With a new UK government in office and many new MPs in parliament, we asked our public affairs specialist, Nancy Platts, to share her top tips for engaging with a new government:
The first 100 days
One of the first things you’ll hear from any new government is what they will do in their first 100 days. This might sound like a gimmick, but it can give you strong clues about their priorities.
New governments want to make change happen and they will want some quick wins.
They will be looking for supporters and advocates, and opportunities to make announcements. Your organisation can offer positive commentary through mainstream and social media, as well as speaking platforms.
We’ve already seen this new government frame their targets as ‘missions.’ Keep an eye on those missions and the targets being set because funding will follow those targets.
Finding your parliamentary champions
As campaigners, we all know that the route to change is not a straight line! You may know who has the power to give you what you want but you can’t always get to them easily.
You need some parliamentary champions.
MPs are highly networked and great advocates. Identifying those who might be sympathetic to your cause is vital. Build a map of target MPs based on membership of relevant select committees and All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs), background and interests. Set up alerts on ‘They Work For You’ and follow up with a brief email referencing the speech and asking for a chat.
A golden rule – NEVER email all MPs! It’s a bit like inviting all of your Facebook friends to a party at your house – it’s scattergun and it’s impossible to build a meaningful relationship with 650 people. Target, target, target – do your homework and build a relationship with the MPs that are actually going to help you reach the person who has the power to help you achieve your objectives.
Building a trusted relationship
It’s important to think of any relationship you’re building in the context that the last government was in power for 14 years and this new government could be with us for as long. Backbench MPs you meet today could be ministers or Secretaries of State in the future. Trust is important, as is how you handle your communications.
When drafting statements or speaking to the press, imagine you have the minister or Secretary of State in front of you. Try to position your organisation as a critical friend that understands the problems of government, as well as your own, and as an organisation that can offer solutions.
If you get an opportunity to engage – through a consultation, round table or summit-style event – take it.
If a politician is seeking your views or insight, offer your time and expertise willingly. You want to be consulted, you want to influence and you want a seat at the table. Ask what you can do to help them – you might be able to survey your membership, take soundings on a potential policy announcement. You can share draft research and see if any recommendations might be particularly helpful. Before you know it, you could be helping to shape government policy.
Of course, things don’t always work out the way we want them to and often the change we seek doesn’t happen as quickly as we would like. Escalate campaigns carefully and thoughtfully. If you’ve built a generally positive relationship so far then a ‘no surprises’ policy is key. You don’t have to agree with every policy decision but give the government the courtesy of a ‘heads up’ if you are going to disagree, escalate your campaign or change direction.
Policy can be well-planned and well-consulted, but as we all know, politics can also be incredibly reactive and sometimes policy can change overnight.
As campaigners you can make a positive difference and with a new government it remains vital to get your voices heard loud and clear in the corridors of power.
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