Writing to ministers

You cannot generally email a minister directly (because of lobbying rules)  – you can only use that method to write to your OWN member of parliament.  It can be helpful to find a friend who is a constituent, though! 

However, you can usually tag ministers on Twitter and other social media, and you can write to them by post – find the department addresses and personnel here. You can also ask your MP to forward your letter to the minister (and if you have an established relationship with them, they may well do that). 

Finally, you can email them via their department (but this is of limited value, as the civil service will probably deal with your letter). 

You might also (if you are “out” as gender critical) consider sending a copy of your letter to a local, or a national, newspaper. You can also share it (as screenshots) online & tag the minister and shadow ministers, members of select committees and all-party parliamentary working groups if they might have a sympathetic view. 

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. 

What to include: 

Your name and address – unless you have really strong reasons not to disclose it. 

If possible keep it short, one side of A4. Ministers are even busier than MPs. 

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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