards for you and your team
• Use them on your stationery and newsletters
• Print them on the side of your car
• Print them on your office sign

2. Build the public profile of your local team

Many of your constituents do not know how many people work for you or what they do.
Making your team more visible to the public would correct any misconceptions.
Make it clear to the public that your office staff are often the best people to help them.

How?

• Send newsletters from the team and MP
• Feature pictures of the team in communications
• Ensure that constituents know who is the best person to speak to in order to solve a particular problem
• Assign job titles that emphasise your team’s abilities and expertise

3. Make your hard work visible

Your constituents don’t know how hard you work.
Use your newsletter, website and other communications to remind them of the role and function of an MP.

How?

• Publish a complete diary of your team, not just the highlights
• Create a day-in-the-life of your MP photo story, or a short film
• In your newsletter and online, publish a running list of the initiatives you’ve been involved in and helped to start
• Show a monthly graph online that details issues dealt with and things you’ve agreed to do this week

4. Harness the power of groups

Some people feel uncomfortable speaking up in public or approaching their MP for help. Encourage people to meet you as a group of friends or neighbours rather than alone.

Where possible, try tackling common problems like housing and immigration through group surgeries where constituents can help one another and learn with one another.

Working with groups rather than individuals can be both more effective and efficient.

5. Help your constituents to help themselves

Work with the energy of your constituents to help make their ideas happen.

How?

• Provide know-how on issues such as funding
• Connect constituents who together can make things happen
• Facilitate creative sessions to find ways to make constituents’ ideas happen
• Lend your support to something that is already happening in your community and is in line with your objectives

6. Meet your constituents on their own turf

Create opportunities for constituents to meet with you on their own turf, where they will be more comfortable and more likely to voice their ideas, concerns and opinions.

How?

• Run street-by-street surgeries where constituents can invite you in for a chat
• Advertise for constituents to invite you into their space and talk over a beer, a coffee or a game of pool

7. Audit the time your office spends providing different types of services

Divide services up into different categories, such as:

• Services that will help solve problems for groups of people (housing, immigration or benefit claims, for example)
• Services that support constituents to make things happen for themselves (help local campaigners find funding, for example)
• Listening services where constituents can voice their concerns, ideas and opinions
• Information services that communicate the role and work of the MP and constituency office such as newsletters, websites and postcards
• Services that support individuals who need help with problems such as phone line advice, one-to-one surgeries and letter writing

8. Campaign for a new Hansard for constituents

MPs have Hansard to report on the proceedings of the House of Commons. We think constituents deserve an online ‘Constituency Hansard’ to report on the proceedings of their local MP.

This Hansard would include:

• A job description for the MP as they define it
• Their constituency priorities and results to date
• A list of services offered by the MP
• When he or she has been in town
• A synopsis of their diary
• An account of meetings and events attended
• A breakdown of requests received, including petitions and letters concerning current affairs
• A profile that explains the MP’s background and how they became an MP
• Profiles of local and Westminster staff

9. Campaign for a ‘Constitupedia’ for MPs

MPs and their offices tend to work alone. We came across little sharing of best practice between MPs, even within parties, Don’t let party rivalry prevent better ways of doing democracy. Innovation in constituency practice is happening, but is seldom shared.

We think, for the public good of democracy, there is need for a ‘Constitupedia’ – an online and open resource to share best constituency practice between MPs and across parties.

10. Campaign for Democracy Officers

As it stands, with MPs representing nearly 80,000 constituents, a part time staff of three or four seems miserly.

We think that MPs’ budgets for constituency work should be doubled. But not to fund more of the same. Instead, we think the extra money should be used to fund new ways for the public to engage with MPs.

We’d like to see MPs working more closely with public engagement staff in local councils.

We think that MPs should have control over a portion of the council’s budget for public engagement. This budget should fund Democracy Officers who will engage the public on local and national issues on behalf of the council, the MP and Parliament.