ANNUAL LOBBY OF PARLIAMENT - NOVEMBER 2009
Every November, for the past several years, there has been a lobby of Parliament in support of Palestinian self-determination. Hundreds of voters arrange to meet their MPs and impress upon them the popular support for the rights of the Palestinians to their own free nation state. Over the years we have seen how this has greatly improved the willingness of MPs to sign Early Day Motions (EDMs); raise parliamentary questions; write to ministers or join bodies like the Britain-Palestine All Party Parliamentary Group.
This Year Lobby in your Area
We need to lobby again this year, but this time we are doing things differently. Before May 2010, there is going to be a general election. The protests against the invasion of Gaza in January showed how huge numbers of the British public feel about the issue. Now we want to make sure it is a feature of the election in every constituency.
Rather than travelling down to London to just see the sitting MPs, we want you to meet with your MP in your constituency. And we also want you to meet with other candidates in order to sound them out. Make sure they understand that the way you vote will be influenced by their stance on this issue.
How To Lobby
There is a common belief that lobbying requires some special expertise. It doesn’t. True, the slogans you put on a placard or shout with others at a demonstration are not necessarily the things you would say in a meeting with an MP or minister or diplomat. But that doesn’t mean that lobby meetings cannot express very strong sentiments, it just means taking care over how they are expressed. This guide is designed to make lobbying easier for anyone interested in making their case to their MP. No expertise is required – you just have to care enough to make your MP listen.
It may not seem like it sometimes, but as a general MPs love to listen. The one thing that unites MPs from all parties is the desire to demonstrate to their constituents that they have met and listened to them. The same is true of candidates.
So once you have them listening, the next step, and the main purpose of lobbying, is getting your MP to take action. Will they raise a Parliamentary Question? Will they sign an Early Day Motion (EDM)? Will they write to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office on your behalf? These are tangible indicators by which we can measure gains in political support for the Palestinian cause.
Lobbying can take many forms. You can ask for a private meeting with your MP or you can invite to a public meeting if you are a part of a group. Some of you may want to seek a second meeting to see if the MP or candidate has followed up on your request to sign a petition, an EDM or written to the secretary of state or the local newspaper.
Please read the attached briefings carefully. If you have any questions please contact PSC, JfJfP or CAABU. Good luck and thank you for taking part.
· Click for a briefing on issues to raise and questions to ask.
· Click here for a “how to” guide on lobbying MPs and candidates
· Click for a guide to effectively lobbying your MP or Prospective Parliamentary Candidate
· Click here for contact details of prospective parliamentary candidates in your area.
· Click here for the VITAL FEEDBACK form
Palestine Solidarity Campaign – www.palestinecampaign.org
Jews for Justice for Palestinians – www.jfjfp.org
Council for Arab-British Understanding – www.caabu.org
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