How the lobby will work

The queue

The focus of the day will be a giant queue outside parliament arranged by nation, region and constituency. Each nation and region will have a colour so stewards will be able to help you to gather with other people from your area. Please come with a small flag in your colour. Remember to name your constituency on the flag as this will remind your MP how much his or her voters care about trade justice.

It may take a while to find your place in the queue, so please allow time for this. A map of the area is available online here. The queue will move slowly and you may be standing in the queue for several hours. Do come prepared. There will be lots of fun things happening around the queue to keep you entertained!

If you work in or near London and cannot take the day off, why not come along afterwards? It will be possible to lobby your MP until 6pm.


Nations/regions and their colours

• Scotland - dark blue
• Northern Ireland - pink
• Wales - red
• North East - purple
• North West - yellow
• South West - gold
• East Anglia - light blue
• West Midlands - light green
• East Midlands - orange
• South East - silver
• London - dark green

For a full list of constituencies, please click here.


Where can I expect to lobby my MP?

Because of the time it takes to pass through security checks and the limited space for lobbying inside the House of Commons, we estimate that only people from the first four nations and regions (listed below) can be guaranteed to meet their MPs inside the House of Commons in Westminster Hall. People from all other regions should ask their MPs to meet them outside in the queue.


Groups meeting inside the House of Commons:

We estimate that the following groups will be able to meet their MPs inside at approximately these times:

• Northern Ireland: 12.30pm
• Scotland: 12.30pm
• Wales: 12.30pm
• North East: 2pm
  

Lobbying will take place in a large hall known as Westminster Hall. However, if your MP wants to meet you outside in the queue before those times, that's fine.


Groups meeting outside in the queue:

All other regions should expect to meet their MPs outside Parliament. Please do not make alternative arrangements and jump the queue to try to gain entry into the House of Commons. This could cause safety problems and delay meetings for others. Please explain this to your MP when you request a meeting, as they may not appreciate how many people are expected to take part!

Your MP may also offer to take you to their office or another meeting room in a different building. If your MP suggests this, you may want to arrange the meeting after 1pm so you can take part in the mass moment first.


The mass moment

We need as many people as possible to be in the queue at 1pm to take part in a minute's silence to reflect on trade injustices around the world. Please bring something white - a pillow case, umbrella, sheet, whatever! - to hold up during the silence. Our aim is to create a spectacular white loop around Westminster, in the theme of the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY 'white band'.


What will happen when I meet my MP?

We would like you to ask your MP to take specific actions for trade justice. The Questions & Answers booklet (available to download here, or read online here) is accompanied by an Ask Sheet (available to download here, or read online here) and contains plenty of information so that you will know exactly what to say and how to answer any points that your MP may raise. Extra copies will also be available on the day.

• Using the Ask Sheet, state your main points clearly and firmly. Explain why you are passionate about the UK Government's need to take action.
• You may only have a short amount of their time. If they change the subject, try to politely but firmly bring them back to the point.
• Where possible, try to illustrate your arguments with examples or draw on your own experience.
• You are not supposed to be an expert! If you don't know the answer to all your MP's questions, offer to find out later and write to them.
• Aim to leave with an agreement that your MP will take the actions listed on the Ask Sheet. 

Contacting your MP on the day of the lobby

Make a note of your MP's office number before you leave, or get the mobile number of their assistant. You may wish to contact your MP by phone if you have any problems meeting up.


What do I do if my MP says that they are unavailable?

It's still incredibly important that you take part in the mass lobby. Firstly, you will be part of a giant gathering outside parliament, and secondly, you will still be able to hand in a Green Card to your MP on the day, telling them that you wanted to meet them, so your MP will know that you came all the way to London for Trade Justice.


What is a Green Card?

The House of Commons is open to any member of the public who wishes to meet their MP while parliamentary business is being held. Once inside the House of Commons, any constituent wishing to meet their MP has the democratic right to fill in a special card called a 'Green Card' stating their name, the name of their MP, and the reason they wish to meet them.

The card is then handed to an attendant. If the MP is in the building they are requested to come to meet their constituent. Even if the MP is unavailable, they will still receive the message that their constituent came to lobby them on that particular issue.


What will happen if I haven't arranged a meeting with my MP?

It is strongly advised that you contact your MP in advance to ask them to meet you. However if you haven't already fixed a meeting, you can find your section of the queue on the day and see if anyone else in your constituency has made arrangements. We will also give a Green Card to anyone in the lobby queue that doesn't get to meet their MP.


Tell us how it went

Everyone will be given a feedback sheet on the day so that you can write down what your MP's response was. Please don't forget to return it - we need know which MPs were met and what commitments they made.


Follow it up

You may wish to write and thank your MP for the meeting - and you can reiterate that you look forward to hearing what actions they have taken since!


What else is happening internationally?

It's not just us who are calling for trade justice! There will be other national European lobbies taking place in October and November, culminating in a European-wide action and lobby in Brussels, Belgium, on Monday 21 November.

Join campaigners from across Europe in a 'white band' action outside the meeting of the 25 EU Trade Ministers as they finalise the EU's negotiating position for the WTO talks in December. Campaigners will form a giant human 'white band' before lobbying MEPs at the European Parliament in the afternoon.

Visit www.tjm.org.uk/brussels  for more information on coaches and accommodation being organised for campaigners from the UK. Visit www.globalmasslobby.org  to be inspired by other lobbies taking places around the world.

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