www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk for effective parliamentary Liberty has a strong reputation ork and lobbying, we make campaigning. Through policy w he corridors of Westminster the arguments that matter in t to hold the government to to MPs of all parties. We strive breaking test case litigation account by undertaking ground gns. As a result, we are now and high profile media campai al political debate. an essential voice in the nation of the story. This work is But that’s just the public side le like you, who care about only possible because of peop omoting human rights. You protecting civil liberties and pr aigning possible by writing can help make effective camp s and debating with your to your MP, signing petition y, join Liberty as a member friends. Even more importantl that keeps us going. and provide the vital support ut making action count. It This campaign guide is abo ow best to lobby and raise provides you with advice on h ssues we face today. Like awareness of the important i ome. Our Common Values charity, human rights start at h asing respect for human campaign is all about incre gative myths. As a Liberty rights and countering the ne helping us achieve supporter, you are the key to elp. this. We hope this guide will h f Liberty Shami Chakrabarti, Director o Uphold Promote justice and respect for rule human rights the and of law civil liberties

Protect Advance or privacy and rights f and much nerable free speech vul more... minorities Liberty – Then and Now

For the best part of a century, Liberty and our members have acted as the conscience of a nation, fighting injustice and placing principle above populism when others have faltered. Among periods of political turbulence and financial instability, what has remained constant is our sense of purpose. Today, with accusations Ronald Kidd of the UK’s complicity in torture and threats to privacy, free delivering a speech and protest, our work is far from over. petition the old fashioned way Join Liberty as a member by calling 020 7403 3888 or visiting www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/join. Find out more about Liberty’s campaigning work and “Passionate in his hatred of injustice, how you can take part by visiting www.liberty- human-rights.org.uk/take-action wise in judgment, fearless in action, . he championed the liberties of the Why not add your name to our campaigns people in the fight that is never done.” email list to receive regular updates about our work? Just drop us a line at A tribute to our founder Ronald Kidd, by his [email protected]. friend and Liberty’s first President, E.M. Forster How Parliament Works The role of a Member of Parliament (or MP) is to represent their constituents in Westminster and to pass laws. In doing so they must balance the views of their constituents with their own, and the position of their political party. The best way to influence your MP is to show them that your view is supported by a number of their constituents and by providing clear and persuasive arguments on a particular issue. You can ask your MP to vote for or against clauses in parliamentary bills, ask a particular question in the House of Commons, or pressure the relevant Ministers, Committees or even their Party leadership. If you want to contact your MP you can email or write to them. Alternatively you can usually meet them in their regular ‘surgeries’ for constituents. This booklet will help you learn more about how to influence your MP. r MP can visit www.theyworkforyou.com for Contacting you MP voting records. You can also find out: HOW? G what party they belong to? m to find out G if they sit on an G Visit www.writetothem.co y influential mail. c who your MP is and send them an e ommittees? their G if they are a Go G You can also send a letter to vernment Minister or the p constituency office or reach them at art of the Shadow Cabinet? If they 0AA. a House of Commons, London, SW1A re they may have more influence. G Not online? Why not call up their FIND OUT MORE office and ask about their position ut more about on the G Tailor your letter by finding o issue? Let them know you pay nd you your MP. Most MPs have websites a attention to how they vote. MAKE YOUR POINT ond to G Most MPs will read and resp your letter if you are a constituent, so let them know this. e sure GET YOUR ANSWERS G Focus on one issue and mak G Make your argument is clear and polite. sure you ask for a response, and appropriate, include your full nam G Use facts and figures where e and contact details s – rem and if you can, explain how it affect ember to let us know what they say! not G Why n you. Let them know your interest is ot follow up their reply? Thank them if they going to go away. are supportive. Is there something ant them else they could do? G Make it clear what it is you w If they disagree, try and c to do – for example, to vote for or onvince them of your argument. against a provision in a bill; to ask o If you lobby your MP on a human ri a particular question in parliament; t ghts issue please contact us to tell us how they respon pressure the Home Secretary. d by writing to 21 Tabard Street, London SE1 4LA or emailing [email protected] CAMPAIGNING WORKS Case Study CHARGE OR RELEASE Liberty and In 2008, after much pressure from at in the others, and an overwhelming defe abandoned House of Lords, the Government tention time plans to extend the pre-charge de s. limit for terror suspects to 42 day ase Our award-winning Charge or Rele ments to campaign used human rights argu nnecessary show that the plans were unjust, u with our and counter-productive. Together y detention supporters, we showed that length le and without charge is wrong in princip counter-productive in practice. rs was crucial The active support of our membe bying MPs to the campaign’s success. By lob and and Peers, writing to local papers ers helped us convincing friends, Liberty memb the campaign. build a consensus of support for Write to your Local Paper Help us counter damaging myths about the Human Rights Act and stand up for rights and freedoms by raising awareness. Our Common Values campaign aims to show how the Human Rights Act is one of the most valuable pieces of legislation on our statute books, enshrining and protecting our shared values. Local newspapers are a respected source of information for many people, and we want to make sure that everyone knows the facts about human rights. Help us get the truth out there! If you see a negative story about human rights or the Human Rights Act, why not use our Common Values myth-buster to write a reply explaining the other side of the story? Your MP will keep up-to-date with public opinion in local media, so it can also be a good way to get your voice heard by decision makers. A few tips: G Keep it short and simple G Whenever possible stick to one issue G Remain polite and respectful G Check your facts first – find out more on our website and point people to www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk for more information Want to find out more about what the individual rights in the Human Rights Act mean? Visit www.love.commonvalues.org.uk to find out why we all have something to love about the Human Rights Act. CAMPAIGNING WORKS Case Study ID CARDS AND THE NATIONAL IDENTITY REGISTER When the Governm ent initially drafted their plans for ID cards and th e National Identity Register, polling suggested that t he scheme was well-received, with nearly 80%* of th e population supportive. But years of effective campaig ning have succeeded in educating the public about th e cost to our wallets and personal privacy that the Na tional Identity Register threatens. The dr amatic drop in support for the sch eme can be seen in polling results taken in 2008 which showed th at less than 50%** of those polled the scheme. In 2 supported 009 polling found that only 25%** ha * thought the Government d made a case for the scheme tha t justified the cost. Public opposi to the scheme and pe tion rsistent lobbying has meant a num re-thinks ber of delays and for this deeply unpopular policy. *2003 polling by YouGov showed that 78% of peop le polled supported the ID card sc ** 2008 ICM poll for No2ID; ** heme; * 2009 YouGov polling for Liberty Meet your MP with Most MPs set time aside each week to meet out constituents at their office in the local area. Find lling where and when this is via their website or by ca ry. their office and booking an appointment if necessa u are clear Before you go to meet them, make sure yo want from about what you want to say and what you n your key them. To get the most out of the visit, write dow materials questions or arguments and bring along any e counter you think might be helpful. Try to anticipat arguments and prepare responses. MP by You can also tailor your argument to your xample, researching their position beforehand. For e is their party’s are they in government or opposition? What voted on this issue in the past? how official position? How have they s know y in the Cabinet let u What is their position in parliament – are the ar about what you want from them g goes or Shadow Cabinet? Be cle the meetin and follow up with them later. your 1 Tabard Street, how Let us know what your MP says by writing to 2 and lues.org.uk. ndon SE1 4LA or emailing info@commonva d Lo MP responde in us as Why not ask your friends to jo iberty? members and campaign with L Social Networking Online what they can do Tell people about the issues and Spreading the word about our tal in creating a culture to help – word-of-mouth is vi campaigns online is a great way th friends can be a good of rights. Discussions wi to support our work. Websites le to our campaigns, but it is way to introduce peop like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace facts first. You can always important to check your of allow people to instantly share formation about a wide range find detailed in information and connect with their r website. issues on ou friends on the internet. Find us and re of these guides For mo remember to tell your friends! to give out to friends, email [email protected] Find out more about our or call 020 7403 3888. social networking at www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/libertyhq Follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/libertyhq You can also watch our videos at www.youtube.com/libertyhumanrights Fundraising Lib erty is growing, but s o is the need for our work. Fundraising is a fantastic way to involved wi get th a movement that c pr ampaigns to otect our civil liberties and promote human rights in the UK. W hether it’s a skydive, a m arathon, a tea party or a dog-walk, you can u se (almost!) any event to money. Ma raise ny of our most commit s ted supporters et their own personal c hallenges to raise funds for Liberty and h ave fun along the way! For more information ab out organising your own fundraising event, please contact our Membership Te am on 020 7403 3888 for s upport and helpful tips. What We Do... Liberty seeks to protect civil liberties and promote human rights for everyone. We campaign to protect basic rights and freedoms through the courts, in Parliament and in the wider community. We do this through a combination of public campaigning, test case litigation, parliamentary lobbying, policy analysis and the provision of free advice and information. Join Liberty mbers for We rely on the support of our me today and all the work we do – join Liberty f us. protect a fair, free future for all o rty-human- You can join online at www.libe 403 3888. rights.org.uk or call us on 020 7 ailing list Sign up to Liberty’s campaign m es.org.uk. by emailing info@commonvalu

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