On Wednesday 27th November, a wide range of organisations which support Palestinian human rights have organised a mass National lobby of Parliament for Palestine.
What is a lobby?
There are lots of ways to let your MP know that you care about an issue, but the most powerful is to arrange to meet with them. When lots of people from around the UK arrange to meet their MPs in Parliament on the same day it is known as a ‘lobby’ or ‘mass lobby’.
Why lobby in Parliament?
When a lot of people come to lobby about a specific issue it creates a buzz in Parliament, and alerts MPs to the fact this is an issue that people really care about.
Who can take part?
If you’re eligible to vote in General Elections you can lobby your MP, even if you aren’t currently registered at your address.
You can only lobby your own MP. If you’re not sure who your MP is, just enter your postcode here.
If you’re a UK student or have two homes you are usually eligible to vote in your home constituency or at your university address.
Do I need to be an expert?
You don’t need to be an expert – and your MP will not expect you to be one. All you really need is a belief that until Palestinians should have their human rights respected, including their right to self-determination.
We send you all the information in advance and our experts will be on hand on the day to give you advice on how to get the most out of your meeting with your MP.
What are your demands?
You don’t need to cover all these issues with your MP but best choose one or two to focus on
1. support an end to Israel’s detention without charge or trial of Palestinians
2.call for audio-visual recording of all police or army interviews with Palestinian children
3. all goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements (in Palestinian territory) to be barred from UK markets
You can also raise other issues that you feel strongly about.
How long will my meeting last?
The meeting may be as little as 5 minutes, or could be as long as 1 hour – normally it will be about 20-30 minutes. Bear in mind that there are likely to be other constituents meeting your MP at the same time. So you will need to limit the number of questions that you have for your MP. The best thing is to have one clear ask for your MP – we can help you decide what that should be.
What do I do now?
Email your MP using our simple e-letter and don’t forget to book your travel and time off!
If you have any questions not covered here, just email [email protected]