Advocates at #MEAction UK are working hard to engage Members of Parliament in the fight for appropriate clinical care and investment in biomedical research for ME. Gaining MPs support in lobbying for change is vital to our success. So whether you are a person with ME, their carer, friend, family member or ally, we are asking you to reach out and meet with your MP, and we have created a toolkit to help.
The toolkit contains everything you need for a successful meeting, including:
- Email templates
- Tips for preparing for the meeting
- Actions you can ask your MP to do at this stage
- Key talking points
- How to follow-up after the meeting
The role of an MP is to represent their constituents’ interests and concerns. In this respect your story is the most powerful resource you have. Have you been fobbed off or even harmed by the healthcare you’ve received? Have you struggled to access benefits or care that you are entitled to? Have you lost friends or family due to stigma and disbelief? This is what your MP needs to hear.
We have already made major strides in this campaign, including not 1 but 2! Westminster Hall debates and plans are already underway to make the next debate even bigger. This is the next step we must take together. Contact your MP now.
This will be a mass education of those with the power to force change – we want every single MP in the country to meet with a constituent, to learn how their life has been affected by ME and find out what they can do to help.
Using Social Media
Social media is another critical tool you can use to influence MPs without having to leave your home! Read our Social Media Toolkit below.
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And remember for every contact you have with your MP, be it positive, negative or somewhere inbetween: we want to hear about it!
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As always, if you have any questions or require support, email us at [email protected] and remember that you can support our UK fundraiser to continue to grow the work for the UK!