What is an MP?
A Member of Parliament (MP) is elected by the people of a specific area - known as a constituency - to represent them in the House of Commons. In my case, I am the MP for Faversham and Mid Kent. Anyone who lives in the constituency of Faversham and Mid Kent is called a constituent. You can check whether you're a constituent of Faversham and Mid Kent on my website's home page.
Due to Parliamentary rules, I am not allowed to take up issues raised by people who live outside the constituency, which is why it’s important to know who your MP is (especially if the boundary of a constituency moves).
Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected to the House of Commons to represent the interests and concerns of all the people that live local to them, whether they voted for them at an election or not.
What does an MP do?
An MP has to split their time between working in their constituency and working in Parliament.
In the constituency, MPs hold advice surgeries for their constituents to come and talk to them about local issues and problems, organise meetings with local groups, support community events, as well as visit local schools, businesses, farms and charities.
Whether in Parliament or in the Constituency, my role is to stand up for constituents.
What can an MP NOT do?
There are some matters in your local area that MPs cannot control. These include:
- Council spending - MPs don’t decide how councils spend their budgets. This also means that bin collection, potholes, and house planning decisions are not under my direct control.
- NHS services - whilst MPs can raise concerns about local hospitals or GP surgeries, day-to-day management is handled by NHS trusts and health boards.
- Police operations - MPs cannot tell the police how to deal with individual cases, or ongoing investigations.
- Court decisions - MPs cannot intervene in legal cases.
That said, an MP can write to a local council and other organisations and ask them to look into a problem or to reconsider an issue. I would always encourage my constituents to contact their local council or councillor themselves first.