Some 38 Degrees members have asked for some tips on how to persuade their MPs to meet them. Every member of an MP’s constituency has the right to meet them and talk to them about the issues they care about, so don’t worry about requesting a meeting!

We’ve asked a few people who’ve successfully arranged meetings – here are their tips:

- Remember to be constructive – MPs are more likely to respond to positive messages
- Use the phone: MPs get lots of emails and it’s often easier to arrange meetings over the phone than in writing
- Be polite but persistent: most MPs’ offices are busy places, so it’s possible that a phone message could get mislaid or overlooked
- Tell your MP that several local 38 Degrees members will probably come along so it could be a good opportunity for them to meet several local voters at once
- The meeting could also be a good chance to generate some local media coverage for them, which is usually something that MPs like!
- Remind your MP that the NHS is an issue that lots of people care about, both as a national debate but also because of local decisions about hospitals and GP surgeries. It’s much better to talk to people about it than try to avoid the conversation completely
- If your MP still refuses to meet, then ask them to put their reasons in writing. That will give you a chance to think about the best steps, as well as something to show to other 38 Degrees members in your area to explain why a meeting hasn’t happened yet

If you have any more suggestions please post them on the comments feed below, or you can read more about how to set up an NHS petition MP hand-in here. And please remember that because 38 Degrees is a non-party political organisation, if you represent a political party (for example, if you’re a local councillor, or hold a position within a local party group), you shouldn’t sign up to host an event.

38 Degrees members have been handing in our huge NHS petition to their MPs up and down the country. 38 Degrees members Frances, Bill, Hannah and Bob prove how easy and important it is.

Frances who met her local MP, Michael McCann, on Friday said;

“Hi folks, had a meeting with my MP today, and it went really well. It can be quite scary if you haven’t done anything like this before, but remember, politicians depend on us to vote for them, and you’re not expected to be an expert, just a concerned constituent. So arrange a meeting and let them know how you feel. Good luck!”

Bill said “The hand-in went off very well and we got media coverage. Graham Allen our MP was very interested and committed to the need to get the Government to revisit the issue and think again about the implications of what it is doing to such a vital service.

We also had the support of our newly elected City Councilor Nick MacDonald.

This was a very low key event but it will bring the issue into the homes of many passive supporters who we hope will become more active and stand up and be counted. The future of our Health Service is too important to just leave to politicians, so get along to your MP’s next surgery and let them know what you think. Even better, get your local neighbourhood community/action group to raise the issue and lobby your MP.

Make the effort, it is worth it.”

Hannah said, “The hand-in went really well. Paul Blomfield was really helpful. I’m a regular person, this is the first time I’ve tried to organise anything like this, talked to journalists or been on the radio. I was really surprised how helpful and interested people were in not only the campaign but what I had to say. I won’t hesitate next time I feel an issue needs to be brought to people’s attention.”

In Blackpool, Bob handed in our petition to MP Gordon Marsden and the Blackpool Gazette covered the event in this great article.

If you want to follow Frances, Bill Hannah and Bob’s lead and visit your MP click here.

For more information click here.

[Update: May 25th]

Nick Clegg was keen to emphasise to us that he was listening. But one thing really concerned many of us. It became clear that earlier in the day, there had been an official “listening event” somewhere in Sheffield.

None of our members, who all had an interest in the issue, had heard anything about it. A volunteer in the 38 Degrees office had rung up the Department of Health just a couple of days earlier asking for details of “listening events” and it hadn’t been mentioned.

It seems to have been one of the public meetings promised as part of the “listening exercise” – but given the time and location were kept secret, it wasn’t exactly easy for the public to attend.

Read the full story here.

Over the past week we’ve all been forwarding the Save the NHS petition to our friends, and sharing it on Facebook and Twitter. It’s working – between us we gathered 100,000 more signatures in the last seven days!

Meanwhile, 38 Degrees members have started handing in copies of the petition to their local MPs. This weekend, in Blackpool, East Kilbride, Truro, Filey and Sheffield, 38 Degrees members asked their MPs to oppose Andrew Lansley’s dangerous NHS plans.

Watch what happened on Friday evening when 38 Degrees members in Sheffield delivered a copy of our petition to Nick Clegg.

Nick Clegg was visibly taken aback at the size of the petition. Several of his aides had to help him carry it! 38 Degrees members made it clear to Clegg that he needs to stand up to Lansley and block the NHS plans if he wants to win back voters’ trust.

Imagine the effect if we deliver a copy of our 380,000 strong petition to every single MP in the country. It will send a stir through Parliament, and should help tip the balance against Andrew Lansley’s plans. By working together we can make this happen.

It’s pretty easy to organise a petition hand-in to your  MP. Find out more, and sign up to help.

38 Degrees members who’ve already organised visits to their MPs have found it pretty simple. There’s info and advice here. 38 Degrees volunteers in the office are on hand to help if you need it. It takes 2 or 3 hours in total, spread over about a month.

It works something like this:-

• put your name down on the 38 Degrees website get in touch with your MP’s office to book an appointment
• choose a meeting place near to where you’re meeting your MP, where 38 Degrees members can gather half an hour earlier (e.g. a cafe, pub, community centre)
• post up the meeting time and place on the 38 Degrees website. We’ll be able to let every 38 Degrees member in your area know so they can come along.

Please put your name down to get started.

On Friday, confronted with our huge petition, Nick Clegg said some warm words. But, as you’ll see from the video, he didn’t fully address some of our big concerns. Other politicians seem to be further from where we’d like them to be –  the BBC is reporting today that David Cameron wants to “stand firm” on the NHS plans. Our pressure has already pushed Clegg, but if we’re going to save the NHS we need to make sure that every MP feels the heat.

Here’s what Bob, a 38 Degrees member in Blackpool said after organising a petition delivery to his local MP:

“I’ve never done anything like this before and it was very easy to set up the meeting. It only took about three hours in total. We met up with other 38 Degrees members before the meeting and then went to see our MP. He was very pleased to see us and showed a keen interest in our comments. The local press came along with a reporter and photographer. Can’t wait to see the papers!”

Can you do the same with your local MP? Put your name down here.

Islington 38 Degrees Members hand in the petition to their MP

Tens of thousands of us have emailed our MPs urging them to protect our NHS. Now we need to start organising visits so we can talk to them face-to-face and hand in the petition which over 260,000 of us have signed.

It’s pretty easy to organise a visit your MP. Here’s a quick step-by-step guide explaining how to do it:

1. Sign up with 38 Degrees to organise a visit to your MP

It’s important to let staff and volunteers in the 38 Degrees office know that you are organising a visit, so we can be in touch with updates. Take 30 seconds to fill in this quick form. 38 Degrees is a non-party political organisation, so if you represent a political party (for example, if you’re a local councillor, or hold a position within a local party group), please don’t sign up to host an event.

2. Arrange the visit (a few weeks before the visit)

Use the 38 Degrees phone your MP tool to find the name and number of your MP. Then book an appointment, and politely notify your MP’s office that you intend to hand in a petition, and that the press are invited.  There’s more advice on arranging a meeting with an MP here.

3. Pick a good meeting spot nearby

Once you know where and when you are meeting your MP, you need to find a location nearby where you can meet up with other 38 Degrees members before hand. A pub, a cafe, or community centre would be ideal.

Make it somewhere easy to find, and not too busy. If nowhere instantly springs to mind, try searching on the Internet - for example, using a site like Beer in the evening or the Yellow Pages.

4. Tell other 38 Degrees members (ideally at least two weeks before the visit)

Now you need to tell other 38 Degrees members about your visit to your MP – so you’re not alone when you go. It’s quick and easy to do that. Just:

• Go to the 38 Degrees events hub and enter in the details of when and where you’re visiting your MP and where you should meet beforehand.
• If you do this the Monday at least 4 days before your visit the 38 Degrees office will be able to email other 38 Degrees members near you and invite them to come with you.
• Once you’ve added your event to our ‘hub’, we will be in touch with some extra advice  and some materials you might find useful.

5. Confirm the details (a few days before)
It might be worth calling your MP’s office again (using the easy to use 38 Degrees tool to find the name and number) to confirm that you’re coming, to let them know the media might be there, and to confirm that you want to hand in the petition.

6. Tell the local press (optional – a few days before)

1. MPs pay a lot of attention to local newspapers and radio. So it’s a good idea to invite them to come.
   1. To make this easier we’ve produced a press release you can use.  Some details will need to be amended but it will help you on your way. Or if you are feeling creative you can write your own!
   2. Invite the media to come. Once you’ve got the press release written you can use google to find the websites of your local press – then find the “contact us” section and give them a ring and tell them what you’re doing. (more info below)
2. Before the event the 38 Degrees office will contact you to let you know how many people in your constituency  have signed the petition
3. 

   Save Our NHS Poster

   24 hours before the event the 38 Degrees office will automatically email a reminder to everyone who has said they’ll come with you

7. On the day

1. Meet up with the other 38 Degrees members at your agreed meeting spot
2. Encourage everyone to introduce themselves and have a quick chat through what is going to happen. Make sure that people understand that they can be as involved as they are comfortable with – some people will want to talk to their MP, others might just want to be in the photo as the ptition is handed in, or to show moral support.
3. Get to wherever you are meeting your MP ten minutes or so before the time you arranged, leaving plenty of time to liase with the MPs staff and say hello to the media.
4. Talk to your MP, get photographs taken and talk to any journalists who are there!

8. After the event

1. It’d be really helpful to share how it went. Post an update on the 38 Degrees blog or Facebook page. Send photos to emailtheteam@38degrees.org.uk
2. Phone or email journalists. If they covered the event, thank them. If they didn’t, ask politely if there is anything that might persuade them to do so next time.

If you have more questions about visiting your MP, why not visit our Frequently Asked Questions section?

38 Degrees members deliver petition to John Pugh, MP for Southport

How much time will it take to organise a visit to an MP?

As with everything, this depends on how much effort you feel able to put in – but a basic visit and petition hand in event should not take more than a couple of hours to organise.

Will I have to invite people?

If you add your event to the 38 Degrees events tool by the Monday at least 4 days before the event we’ll send an invite automatically to other 38 Degrees members in your area. It’s always a good idea to ask people you know personally to come via Facebook, email or Twitter as well, but is not essential.

How will I know how many people are coming?
Once you have entered the event into the 38 Degrees events system,  you will be able to check to see how many people have confirmed their attendance.

What will be expected from me at the event?
Everyone who attends is responsible for their own level of involvement. On the day, you should simply turn up at the meeting place on time, make sure everyone finds their way over to the MPs office, and make sure that photos are taken and that everyone gets a chance to speak to the MP if they would like. Of course, if you want to try to convene a local group or organise other events afterwards, that is entirely up to you.

38 Degrees members in Broxtowe deliver the NHS petition to Anna Soubry MP

Do I have to organise for the local papers and radio to come?

No, but if you can it’s a great if you can as MPs do care what the local media reports. We have produced a template press release for you to use as a starting point.

How will I get my hands on the petition?

Once you have registered your interest in organising an MP visit and petition hand-in, and when you have entered the details into our events hub, 38 Degrees head office will arrange to send you the materials you need.

How do I get the local paper and radio to report the visit?

To maximise your chances of getting good press attendance, spend just a little time on the Internet researching the email addresses of the local press outlets – where possible, don’t just note down the generic email addresses, but see if there are reporters who have covered this kind of story before, and include them too. You can use the press release template we’ve provided and tailor it to our hand in event, or if you are feeling creative, you can write your own. There are some good guides on how to write a press release here: http://www.freelanceuk.com/news/1126.shtml
http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/how_tos/cyw_64_press_release.pdf

After waiting a day or two, and if you have the time, ring or email the people you sent the press release to, to confirm that they received it and to ask if they have questions.

38 Degrees members hand in the NHS petition in Rother Valley

Even if your local press seem unsure if they are interested, make sure to bring your own camera, to take photos both for 38 Degrees and for future use. The press might get in touch a few days later wanting to run the story, having missed it the first time around.

Are these events party-political?
It’s important that 38 Degrees remains entirely non-partisan, and that people from all political backgrounds are welcome to take part in our events. Anyone who is concerned about the plans for changes to our NHS should be able to attend. MPs are also much more likely to listen when an event includes a wide range of their constituents, and is not dominated by one political party. If you are a member of a political party, please do get involved, but it would be best to leave your party banners and leaflets at home for the day!

Am I expected to know loads of detailed stuff about the NHS plans?
No. The most important thing is that you care about the issue and are able to convey that to your MP. The technical details aren’t as important, although obviously you will want to know enough to explain to your MP why you are concerned – and the more you know, the less easy it will be for your MP to give excuses! There is lots of background information on the 38 Degrees NHS Action Centre.

Politicians never answer the question, do they?
It’s true that many politicians are good at giving reassuring answers without committing themselves to anything. However, if you are firm but polite in making your point, and concentrate on trying to get a similarly firm statement from your MP on where they stand, it will be difficult for them to fudge the issue.

How can I get extra advice?
If these frequently asked questions haven’t covered something you feel you need to know, you can ask your question in the comments below, and we will do our best to update the FAQ!

After an overwhelming response from 38 Degrees members asking for the campaign to protect the NHS to continue, hundreds of thousands have signed the petition, and people all over the country are writing to their MPs to ask them to save the NHS.

Over the past month, 38 Degrees members across the country have been handing in the 250,000 strong Save our NHS petition to MPs on the scrutiny committee for the NHS Health Reform Bill – the committee which has been examining the government’s NHS plans.

If you haven’t already, you can sign the petition here

Across the country 38 Degrees members wanted to show their MPs that they really do care about the NHS in their MP’s local constituency surgery or coffee morning by handing in the petition. Now, people are writing to ask their MP’s what they think about the proposed changes to the NHS. If you want to send a letter to your local MP to see if they are supporting the Bill, you can use our Tell your MP to Protect the NHS here.

NHS petition hand-in, Islington

Petition hand-in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich

NHS petition hand-in Rother Valley

NHS petition hand-in North Warwickshire

NHS petition hand-in Halton

In Winchester on Friday the 18th March 38 Degrees member Kate reported the following:

“A group of some 20 Winchester citizens, 8 of whom were either current or retired NHS employees (some at very senior level) crowded into the Conservative Constituency office on Friday last, to drop off the 38 Degrees national petition, with 200,000 signatures supporting the NHS against back- door privatisation. In the passionate but polite discussion that followed the point was made that where such major upheavals were proposed in the structure of huge and complex organisation, any prudent manager would run a pilot study, limited by area, rather than commit to a root and branch reorganisation, on an untested blueprint. It was pointed out that we are facing the virtual dis-memberment of a national organisation and that this fragmentation will be irreversible.”

Pam in Stourbridge states that her reasons to support the local hand in:
“For me, health is not a commodity, it’s a privilege. The NHS has always been there for me and my family, in sickness and in health, whenever I’ve needed it. Whether it’s for treatment that’s been planned carefully or for emergencies like when my mum had a heart attack, it’s been able to cope. These plans remind me of the USA’s health system; for many of their citizens reliable healthcare doesn’t exist.”

The hand in for Stafford was arranged by David who thinks:
“Doctors have enough work to do without having to run a county wide admin body. there are many implications which would indicate inefficiency from finance to staffing.” due to the indication that plans are “to take all hospitals over to foundation status, then get doctors to form admin/steering groups that control a budget who will select companies to tender for contracts to run services.”

Southport had a petition hand-in organised by Lynn, who said “The NHS is our ‘jewel in the crown’ and too precious to leave to market forces, where clinical decision making is directed by financial considerations. I believe that this will ultimately lead to the destruction of the NHS as we know it. I hope that by handing in the petition of over 150,000 signatures, Dr Pugh takes on board the concerns of his constituents, and we can inspire more individuals to fight to have the Bill removed.“

15 hand-ins took place all over the UK which you can find on this map:
View Save Our NHS – petition hand-ins in a larger map

There have also been loads of local media reports as well which you can find here:

• http://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/8939233.NHS_campaigners_lobby_Winchester_MP/
• http://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/news/8941956.NHS_reform_fight_arrives_on_Stourbridge_MP_s_doorstep/?ref=rss
• http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/system/zine/2011/03/23/1069/nottssos_newsletter_4_march_april_2011_final.pdf
• http://www.runcornandwidnesweeklynews.co.uk/runcorn-widnes-news/runcorn-widnes-local-news/2011/03/31/campaigners-from-38-degrees-hand-200-000-signatures-to-halton-mp-derek-twigg-55368-28430339/
• http://www.southportvisiter.co.uk/southport-news/southport-southport-news/2011/03/18/nhs-rebel-mp-pugh-to-receive-150-000-petition-against-reform-bill-101022-28356052/
• http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/local/nhs_protests_attract_massive_support_1_3257660
• http://defendournhsyork.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/presenting-the-38-degrees-petition/

And we’ve got a few pictures from some of the hand-ins sent in by 38 Degrees members on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/38degrees/sets/72157626349456348/

A big thank you and well done to all of the 38 Degrees members that got involved in the local hand-ins.

The election was officially called a few hours ago, and 38 Degrees members are already taking action to make sure we get politicians with the right priorities. Watch David’s video blog about how it’s going so far here.

As well as working together to bring about change on a national scale, we’ve also been focussing on issues that affect specific areas of the UK. We’ve fought to stop the expansion of Bristol airport, and to prevent Donald Trump forcing families out of their homes in Aberdeenshire.

Recently, we had a brilliant local campaign win when Boris Johnson finally agreed to keep his election pledge and provide funding London Rape Crisis Centres. We’d teamed up with the Boris Keep Your Promise campaign to make sure this happened.

But Boris also announced that he’s cutting the funding for important London events like Africa Day and Black History Month, at the same time as giving an extra £100 000 to USA day, a festival celebrating America. This is on the back of canceling Europe’s biggest anti-racism event, Rise, last year.

We asked members in London whether we should take action to put an end to these cuts. We had an overwhelmingly positive response – 86% said yes.

We also asked what other local issues we could campaign on in London. There were a wide range of responses, but the most popular suggestions were:

We should campaign for a living wage.

We should campaign to improve the quality of travel in London, including making city roads more friendly for cyclists, fighting bus fare hikes, and improving disabled access to the tube.

We should campaign further to protect women in the city from violence, and improve provision for victims of it.

If you have a local campaigns suggestion for anywhere around the UK, we’d love to hear it. Please let us know by filling in our campaigns suggestion form, here: http://38degrees.org.uk/page/s/suggestcampaign