How to talk to your MP

Engaging with Members of Parliament (MPs) can seem daunting, particularly if you have never worked inside the Westminster machine. But the reality is that MP engagement should be approached much like any other stakeholder relationship – with a clear purpose, a good understanding of your audience and a reason for them to want to engage with you.

I started my career working in Parliament for two MPs, first in a constituency office and then in a parliamentary office. So, having spent plenty of time on the other side of the inbox, I have a good idea of what makes an MP or their staff sit up and take notice – and what makes an email disappear into the inbox. 

Why you should engage  

If our industry is serious about delivering the next generation of civil nuclear projects, we need to be talking to MPs – and not just when there is a big announcement to make. 

MPs are an important link between the industry and the communities it serves. They want to understand what nuclear investment means for their constituents, the jobs it creates, the skills it develops, the opportunities for local businesses and the wider benefits to their area. By engaging early and regularly, companies can make sure those benefits are understood, while also listening to the issues that matter locally. 

This matters because building new nuclear is about more than energy infrastructure. It is about people, places and long-term economic opportunity. Strong relationships with MPs can help companies build local support, make the case for continued investment and ensure the voice of the civil nuclear sector is heard where important decisions are being made. With Andy Burnham’s Government still fairly new, the Cabinet and new ministers finding their feet, now is the time to build these important relationships and showcase all the reasons why our sector is worth championing. 

In short, engaging with MPs isn’t simply good public affairs, but an important part of delivering the UK’s civil nuclear ambitions. 

Who you should engage  

Now we have established why we need to engage; the next question is who. 

 The first MP a company should seek to engage is its local MP. Put your company HQ/site postcode into Find your MP and it will bring up everything you need to know.  

Your local MP should be your first priority because they have a direct connection to the communities in which you operate. You are creating jobs, employing their constituents and contributing to the local economy. That gives them a strong reason to understand who you are, what you do and the contribution you are making locally. 

From there, you can broaden your engagement. MPs who have demonstrated an interest in nuclear, including through the All Party Parliamentary Group on Nuclear Energy parliamentary questions and contributions in relevant debates, are a natural next step. You can also look at MPs with an interest in energy security, net zero, skills, manufacturing or regional economic growth. 

The important thing is not simply to build a list of MPs. Each email you send has to be personal to that MP – why should they interested in what you do and why should they care. 

Best practice for parliamentarian engagement  

So, how do you successfully engage with parliamentarians? Here are my six top tips. 

1. Have a clear ask/offer  

Whether you are offering a site visit or asking for a meeting, make sure there is a clear reason for getting in touch. Don’t just send a background briefing “for their information” without asking to discuss it further. An MP’s office is much more likely to engage if there is a clear question, invitation or opportunity attached to your request. 

MPs love a site visit, as it gives them an opportunity to see businesses and projects in their constituencies first-hand and understand the local impact. It also allows them to build their personal brand, showing that they are ‘hands on’ with their constituents and community. Any opportunity for a photo that shows them away from their desk is a bonus!  

2. Emails over letters  

The reality of communication today is that emails will be seen before a letter, especially with the Houses of Parliament postal system…  

MP staff are trained to triage their MP’s inbox every day, often hour by hour, separating enquiries into various categories. An email to your local MP will therefore likely be seen by a member of their team quickly, before being categorised and passed to the MP as appropriate.  

If you are a traditional at heart and still want to sign a letter, scan it and attach to an email before putting it in the post.  

As a general rule, MP inboxes are split into three broad categories: constituency casework, policy questions, and meeting or event requests. Understanding this helps you make sure your email is clear, relevant and reaches the right person. 

3. Make your key ask clear in the subject line & email  

MP offices are, more often than not, well-oiled but small machines. An MP’s Westminster office usually has a relatively small team working tirelessly to stay on top of the inbox, alongside the MP’s diary, parliamentary responsibilities and constituency work. 

You therefore need to make it easy for staff to understand what you are asking for. If you are inviting your MP to a site visit in their local patch, your subject line could be: 

Invitation: [Company name] site visit – [postcode]  

This will make it abundantly clear to whoever is sorting the inbox what you are emailing about and that you are emailing the right MP!  

The email should then make it very clear within the opening line why you are emailing this specific MP and what you are asking them to do. For example:  

Dear [MP],  

I am contacting you to invite you to visit [company name], a local manufacturing company in your constituency. We employ X number of your constituents, and we would like to showcase our local workforce and discuss how you can support companies like us under the new Government.  

4. Keep your email short and to the point  

Your first email to any MP needs to be easy for them to understand and respond to. Let’s be honest, no one loves to receive an email that is pages and pages long.  

Keep your initial email short – max 4 paragraphs – so that the MP and their staff can quickly identify:  

• Who you are 
• What you want  
• Why they should care  
• How to contact you  

 5. Following up  

MPs receive hundreds of emails all day every day, so I would be setting expectations far too high if I said you won’t need to follow up. The key here is not to follow up too soon, give it a couple of weeks and then send a polite follow up asking if the meeting/site visit is of interest. If you can, follow up with another reason they should take the meeting/visit:

We recently published this article that explains how we are shaping the nuclear sector that we think will be of interest.  

Since the 2024 election, a lot of MP offices unfortunately don’t publish phone numbers. However, you can always try via the Parliamentary Switchboard if you want to speak to someone over the phone to stress how much you would like to meet.  

6. Be nice to staff!  

It almost goes without saying but, take it from someone who was a parliamentary staffer, be nice to staff! They are the gatekeepers of an MP’s diary – they decide who is at the top of the list in terms of meetings and visits – you want them on your side… 

Ultimately, engaging with MPs is not about cracking the Westminster machine or having the perfect policy briefing. It is about building relationships with the people who represent the communities in which you operate. The companies that get this right will be the ones that engage early and make their case, listen as well as talk, and maintain those relationships long after the initial meeting or site visit.  

For the civil nuclear sector, that matters. If we want to build the next generation of nuclear projects, we need political support at Westminster and in the communities where those projects will be delivered. That support cannot be switched on when a decision is needed, it has to be built over time.  

So, send the email, invite your MP to your local site, ask for the coffee briefing and, most importantly, start the conversation before you need something from them.