Other elected representatives to contact

You might think about contacting:

Your Police & Crime Commissioner – they hold the local police to account, so if your concern is about recording crime, or Stonewall being too involved in the local force, they are a good bet. Some but not all are politically affiliated. Few people vote in PCC elections, so your vote might well count. 

Local councillors – for example on decisions about single-sex spaces in local authority led schools, or those provided by the local authority, or in local authority run nursing homes. Again, a lot of wards in councils are swung by a handful of votes, so yours could really matter. 

What are we trying to do? 

In some cases, you want to know what they think (or force them to say what they think). Usually, though, you want to make sure they are informed, either about events or about the arguments around an issue that might be up for debate. They might have suggested they are reviewing a policy (without a formal consultation). And, of course, you want them to know that you care enough about this issue to write to them. You might even want to have a meeting with them to discuss things – which you might be able to arrange. 

What to include: 

Your name and address – your letter will not be considered seriously if you are anonymous. 

If possible keep it short, one side of A4. Make sure you fix the issue you are talking about firmly to the locality. 

Set out clearly why you are writing. Include links to evidence. 

Explain why this is an important issue to you and what difference their response will make. 

Explain clearly at the end of the letter what you want them to do – whether to confirm their position on an issue, change their policy, or just to write to you confirming their understanding. 

There are some sample letters here. 

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