How to phone bank your MP before tomorrow's vote on the Trade Bill

In July last year, something outrageous happened. MPs voted AGAINST protecting our NHS from trade deals.

Tomorrow, the Trade Bill is back in parliament. MPs have the chance to change their minds, to make the right decision and vote to PROTECT our NHS from trade deals - through the NHS protection amendment and the scrutiny amendment. 

Thousands of We Own It supporters and campaigners have written to their MP asking them to vote the right way. You can email them now if you haven't.

Now we need to ramp up the pressure on by phoning up their offices and asking: Will you vote to protect our NHS tomorrow?

How to call your MP's offices today

We are organising  briefing sessions at 3pm on Monday 18th and at 8:30am on Tuesday 19th January to offer guidance on calling your MP. Please feel free to sign up to attend one of the briefing sessions!

But you can call your MP right away without attending any of the sessions by following the guidance offered below: 

Step one: Call 020 7219 3000. This number takes you to the parliamentary switchboard where you tell them you want to speak to the MP for (constituency name). You can also try their office number and see if this redirects to another number (perhaps a mobile while people are working from home), however we know that most MPs are not in their offices right now and might not have set this up.

Step two: Follow the suggested script below to have the most fruitful discussion with your MP or a member of their staff.

Hi, my name is …………... from …(your town/constituency), and I am calling to speak to my MP, ....(MP's name) about the Trade Bill coming before the House of Lords on Tuesday 19th Jan. 

Who am I speaking to, please? (It is most likely that you will be put through to a member of their staff who's in the office. If that is the case, ask if you can speak directly to the MP.)

Can I speak directly to my MP, please? (They may or may not put you through depending on the MP's availability. You can give them the message anyway.)

As I mentioned earlier, I am aware that the Trade Bill is coming before MPs again on Tuesday and I want to ask you to vote for the NHS protection amendment and the scrutiny amendment added by the House of Lords (or, if you're speaking to a member of their staff: "...I want to ask my MP to vote for..."). 

Mention if you have taken action in the past e.g. I have emailed you previously about this/ I have written to the local newspaper about this issue and so wanted to follow up.

Will you/my MP vote for those amendments? (Or if you are speaking to a member of their staff: "will they vote for those amendments?")

*If their answer is yes, thank them for supporting those amendments and end the call.

*if they haven’t decided, tell them you hope they decide to vote to protect our NHS from trade deals. Remind them that you and a majority of the country support explicit protections for our NHS in law in the Trade Bill and believe that if the government was serious about our NHS being off the table they would back putting NHS protection in the law. You can also offer to send them more information, including a briefing on the scrutiny amendment, and 4 reasons they should vote for the NHS amendment.

*if their answer is a strong no, remind them that the NHS has saved us during this crisis and that passing the NHS protection amendment is the least MPs can do during a pandemic. Also remind them that the vast majority of the public support explicit protections for our NHS in the Trade Bill and believe that if the government was serious about our NHS not being off the table, they would have no problem putting it in the law. And tell them you wish they will change their mind before the vote. Politely thank them for their time and end the call.

Step three: Tell us about your call by recording their response here. Alternatively, email us the outcome of the call so we can record it or offer advice, at Pascale@weownit.org.uk

Step 4: Send this page to your friends and family, by email, WhatsApp, text, whatever platform you use! We need as many people as possible to call up their MP!