In the next few days we could help stop some of the worst cuts to support for sick and disabled people. When the plans were debated in the House of Lords, Lords and Baronesses voted to stop some of the most unfair cuts – including support being ended after only a year for some people recovering from very serious illnesses, like cancer.

Now, the government is threatening to reverse these decisions and bring the cuts back. But they can only do that if they can persuade enough MPs to do what the government tells them. If we work together, we can push our MPs to stand up for what’s right and defend sick and disabled people.

All over the country, disabled people and their families are anxiously waiting to see what will happen. The decision could be the difference between a decent life and serious poverty. Becoming sick or disabled could happen to any of us. Now, we’ve got a chance to stop MPs making a tough package of cuts even worse.

Even with the changes the Lords have made, there are big worries about what these plans mean for disabled people. But if MPs don’t back the Lords’ changes, it could end up being even worse. Our voices will be joining hundreds of other groups, including Scope and Sense, who want MPs to protect these improvements.

Right now, many MPs could be on the verge of doing the right thing. A final, people-powered push from thousands of 38 Degrees members could convince them to back the Lords’ changes to the bill.

Tomorrow, we have the chance to persuade MPs to back a new law that would give voters the power to sack MPs who don’t do their job properly. It could be a massive step forward for people power: just imagine if we’d been able to fire the MPs who abused the expenses system.

This new law- proposed by Zac Goldsmith MP- would give voters in each constituency the power to call a fresh vote if 10% of them sign a petition. Most MPs will still be deciding what to do about the debate Friday. A well-attended, noisy debate about giving voters the right to sack MPs is just what’s needed to get the government to stick to their promises.

The government will be hoping that hardly any MPs bother to show up. That way, they can stick to their plan for a much weaker recall law that would end up giving MPs even more power. They might even try to quietly drop the idea altogether.

But if thousands of us email our MPs and ask them to back a new “recall” law, we can make sure loads of MPs turn up to the debate on Friday. Lots of us talking about plans for a powerful new recall law will build the pressure on the government to toughen up their own weak plans.

Back in May 2009, a recall law was the first thing 38 Degrees members decided to work on together. Even though there were just a few thousand of us back then, we helped to persuade key MPs to back the idea. Now we’ve teamed up with Unlock Democracy, who’ve been working with Zac Goldsmith MP to get the recall law back on the agenda.

Once you’ve got in touch with your MP, it would be great if you could share your MP’s reply in the comments section below, so that other 38 Degrees members can see where our MPs stand.

(Click on the images to enlarge)

One of the ideas from our get-together in Chelmsford was that we could work together to draw up a “voters’ charter”, to lay out what local members expect of the MPs (and possibly other figures like councillors too) they elect, now and in the future. Then we can ask Simon Burns MP and other local politicians in Chelmsford to agree to it.

As a first step, we can start discussing what might go into the agreement. The overall idea was to set down some basic, minimum expectations for how a politician should engage with their voters between elections. One idea is to ask for a commitment to responding to their voters when they get in touch. Other ideas have included being willing to meet small groups of people who share concerns about a particular issue.

Do you live in Chelmsford? What do you think? What other things are important to include? Are there commitments local voters could make in return? Share your ideas in the comments section below, then we’ll arrange a get-together in Chelmsford to get all our ideas together before the final process of getting an agreement written.

Following Simon Burns’ comments about 38 Degrees members in Parliament last week, other MPs have been commenting. Thankfully they don’t all seem to feel comfortable comparing their voters to zombies! Below is what they’ve had to say.

Fiona Bruce MP, Conservative MP for Congleton, said: “I haven’t heard the exact words [of Simon Burns] but can assure you that I think 38 Degrees does a service in enabling constituents to contact their MPs , so that we really know how people are feeling about issues; such communications are critical for me….. So keep communicating – only then can we together effect positive change!”

Tim Farron MP, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale and President of the Liberal Democrats, said: “I don’t think 38 Degrees members, or anyone else who takes the trouble to contact me, is a zombie. It’s a totally inappropriate way for an elected politician to talk about their voters. We should be encouraging people to get involved in the political process not insulting those who do.”

Stella Creasy MP, Labour MP for Walthamstow, said: “Campaigning organisations like 38 Degrees are playing a useful role in energising Britain’s political process by encouraging the public to engage with their MPs – it’s up to us to then develop the debate and discussion they start with those we represent, either online or offline and whether we agree with them or not. Rather than calling people zombies and dismissing their concerns, ministers may wish to reflect on why their healthcare proposals have generated such a strong response from their constituents.”

Natascha Engel MP, Labour MP for North East Derbyshire and chair of the Backbench Business Committee, said: “When voters take the trouble to contact their MP, we should be welcoming that and encouraging them to engage further. We certainly shouldn’t be calling them names. I’ve engaged with 38 degrees members in my constituency and they certainly don’t seem like zombies to me.”

What do you think about what these MPs have said? Have you heard from other MPs about what they think about Simon Burns’ comments? Share your thoughts below.

A big group of 38 Degrees members met up in Chelmsford yesterday to discuss how to respond to their local MP Simon Burns comparing us all to zombies.

Some great ideas came up and we’re looking forward to seeing what happens next. Do you have any ideas about how we could get our views across to Simon Burns? Please share them below.

Here are some comments from members who made calls:
“She said he was totally against the changes. Seems they have been inundated with calls, many from 38 Degrees people. Her first response when I said why I was calling was ‘Good for you.’”
“I left a message on Jeremy’s answer machine expressing my worries – as laid out in your list of things to say. I am not an articulate speaker so it was helpful as a guide”.

The parliamentary switchboards are jamming with the amount of calls MPs are receiving!  The more calls that are made, the more MPs and everyone in Westminster will know how strong public feeling is against these dangerous plans.

38 Degrees member Lucy said, “using the helpful prompts given on the 38 Degrees website, I was able to articulately explain to an assistant at the Lewisham West Labour Office (with a few extra comments of my own thrown in about this dreadful business) how the changes to the NHS must be stopped”. Her MP’s office said it was the 15th call they had taken on the subject today!

It’s very easy to make your voice heard and pressure the government so they understand how important the NHS is to everyone. Sue said, “I just called my MP and it was so easy through the 38 Degrees tool. I spoke to Anne Main’s assistant who told me she would help me book a telephone appointment at a later date”.

Some members have been able to speak directly with their MP and others have left messages on the answering machine. In all cases, it will become quite clear to MPs that these plans are deeply unpopular. what is happening with the NHS and that they must speak up now!

One member called her MP Nick Clegg and got the answering machine, but said ‘it was still pretty empowering to ask him, as my representative, to stand up for the NHS!’. Another said, “I would like to thank 38 Degrees for the great work they are doing to save the NHS…  If we don’t stop this we will lose the NHS forever. Once it is privatised (in part or completely) it will be impossible to change back.”

If all of us call our MPs today, we can definitely make a difference to the NHS wrangling!
Please call your MP now: http://blog.38degrees.org.uk/callyourmp-nhs/

For updates and more useful information on calling your MP:
http://blog.38degrees.org.uk/2011/06/10/nhs-phone-your-mp-today/

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.

newspaper cutting of NHS protest

Here’s a great example of 38 Degrees members in action outside Worcestershire Royal Hospital. What a fantastic way of demonstrating that we want to save our NHS from Andrew Lansley’s dangerous plans.

We’re at a critical point of the campaign and the more events that are organised, the more our message gets across. It’s really important that we get around every MP so that they feel the pressure. Could you organise a visit to your MP to hand in a copy of our 260,000-strong petition?  It’s easy to organise a visit to your local MP and 38 Degrees members and volunteers can help you every step of the way. Visit this page to put your name down and find out how to get started. Look here for a step-by-step guide. .

Imagine the effect on MPs when, across the country, groups of local voters start visiting them. Events are now popping up everywhere and the amazing 38 Degrees members in Worcester have joined forces with 38 Degrees members across the country. Together, let’s make sure that Lansley’s “listening exercise” is not a spin exercise.

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?