Gransnet forums

News & politics

If you have written to your MP, have they replied?

(55 Posts)
JaneJudge Sat 25-Sep-21 22:43:50

No political bias

Mine just ignores everyone in our constituency even if we rely on support of very personal issues

Is this now normal?

How do we get a response or service?

Grannybags Sun 26-Sep-21 20:58:23

Yes. Our Conservative MP is very good at getting things done at a local level. He does things all the time not just when there's an election coming

JaneJudge Sun 26-Sep-21 20:53:21

MamaCaz

Yes.
I might not agree with her politics, but Andrea Leadsom quickly replied to a query I sent her, and also forwarded it to a higher authority for a more informed answer.

I know several people who have only resolved difficult issues thanks to her intervention.

At a local level, she certainly seems to pull her weight.

That's good

I've not been rude or political pr personal in my letters fwiw

EVERYONE I know just gets no response. It just seems such a waste of taxpayers money to even have this MP angry

Petera Sun 26-Sep-21 20:47:11

lemsip

Petera well he and his colleagues must get thousands of letters from all over the country so can't be expected to even see them.......secretaries take care of those that get through of course.

They took the the time - twice - to write back to me to tell me they weren't going to write back to me

MamaCaz Sun 26-Sep-21 20:38:53

Yes.
I might not agree with her politics, but Andrea Leadsom quickly replied to a query I sent her, and also forwarded it to a higher authority for a more informed answer.

I know several people who have only resolved difficult issues thanks to her intervention.

At a local level, she certainly seems to pull her weight.

Curlywhirly Sun 26-Sep-21 20:35:54

Yes, written to my MP (sometimes Labour, sometimes Conservative - I live in a marginal constituency) on several occasions (regarding national problems not personal ones). Both have replied to me on each occasion.

lemsip Sun 26-Sep-21 20:30:31

Petera well he and his colleagues must get thousands of letters from all over the country so can't be expected to even see them.......secretaries take care of those that get through of course.

Petera Sun 26-Sep-21 20:21:15

lemsip

all MPs have a constituency office and an agent and secretary working for them, that's where I would complain initially...

But only if it seems it's an entirely constituency matter. I wrote to Raab a couple of years ago over some complete lie he had said as a minister and they wouldn't even pass it on to him because I wasn't a constituent.

Petera Sun 26-Sep-21 20:18:37

Our old MP replied every time, she then retired and the new one has not replied once.

Nannarose Sun 26-Sep-21 20:13:28

I live in a marginal constituency, and have had very good and careful replies from previous and current MPs (Labour & Tory). Always acknowledged, and always thoughtful, even when I disagree.
However, I wouldn't vote for someone whose policies I disagreed with, however helpful they have been personally.

Neen Sun 26-Sep-21 17:40:47

Also Chloe Smith has helped a few people I know with different matters and very approachable.

Neen Sun 26-Sep-21 17:36:37

My granddaughter wrote to Boris when he went into hospital. She drew a picture of him with blonde sticky out hair and his secretary replied. She was chuffed as anything smile

M0nica Sun 26-Sep-21 17:33:43

Deedaa At least you got a response. I haven't even had that.

Deedaa Sun 26-Sep-21 13:42:39

My (Tory) MP has blocked me on Facebook and has now refused to answer my emails. He was also unnecessarily rude in his emails. I'm sorry he didn't like hearing what I thought of him but I think dealing politely with stroppy constituents is part of the job.

His predecessor Philip Lee, who famously left the Tories in the run up to Brexit, was quite different. I had arguments with him but was always answered civilly and in depth.

lemsip Sun 26-Sep-21 13:42:29

all MPs have a constituency office and an agent and secretary working for them, that's where I would complain initially...

NfkDumpling Sun 26-Sep-21 13:35:58

When I lived in South Norfolk, I found Richard Bacon - and his secretary - very helpful and got individual considered replies.

Now I've moved and found our old MP was more interested in his academic research than his constituents. His replacement at the last election does respond, but with obvious cut and pasted emails which don't always fit the situation. Hopefully he'll improve with experience!

Chardy Sun 26-Sep-21 13:28:51

Yes I have written to my MP expressing concern about issues I knew had a HoC vote coming up. I received an amazingly patronising reply. Subsequently I was advised to include a sentence saying I didn't require a reply.

You should only write to your own MP apparently, and include address and phone number if you want to a response.

JaneJudge Sun 26-Sep-21 11:34:30

I'm glad some of you have useful MPs. I wonder how you go about complaining about an MP not doing their job properly? Is there a way of doing this?

Ours doesn't live here OR hold a surgery. Ignores letters and local issues. I don't vote for them fwiw, why would I? confused

Peasblossom Sun 26-Sep-21 10:35:13

Yes, within 24 hrs. Asked for some more details and then sorted out the problem ?

Come the next election he’s got my vote.

It’ll be the first time I’ve voted Tory in my entire life!

fairfraise Sun 26-Sep-21 10:34:32

I've written a few times over the past year both to local MP and to AM members. MP never replied just the acknowledgement, AMs were a string of referrals. But eventually a very nice man lower down the ranks, replied when I asked the clinical reason for gardening gloves not being sold in the shops. We even had a little chat about getting gardening stuff during the spring lockdown. In the end I bought some in Poundland.

We did have a reply from PM's office,on headed paper, when Mrs Thatcher was there years ago, which dealt properly and relevantly to the question (I can't remember what it was about).

lemsip Sun 26-Sep-21 10:29:21

it is best to contact your MP for your area to ask questions rather than party leader or prime minister in my opinion and experience.

Callistemon Sun 26-Sep-21 10:25:18

I wrote to Ed Miliband twice when he was a Minister and I'm still waiting for a reply ?
Should I give up hope!?

Blossoming Sun 26-Sep-21 10:23:01

Yes, I have and he has always replied.

Millie22 Sun 26-Sep-21 10:20:51

Yes and no. I got a reply to my first email but have heard nothing back from her after my second email which was a reply to her. Trying to protect the nearby countryside is of no concern to anyone it seems. I've had lots of help from the Woodland Trust though.

Witzend Sun 26-Sep-21 10:16:35

I haven’t tried our latest MP, a LD. I’ve thought of asking for her stance on the ‘woman’ issue (referring to us as persons with cervixes and such nonsense) but I dare say (or perhaps I should say I fear) that she’ll be toeing the party line. Or else will give a non-commital answer.

Our previous MP, the Tory Zac Goldsmith, I have to say, replied very promptly on the one occasion I contacted him.

A newly graduated dd once did an internship with a former excellent LD MP. She saw a lot of correspondence - much of it was what she described as ‘in green ink, from nutters’.

At any rate, she was put off any sort of political career for life. They actually begged her to stand as a councillor locally - it was apparently so difficult to find anyone ‘normal’ to take it on. When she eventually made it clear that she wasn’t interested, they said, ‘What about your mum or dad?’

Forsythia Sun 26-Sep-21 10:09:16

I wrote to the minister for pensions this year as it was impossible to get through to them and I was getting very anxious. She did not reply herself but I then had a call from the pensions department who resolved my problem and they said to me ‘you contacted the minister didn’t you’ so they do read them or somebody does on their behalf. It worked for me.