Before Christmas, we need you to write to your MP to tell them you’d like them to sign our EDM, and to attend our lobby.
Use the UK Parliament website to find out how to contact your MP. You can search by your MP’s surname or simply use your home postcode. The search result will tell you who they are, their party affiliation, their main political interests and (most importantly) their email address.
Then, write them a message. Here’s what you need to do:
- Provide your name/home address, to prove that you are one of your MP’s constituents.
- Ask your MP to sign EDM 772, ‘Preserving access to EU research programmes’. Copy the EDM text at the bottom of your message: we’ve included it for you below too!
- Tell their MP that there will be a Science is Vital lobby on Tuesday 31st January from 14:00–16:00 in Room R, Portcullis House, Houses of Parliament, and ask them to attend.
- (optional) If you’re able to attend the lobby yourself, you can tell your MP that you’ll be there, and you’d like to talk with them as a constituent concerned about this. Find out more details about this on the next page!
- Your letter will be more powerful if you can also add some personal detail, expressing your concerns about the impact of Brexit on science. There are many ways to do this: a good place to start is by mentioning your own experiences; how research and EU funding affect your constituency; or you might want to mention the House of Commons select committee report on the impact of Brexit on Science. Don’t feel you have to write a lot—keep it short and sweet.
- If you’re sending an e-mail and you’re happy to do so, please CC in EUlobby@scienceisvital.org.uk. It will help us keep track of who has been e-mailed and how many messages have been sent—and we won’t to share your details or the contents of your letter.
If you’d like some more tips, check out our page of advice on writing to your MP.
Finally, we’ve pulled together some example messages to help you write yours.
[Sample letters button]
Early Day Motion 772
Access to EU research programmes
That this House recognises the importance of maintaining the UK’s world-leading research base; notes that this is vital to the UK’s international reputation and to its future health, environment and economy; emphasises that science is international and depends on the freedom of all researchers to seek collaboration and training around Europe and the world; further recognises the unique collaborative opportunities provided by EU research programmes through international movement of researchers allowing skills and knowledge to be shared; further notes that the UK is a net beneficiary of the EU research budget which currently provides 10 per cent of UK public-funded research; and calls on the Government to preserve access to these vital EU research funding programmes whatever the form of the UK’s future relations with the EU.
