“Our MP asked a question in the House of Commons on our behalf”
This week we are celebrating some of the stories of congregations from our churches who have taken up the challenge to meet their local MP. Each congregation was able to demonstrate their concerns for the local area, express their hopes and dreams, and invite partnership and dialogue which would allow peace and justice to flourish – but the ways they went about it were as varied and creative as the communities they represent. Find out more about ‘Meet Your MP’
Bishop’s Cleeve Methodist Church & Tewkesbury Methodist Church meet Laurence Robertson MP
Jerry Barr wrote to tell us that his congregation has had contact with Laurence Robertson over a range of issues since Laurence’s election in 1997.
Jerry had previously organised a panel discussion on solar energy together with ‘Hope for the Future’ and was keen to take it further by engaging Laurence in a conversation on issues that had come up around climate change and sustainability. Jerry requested a meeting with Laurence in his constituency office, and three of the team went to represent their views.
[photo: Chris McAndrew CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)]
During the discussion, Laurence agreed to accompany Jerry on a visit to a newbuild eco-home. He also promised that he would ask the Minister for Energy a question on support for community energy schemes. Three days later in Parliament, he did even better than he promised by asking three related questions: two to the Minister for Energy and one to the Minister for Housing, receiving considered answers from the ministers within 10 days.
You can easily find out what oral or written questions your local MP is asking in Parliament, and the response, by visiting https://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/.
On each member’s biography page, you’ll also find ways to contact them.
To find out how MPs are voting on various issues, see https://www.theyworkforyou.com/
Meet Your MP tips:
- Offer a warm welcome with refreshments
- Listen to what the MP says
- Tell them about the church
- Ask if they would like the church to pray for anything.
- Look for other organisations to work alongside, such as Christian Aid, Hope for the Future or Tearfund
- MPs often have busy diaries but keep trying to find a time to meet.
A final Meet Your MP story to round off the week tomorrow…
