- Write to your MP and Ask them to sign this Early Day Motion
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| The Cannabis Debate in Westminster 12th October 2015 - Photo from IBTimes |
Complete List of MPs Who Attended The Debate:
Lyn Brown - LAB West Ham (Shadow Home Office minister)
Lisa Cameron - SNP, East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow
Nigel Evans - CON Ribble Valley (Chair of the debate)
Paul Flynn - LAB Newport West
Cheryl Gillan - CON Chesham and Amersham (Chair of the debate)
Lady Sylvia Hermon - IND North Down
George Howarth - LAB Knowsley
Rupa Huq - LAB Ealing Central and Acton
Norman Lamb - LibDem North Norfolk
Peter Lilley - CON Hitchin and Harpenden
Caroline Lucas - GREEN Brighton Pavilion
Anne McLaughlin - SNP Glasgow North East
Dr Paul Monaghan - SNP Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Mike Penning - CON Hemel Hempstead (Home Office minister)
Dr Daniel Poulter - CON Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
Graham Stuart - CON Beverley and Holderness
Andrew Turner - CON Isle of Wight
Lisa Cameron - SNP, East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow
Nigel Evans - CON Ribble Valley (Chair of the debate)
Paul Flynn - LAB Newport West
Cheryl Gillan - CON Chesham and Amersham (Chair of the debate)
Lady Sylvia Hermon - IND North Down
George Howarth - LAB Knowsley
Rupa Huq - LAB Ealing Central and Acton
Norman Lamb - LibDem North Norfolk
Peter Lilley - CON Hitchin and Harpenden
Caroline Lucas - GREEN Brighton Pavilion
Anne McLaughlin - SNP Glasgow North East
Dr Paul Monaghan - SNP Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Mike Penning - CON Hemel Hempstead (Home Office minister)
Dr Daniel Poulter - CON Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
Graham Stuart - CON Beverley and Holderness
Andrew Turner - CON Isle of Wight
Please note that 4 MPs were
there because they had to be rather than wanted to be:
- Lyn Brown was there as a shadow Home Office minister.
- Nigel Evans and Cheryl Gillan were there because they took turns to chair the debate.
- Mike Penning was there as the Home Office minister with responsibility for drugs policy.
You can read my summary and opinion HERE
If you wrote to your MP and
they did attend the debate, please write again to offer your thanks, though of
course, if they did speak, feel free to pick up on any points they might have
made.
You can read the full
transcript of the debate HERE
If your MP did not attend the
debate, particularly if you wrote asking them to, it is your right to ask for
an explanation firstly as to why they could not represent you and what they
plan to do to support you going forward and secondly to demand that they
request from the government a detailed, evidenced and reasoned response to all
the points raised within the debate.
Write (again) To Your MP
UPDATED WITH EARLY DAY MOTION: 17th October 2015:
- Write to your MP and Ask them to sign this Early Day Motion
- Find out who your MP is by entering your postcode on this website
- Find out your MP’s email address by looking their name up here
- Google your MP’s name to find their personal websites and more contact details.
- Write a letter to your MP at: House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
- You must include your full postal address and postcode to show that you are a constituent. Without this your email or letter will be ignored.
- An email or a letter is fine, both is even better and a follow up phone call to their office can be very effective in getting a response.
- Write in YOUR own words. Parliamentary email systems can identify and delete “Template Emails” to address campaigns by petitioning groups that have inundated MPs with such correspondence.
- Be Polite. You might feel REALLY angry, but in a communication to your MP this is unlikely to get a response.
- Keep your letter fairly brief. Limited to 3 or 4 paragraphs and a single page is best.
We had a great many of you writing to MPs before the
debate and whilst there was little to be positive about, it is the perfect time
to double down, keep up the campaign and write again.
A good format for your correspondence is:
Paragraph 1: Why you are writing? What do you want from your MP
- I wanted to thank you for attending/I was disappointed you did not attend
- What do you expect in return - I want you to tell me your position on this subject.
- I want to arrange an appointment to see you.
- I want you to demand a proper answer from the government
- Ask them to sign this Early Day Motion
Paragraph 2: This is the body of your letter.
- What is YOUR interest, are you a medical cannabis patient.
- What are YOUR reasons for wanting change.
- What were your thoughts on the debate and which aspects need challenging and which you feel were inaccurate and need further explaination
- Refer to my summary, or others if you need some tips
Paragraph 3: I appreciate you taking the time to read this. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you. Grovel (not really)
Lastly and most importantly; Do give United Patients Alliance a mention.
GOOD LUCK! Let us know how you get on.
