Project date: 18 January 2024
Link: https://bit.ly/lobbyingCL
This is a practical training resource designed to demystify parliamentary lobbying for campaigners with limited time, budget, or insider connections. Led by public affairs expert Rahul Sareen and seasoned political organiser Hannah O’Rourke, the training focuses on helping progressive campaigners build effective relationships with MPs and navigate the formal and informal levers of UK parliamentary influence.
The guide covers the full range of lobbying tactics available to smaller organisations—from identifying and targeting sympathetic backbench MPs to leveraging parliamentary mechanisms such as Early Day Motions (EDMs), Written Questions, Private Members’ Bills, APPGs, and debates. It explains how to use these tools to raise awareness, gather information, and build public pressure. Participants also learn how to secure meetings, write compelling briefings, and create constituency-led momentum for political change using social media, local press, and campaign infrastructure.
Emphasis is placed on building reciprocal relationships with MPs and their staff, including offering them valuable political exposure, local insights, and help with election messaging. The guide also includes practical templates and tools, such as how to use Hansard, how to call parliamentary offices, and how to map pressure using platforms like Common Knowledge’s Mapped tool.
Designed for activists and organisations operating without access to professional lobbyists, this training is about doing more with less—and understanding how to make an outsized impact in Westminster through smart strategy, storytelling, and persistence.