How to get local MP on board

PeggyMay

Hello, I need advice relating to contacting my local MP / counsellor. I need their assistance with very distressing antisocial behaviour issue in my neighbourhood, by council tenants. 

The issue is something that is having an ongoing, serious impact on my household and our health. It’s a long story (I can provide more detail if needed) but essentially, on making many attempts over the 12 months or more to seek help for the problem, every single organisation and agency we’ve involved  - the housing team at the council, the police and various other agencies whose job it is (apparently) to help resolve these things  - have handled it all in an extremely inappropriate, incompetent, ineffective, and I would go as far as to say dangerous, way...  and quite possibly illegal too so far as certain aspects are concerned. 

Their actions have only served to make the matter worse and for it to all drag on longer and embed itself ever deeper in our lives ... I feel really stuck now as to where I can go from here... except that I have been advised to contact my local MP. So perhaps I will try that next.

i just don’t want to waste any more of my time and energy, which is so limited anyway due to me having a health condition... and so I wondered if anyone here has experience of dealing with MPs and local councillors? Can you help me? Can you advise me on the best way to get the attention of my MP (or councillor) and how I can win myself some of their time? I’m pretty desperate for help now and don’t want my case to just be shoved in the “I’ll look at that at some point” drawer, and then eventually be fobbed off with a standard template cut-and-paste letter... I really desperately  need help!

Ideally I’d like to meet with the MP or councillor in person (or phone/Skype, seeing as we are in lockdown), rather than  a potential series of back-and-forth emails that might sit in an inbox for weeks on end untouched.!

Or, it actually better to write first ? Or is that a waste of time... can I insist on a face-to-face? 

If I have to write first, is it best to put in all the details so they are completely up to date with every element of the problem and how it all fits together? (Would be a long read!) Or is it better to just summarise in the initial letter, on the assumption they will want more details later.

Also, I don’t know precisely what is within the remit of these people. Theres
no point contacting them unless they can help me on the ground. Can the MP, for example, insist that the council get the issue sorted?

Please, give me all your top advice on approaching your local MP, or whoever you think is best placed to help me. I need so badly to get them onboard.

Or let me know of anywhere else I might be able
to go for actual practical help 

Thank you so much in advance for your help.

Murphybear

I emailed my MP a year or 2 ago about various problems and always got a quick response.  On one occasion I got a letter on Houses of Parliament headed paper. 

He offered to intervene in my ESA claim if necessary, there was a lot of bad publicity at the time but as my claim went like clockwork I didn’t need his help.  It showed that he could have helped with DWP problems.

the problem with us advising on contacting your MP is that they are all individuals and will behave differently.  I am wondering if it would to let us know who your MP is then people would be able to give specific advice 

JJ_Egan

https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-your-mp/

Kattekwaad

OP, my question would be why haven't you managed to get any of these agencies onside to help?

Do they see it as a minor problem or is it just inaction?  Speak to friends (and not just those that agree to everything you say) and get their thoughts on the seriousness of the problem.

Perhaps a little more information would help.

Keep a diary, write everything down.

davidmcn

PeggyMay said:

Can the MP, for example, insist that the council get the issue sorted?

No, MPs don't have any special power over local councils, and aren't really the most appropriate first port of call. All they're likely to do is write to the council expressing their concerns (though that may of course get someone to pay attention). They're of more relevance if you were dealing with a central government department, or seeking to have legislation changed.

Councillors are the people who are meant to be representing your views in matters related to the council, so in the first instance contact your councillor (or councillors if you're somewhere with multi-member wards). Councillors can (if they're sufficiently interested) walk up to the desks of the officers dealing with the matter and demand to know what they're going to do about it (I've been there when that's happened...). 

As above though it might help if you gave us an idea of what the problem is.

JJ_Egan

OP says  contacted >>the housing team at the council, the police and various other agencies <<have handled it all in an extremely inappropriate, incompetent, ineffective, and I would go as far as to say dangerous, way...  and quite possibly illegal too so far as certain aspects are concerned. >>

Looks to me like a legal experts advice would be next port of call .

SEE

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6048612/noisy-neighbours#latest

gettingtheresometime

I've only contacted my MP twice - once when I needed help resolve a matter with the DPW & the second was to make an observation over Brexit.

on both occasions I received a reply almost straight away and I believe that the only reason that my issue was resolved with the DPW was because of his involvement.

my advice would be to keep the letter to the point, cut out opinion & emotion though explain the impact of the situation is having.

I'd also enclose a separate letter giving the MP authority to discuss your case with the relevant authorities 
 

davidmcn

gettingtheresometime said:

I've only contacted my MP twice - once when I needed help resolve a matter with the DPW & the second was to make an observation over Brexit.

on both occasions I received a reply almost straight away and I believe that the only reason that my issue was resolved with the DPW was because of his involvement.

As above, MPs are relevant for this sort of thing where you're dealing with a Westminster government department. Ministers have to respond to queries from MPs (or at least that's the theory). Although MPs might take an interest (they usually like to give the impression they care about constituents' problems), councillors are the relevant people to talk to about council matters.

stragglebod

Is this about your 'noisy' neighbours?