LET’S GET POLITICAL!
We can all make a dif ference, so here’s how to get motivated, mount a campaign, and tackle your local council or MP for change
We’re all guilty at times of having a moan about things we’re not happy about in our community.
Maybe you’re fed up with overflowing bins, potholes on the roads, or feel your local school needs a crossing patrol? If you and your friends or neighbours have been complaining to each other, why not get together and make it your mission to get something done?
Thinking we can’t make a dif ference means we often tend to sit back and do nothing, but isn’t it better to tr y? You may feel you don’t have the power to make changes with one phone call or letter, but your one letter could tip the balance and galvanise change if other people feel as strongly and ring or write to the local council or MP too.
Whatever your political views, your local MP should be answerable to you and your community. After all they’ve been elected by you so should be there to help and listen. They even hold open surgeries in their constituency where you can speak to them directly to discuss national and local issues. To find out who your local MP is, and get in touch, check the Parliament website. members.parliament.uk/ members/Commons
Joining forces can pave the way to change and there’s many heart warming stories of local villagers who’ve banded together and saved their village pub or school from closure. In the
Lancashire village of Trawden, the local pub, the Trawden Arms, along with the local shop, librar y and community centre have all been bought, reopened and run by the locals over the last few years, after some epic campaigning and fundraising.
In Nor thamptonshire, local campaign groups have been gathering suppor t against potential developers’ plans for warehouses to be built near the peaceful villages of Thrapston and Titchmarsh.
Wondering where to star t? With social media at your finger tips, it’s easy to star t a local Facebook group or WhatsApp group to raise local issues, share information, and discuss what can be done. you’re still not happy, go one step further and contact the council’s complaints officer or chief executive, and beyond that, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. It’s a free service which aims to resolve complaints about local councils.
Get the media on board and contact your local paper, radio or TV station about ongoing local issues as they may be able to publicise and investigate the problem too.
Also, did you know you can start your own petition for a change in the law? You can find out more at
By sharing your petition online, support can quickly stack up and if you get 10,000 signatures, this means petitions get a Government response, and after 100,000 signatures, petitions are considered for debate in Parliament.