Guide

Guides for MPs Staff

Travel information for MPs and their staff

Standard

 

Parliamentary Travel Office

The Parliamentary Travel Office provides a comprehensive travel service including:

  • domestic and international air and rail ticketing
  • hotel booking (both in the UK and abroad)
  • passport, visa and currency services
  • support with organising travel and accommodation for events.

The Travel Office offers specially negotiated discounts on many fares, in particular on air travel, and on the costs of hotels.

The Travel Office is provided by Reed and McKay and they have an excellent online booking system and a mobile app.  Once you have set up your account, you will have to ask Reed and McKay to add you as a delegate so that you can manage bookings on behalf of your Member or other colleagues.

The Reed and McKay site also has a section called ‘Sherpa’ which gives up-to-date visa and travel information.  Simply put in your destination and it will tell you what visas are required and will let you click through to the correct place to apply.

Taxis

Please note that the Parliamentary Travel Office does not offer a taxi booking service.

Overseas Travel

If you or your MP are travelling overseas on Parliamentary business, you can find information about services available to you on the intranet:

Overseas Travel Advice, Guidance and Vaccination Arrangements – St Thomas’ Hospital

Members and staff of both Houses together with their accompanying staff/partner travelling overseas on office business may obtain travel advice, vaccinations and medication from the Occupational Health Service at St Thomas’ Hospital.

For further information and to book an appointment, click here.

For information on travel insurance, please see the intranet page here: Travel insurance

Important – Post-Brexit British Passport Validity

To be eligible to travel to most European countries, on the day of travel, British passport holders must:

  • Have at least 6 months left on their passport, and
  • Have a passport that is less than 10 years old, even if it has 6 months or more left

These rules also apply to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. They do not apply to travel to Ireland.

Please check your passport expiry date before booking any travel and renew it as soon as possible if it does not meet the new criteria. Failure to do so may mean your passport is invalid and you may not be able to travel.

You can check here for the country you’re visiting.

Click here to renew your British passport.

Foreign travel advice

Get country-by-country advice about travelling abroad, including the latest information on coronavirus, safety and security, entry requirements and travel warnings.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

 

Surviving your first week in the constituency office

Standard

Introduction

I still remember my first day vividly.  I arrived at the constituency office bang on 9 o’clock, and was greeted by a local councillor.  He told me that he acted as the caretaker for the building and gave me a set of keys. He showed me upstairs to my office, and then said he had to go, and wished me luck.

So there I was, standing in my best suit, alone in the building, looking at my new surroundings.  In my previous job, I had worked in a nice, air-conditioned office with lots of windows, lots of desks and lots of people. Now I was standing alone in a small, dimly-lit room which contained an old desk, a wonky orange plastic chair, a filing cabinet with a drawer missing, and a telephone.  The tiny window had bars on it, and overlooked a car park. That was it. No computer, no nothing.  As I stood there looking around, I thought “What an earth have I done?”  This shabby room with its worn, second-hand carpet and broken furniture was not at all what I had imagined an MPs office to be like.

I think that this is something that surprises many people.  Most MPs are not rich and do not have expensive and plush constituency offices.  The office cost budget is always stretched, and MPs are keen to get the best deals possible on rent, which might mean sacrificing some of the luxuries you might find in city centre offices.  Some MPs are lucky enough to inherit furniture from their predecessors, whilst others might buy second-hand furniture.  Fortunately, nowadays, there is a ‘startup supplement’ to help to set up a new office for a new MP, which should cover all of the basic necessities.

It’s often tough, not necessarily well paid, the hours can be long, and quite often you may not enjoy overly salubrious surroundings.  However, working for an MP is undoubtedly a very privileged position.  You will meet some fantastic people in your role.  No two working days are ever the same.  You are the first port of call working in the Constituency Office – often for constituents who, at times, will present seemingly intractable problems – you will often be the de facto MP!

Enjoy your work and I hope that this simple guide assists you in your first few weeks.

Meet Your Team

Most MPs, but not all, have both a constituency office and a Westminster office, and the work carried out in the two offices can be very different.  If your Member has a Westminster office, find out exactly what work they undertake, what hours they work (they might work later in the day in order to be there when the House is sitting), the preferred method of contact, e.g. telephone, email, Teams, WhatsApp.  You may find, for example, that the Westminster office manages the MP’s Diary, organises House of Commons Tours, deals with policy issues, and helps with speech writing.  In the Constituency office you may be casework-focused, organise surgeries, liaise with the respective political party organisation and local stakeholders (i.e. local authorities, schools, citizens advice bureau, charities, pressure groups, etc).  When possible, try to organise a visit to the Westminster office and have a good look at all the places you are supposed to know about.  Offer to buy lunch for your Westminster colleague….well OK…a cuppa – in return for a tour of all those places you’ve heard about and it would be helpful to have actually seen.  Book yourself onto an official guided tour.  In the meantime, you can undertake an online tour of the building by looking at the Virtual Tours page: https://ukparliament.seetickets.com/tour/guided-online-tour-of-the-palace-of-westminster

Security Clearance

Your MP or office manager should have sorted out your security clearance before your start date.  If this hasn’t been done, then this is your most important and urgent task.  Without it, you will not be able to access any of the Parliamentary computers or the Parliamentary network, which will seriously hamper your ability to work – almost everything is done online.  Depending on the workload of the Pass Office, clearance can take anything from a couple of weeks, to a couple of months – obviously, they will be much busier just after a General Election.  When your security clearance has been granted, the Pass Office will email your security number to your MP.  Please treat this number as you would your PIN for your credit card – keep it somewhere secure where only you can access it.  Renewing your security clearance is your own responsibility, so please make a note of the expiry date and ensure that you renew it a couple of weeks before it expires.  You can find the relevant forms on the intranet.  Contact the Pass Office on [email protected] if you have any queries.

If you are working in Westminster your security clearance must be granted before you begin work on the Parliamentary Estate.  It is not permitted for staff to use a visitor pass.  You can read more about security clearance here: https://w4mp.org/jobs-listings-events/jobs/members-staff-security-verification-questionnaire/

Parliamentary Network Account

As soon as your security clearance has been granted, your office manager or MP should apply for an account on the Parliamentary Network for you.  If this hasn’t been done, please ask them to do it as soon as possible; they will need your security clearance number, and they will need to tell Parliamentary Digital Services whether you are to have access to the members mailbox and/or a shared office mailbox if they have one.  It usually takes around 24 hours for your access to be set up.

The first time you log into a computer, you will be asked to change your password, and then you will have to wait a few minutes for the computer to set up your profile.  This is a good time to go and make a cup of tea.

Contract of Employment

Your MP should have drawn up a contract of employment, which should be signed by both the MP and you.  This contract must be sent to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), along with a New Starter Form as soon as possible – you won’t get paid if IPSA doesn’t have these forms.  See the IPSA website for further information: https://www.ipsaonline.org.uk/guidance/new-starters.

Your working hours

You should agree with the MP what hours you will work.  Some offices have split starting times, where one member of staff might work 8am to 4pm, another might work 10am to 6pm.  In Westminster, some staff might work from 12pm to 8pm, or vary their times to match those of when the House is sitting.  Most MPs are very flexible on start times, but do expect the constituency office to have cover during core hours, for example between 10am and 2pm.  MPs’ staffing budgets are very tight, and it is common for Time Off In Lieu (TOIL) to be given instead of overtime payments, so it is important to keep a record of any overtime worked.  If you are to be paid for your overtime (check with your Member first), you will need to enter this into an overtime form which can be found on the IPSA Business World website.  Your office manager or MP will show you where to find this, or you can ask IPSA.

Your surroundings

OK, now you’ve got the most urgent bits done, it’s time for someone to show you around.  If they don’t offer – ask!  At the very least, you need to know where the toilets are.  Don’t feel embarrassed to ask if nobody volunteers this information, it’s probably the most important thing you need to know today.  What facilities are at your disposal?  Is there a kitchen?  Is there a kitty for buying tea/coffee/milk etc. or do you provide your own?  Whilst some constituency offices are in town centres, where there are plenty of places to buy lunch, some people prefer to bring something with them, whether it be sandwiches or something they can cook or heat up at the office.  How does the burglar alarm and entry system work?  Where are the exits?  What is the fire safety plan? Where is the fire-fighting equipment, and will you be trained to use it?

Although most constituents communicate by email these days, you will still receive some letters by post and will need to send letters to constituents.  Therefore you need to find out where the nearest post box is or, more importantly, the post box which has the latest collection time.  If your nearest postbox is emptied at nine in the morning, that might not be the best one to use.  Some older postboxes have quite small apertures, so if you need to post something large, you may need to find your nearest parcel post box.

Telephones

Someone should show you how to use the telephone.  Now this might sound like something really obvious – everyone knows how to use a telephone, right?  Well not necessarily.  Some offices will just have a simple phone where you pick up and dial; some might require you to dial nine for an outside line, but others might have more complicated systems.  What is the protocol for answering the telephone?  Does everyone pick up the phones when they ring, is it on a rota, or is one person designated as ‘receptionist’?  Is there a particular wording they would like you to use when you answer the phone?  Some people like to keep it short and say “Hello, Fred Bloggs MPs office, how may I help you?” whereas some have really unwieldy greetings “Good morning, you have reached the office of Fred Bloggs MP, my name is Jane Smith, how may I help you?” – by which time the constituent has already tried to talk over you three times.  Do you have an old-fashioned answerphone, or do you have electronic voicemail?  You can use Microsoft Teams on your computer or mobile devices to make voice or video calls to anyone on the Parliamentary Network, which will help to keep your phone bills down.  Some people might also have an assigned Teams telephone number, which allows them to make and receive external calls on their computer.

Use a notebook!  Post-it notes get everywhere, and easily get lost, so keep a notebook on your desk, and use it to take notes from phone calls, conversations with constituents, instructions from the MP, et cetera.  Start a new page every day and write the date at the top.  Just something as simple as this can help you to focus your mind for the day, and will also help you to find things when you need to look back at them.  It is not uncommon for a constituent to complain that they called you three weeks ago and you haven’t done anything with their case, yet when you check back in your book, it was actually five days ago.

Newspapers and Magazines

Does your office have a subscription to a local newspaper, either in hard copy or digital?  If digital, can you have access?  Bear in mind that whilst most newspapers have websites, not all of the articles on the website appear in the hard copy, and not all of the articles which appear in hard copy will appear on the website, so it’s important that you have access to both in order to keep an eye on any items which will be of interest to the MP or the constituency.  Some digital subscriptions will allow you to print or save pages as PDF files, which you can store in your shared drive, for future reference.

If your role will involve liaising with the local press, you should introduce yourself to the local journalists.  Some journalists like to speak to you personally about every issue, whereas others prefer to communicate by email, so perhaps you could arrange to meet to discuss how you can best work with each other.

Your MP may also have subscriptions to various magazines.  Some magazines send hard copies to MPs automatically, but you may have to pay for some subscriptions.  You can also access some magazines and journals through the Commons Library intranet pages.  Always check to see if the Commons Library already has a subscription before committing to pay for one.  You can also access Nexis news from the Commons Library intranet pages, which allows you to search newspapers from all over the world.  The results are shown in text only format, rather than looking like a page from the newspaper.

Induction and Training

The Members’ Services Team (MST) holds frequent online induction sessions for new staff, and w4mp strongly recommends that all new staff join one of these sessions as soon as possible.  MST should contact you shortly after you start your employment, but you can also contact them directly to ask to be registered on a session – just email [email protected]

The Members’ Services Team provides a wealth of relevant, high-quality training, free of charge.  You can access the learning portal via the ACT icon on your computer desktop, and from there you can view all of the available courses, and book online.  Your line manager will be notified when you book each course, and you will receive confirmation and a calendar invitation by email.

It is important that you do the Fire, Safety, Security and Behaviour Code for Members & Members’ Staff training first.  w4mp encourages you to sign up for as many courses relevant to your job as you can, but don’t overwhelm yourself.  These training sessions take place during the working day, and you will need to fit your work around them, so whilst it’s tempting to try to do several courses in a week, this is really not a good idea as you will end up with a backlog of work.

Many courses are available online, but if you have to travel to attend any face-to-face training, the cost of the travel will be covered by IPSA.  You can book via the Travel Office, via Trainline Business, or you can buy the tickets yourself and claim for reimbursement.

The Commons Library and some House of Commons offices also offer training, and there are external providers too.  You can find out more information about training here: https://w4mp.org/training/

Your Local Authority

Many constituents will contact you on matters that predominantly fall under the jurisdiction of the local authority.  This can be anything ranging from questions and problems with housing, housing benefit and rent, council tax, to planning matters, parking, social services, libraries and so on.

Every Local Authority has a different preferred method of contact with the MP’s office.  In some areas, the MP will email everything to the Chief Executive or Town Clerk, regardless of whether it is casework, policy or other local issues.  In other areas, the MP might email individual council departments or officers responsible for the different issues.  Some councils have a very useful web submission form which directs the matter to the correct department, ensuring that you provide all the required information whilst, at the same time, providing a tracking system which ensures that your correspondence receives a timely response.  Please do check to find out their preferred method of contact – you may be slowing down the response time if you are not contacting via the correct route.

The Police

Your MP should already have a good working relationship with the local Chief Superintendent, and you should seek to foster a good relationship with their Personal Assistant/Staff Officer, as they can be an absolute mine of useful information and save you a lot of work.  If your MP has not yet met the Chief Superintendent, you should arrange a meeting to introduce the MP and yourself.  They will be able to advise you who your initial contact for casework and local issues of concern should be.

It is useful for you to know who your local police contacts are, and some forces have details of the local officers for each area listed on their website. If not, the Chief Superintendent’s PA/Staff Officer will be able to supply you with this information.  Local officers are usually very helpful in updating you about general matters of concern in their areas, and will often be able to discuss some of the specific matters which are brought to your attention by constituents.  It is also a good idea to let the local officers know if you will be holding an advice surgery in their area.

You should also find out who your local ‘Operation Bridger’ contact is, and drop them an email to introduce yourself.  Operation Bridger is a nationwide police protective security operation to enhance the security of Members of Parliament.  For further information about this operation, please contact the Members’ Security Support Service, whose details can be found on the intranet.

Other Key Local Stakeholders

As well as the local authority and the Police, there will be a number of bodies you will come into contact with on a regular basis.  These will include the Fire Service, various health services, head teachers, local faith leaders, the Chamber of Commerce, Citizens Advice Bureau, charities, other voluntary groups and business leaders.

You will probably not need to visit all of these, but you should know their contact details and you should email them with your details, so they know how to get in touch quickly.

The Diary

Please see our separate guide here: Managing Your MP’s Diary

Dealing with Constituents

If you manage to get to day three of your first week working for an MP without having an angry constituent coming to you because something somewhere in the world has gone wrong, you’ve done pretty well!

How will constituents communicate with you?

There are various methods of communication:

  • email
  • telephone
  • letter
  • advice surgeries
  • appointments at your office
  • cold callers at your office

By far the most common method of communication is by email.  Some MPs receive more than 300 emails a day, many of which are from constituents needing advice or assistance.  Next, comes telephone calls.  Every day is different – some days your phone will not stop ringing, and on other days, it might not ring at all – you never know what you’re going to get.  Before widespread usage of the Internet, MPs used to receive numerous letters each week, but now that most people have email, they might receive only one or two letters a week, or even a month.

Most MPs hold advice surgeries.  Rather than go into detail here, you can read more about them in our guide: Preparing for a Constituency Surgery

Sometimes, a constituent will need to see the MP or their caseworker face-to-face to discuss complex issues, and an appointment at the office might be the most appropriate way to do this.  Set aside a hour to meet them and be mindful of your personal safety.  Never see constituents alone, and don’t let the Member see them alone either.

How you decide to deal with constituents coming to your door, on an ad hoc basis, without a prior appointment, is something you will quickly have to work out a clear protocol for.  Your Member may well have views, and you need to discuss this with them.

Our first advice is quite straightforward and simple, but very important: don’t let anyone into the office who is clearly very agitated if you are on your own.  Even better, do not let anyone at all into the office if you are on your own.

We would strongly advise MPs’ offices not to have an ‘open door’ policy, where anyone can drop in at any time without an appointment.  Not only is it a safety risk, but also might be an unwelcome interruption to other urgent matters that you are dealing with.  It’s also not fair on people who have booked appointments in advance, to have someone interrupt their meeting.

If however, your Member insists on having an ‘open door’ policy, you should work out a protocol where you are going to accept members of the public into the office, on an ad hoc basis, arrange for a notice to be put at the front of your building, with the opening hours that are available.  You may work from 7.45am until 4.30pm for example, but the public may be allowed in only between 9.30am and 3.30pm.  On any notice you could also usefully inform people that they should, wherever possible, bring supporting documentary evidence and a covering letter addressed to the Member, authorising the MP to make enquiries on behalf of the constituent.

Not all members of the public who come to the office during the week whilst the MP is in Westminster will necessarily want to have a moan.  Some may want help and advice because their social security benefits appear wrong or confusing; or they may wish to make the Member aware of something that is happening in the local community.  Remember to be the ears and eyes for your Member – a good listening ear plus lots of patience is what’s needed!

Dealing with Casework

See our guides to casework here: https://w4mp.org/w4mp/w4mp-guides/in-the-constituency/casework-guides/

Stationery

In the Constituency Office no two days are ever the same.  Whether it is casework, doing research for your Member or writing a speech, you will need the relevant stationery.  See our guide here: https://w4mp.org/w4mp/w4mp-guides/your-office/stationery/

Money

There shouldn’t be any need for staff to purchase items for the office, but on the rare occasions this might happen, you need to know how they will be paid for.  The best way is to ask the MP or their proxy to purchase something on the IPSA payment card as this will mean that no-one is out-of-pocket.  However, if this isn’t possible, then the Member or staff can purchase items and then claim for reimbursement, subject to them being eligible under IPSA’s rules.  Some offices might keep a small amount of petty cash, in which case, you should confirm the protocol for this with the Member.

If you are likely to be nominated as the MP’s proxy for IPSA, it is very important that you familiarise yourself with The Scheme of MPs’ Business Costs & Expenses.  Indeed, even if you are not going to be a proxy, you should read it anyway so that you have an idea of what you can and cannot do.  IPSA offers regular training sessions for proxies and you can find details here: Training & development

Health and Safety

All Constituency Offices should have a first aid kit and should adhere to basic health and safety requirements.  It is a good idea for at least one staff member to have attended a First Aid training course.

You can contact your local Fire Service for free checks on fire precautions etc.  The local authority can advise on health and safety guidance and you will find a huge amount of information on the Parliamentary intranet.  Although much of the information on the intranet is related to working in Westminster, there is still some very useful information which can be applied to constituency offices.

Computers and backing up your work

You may be surprised just how much you rely on fast, reliable computers for your work.  All MPs are entitled to an allocation of computer equipment, including PCs, laptops, tablets and printers for their staff.  The Parliamentary Digital Service on 0207 219 2001 will supply all your IT needs and they provide an excellent service.

All you need to know about technical help and advice, managing your network account, ordering computer equipment and software, wireless and remote access to the Parliamentary Network, ICT training and Security advice, policies and procedures can be found on ParliNet.

You should save all your work either on your personal OneDrive, or on your office’s SharePoint drive rather than on your PC’s hard drive.  This will allow you to access it from any location at any time, not just whilst you’re sitting at your desk.  You can sync OneDrive and your SharePoint drive to your computer, so that you can continue working even if you have no Internet connection.  Using the cloud-based options also means that your data is less likely to be lost as a result of hardware failure.

Working from home

Many Members are flexible and allow their staff to work at home at times if this is necessary, for example if you’ve got a particularly complicated piece of work to do and you need time away from the phone, or if you need to arrange your day around childcare, for example.  Do check with your Member and get their acceptance for this.  You can read our guides to working from home here:

https://w4mp.org/library/researchguides/your-employment-status/working-from-home-a-guide-for-those-who-work-for-an-mp/

and here: https://w4mp.org/w4mp/w4mp-guides/support-in-your-job/working-from-home/

Talk to other MPs’ Constituency Offices

You are not alone in this confusing and complicated new maze and, when struggling to find your way around, you will find a good deal of camaraderie with other MPs’ offices (of the same Party!) within your county or region.  They will often be able to help and advise on many issues you have to face, and have probably ‘been gone there before’ and will happily share experiences with you. It’s a fact of life in a great many constituency offices that life can be somewhat isolated for staff so it’s up to you to set up a network which works for you.  The Members’ Services Team also arranges monthly online drop-in sessions where you can receive updates on information relevant to staff, and also chat with staff from other offices all over the country.  There are WhatsApp groups available for MPs’ staff, and the MST can put you in touch with the appropriate one for your job and political party.

Representation

There are various organisations which provide representation for MPs’ staff, and you can find details of them here: https://w4mp.org/w4mp/w4mp-guides/groups-which-staff-can-join/representation/

Other Places to Look

The Members’ Staff Handbook is an essential guide for both Constituency and Westminster staff which includes lots of useful information, as well as listing the responsibilities and rules that you must adhere to.

Covid-19 Support

Standard

This page last updated: 28 May 2021. Links are no longer functioning and have been removed. Covid-19 is no longer regarded as a public health emergency.

You can find out more about long Covid from the NHS.

Cartoon showing people wearing masks outside Palace of Westminster
Cartoon showing people wearing masks outside Palace of Westminster

For up to date information on the situation please check the Parliamentary Covid-19 intranet hub, which contains information about Parliament’s response to coronavirus, including support for remote working and what services are available. It is for Members of both Houses, members’ staff and staff of both Houses.

Please note the current advice on wearing face coverings on the estate.

Information and advice from IPSA can be found here: https://www.theipsa.org.uk/news/coronavirus-guidance/

We have created a page of what we hope will be useful links for caseworkers and the public. If you have things we might add please mail [email protected] 

We have published a guide to working from home, with advice on how to stay healthy. There is also guidance from the HoC Health and Wellbeing Team.

GMB Branch for MPs’ and Lords’ Staff

Standard

If you’re ever having a problem at work, big or small, or if you want to be part of making things better for MPs’ and Lords’ staff, then the GMB is here for you.

The GMB is the trade union for MPs’ staff and Lords’ staff.  We represent staff of all political parties, both in Westminster and in the constituency.  Whether you’re an unpaid intern or a (more than) full-time office manager, we would love to have you join our community.

The GMB is Parliament’s campaigning union.  The Laura Cox and Gemma White reports have exposed the widespread bullying and harassment that has taken place in Parliament.  We refuse to tolerate any form of bullying: we are determined not only to stamp this out wherever we see it, but also put robust systems in place to stop this from ever happening again.  Parliament is an institution that is hundreds of years old – but that doesn’t mean we should have to put up with ancient standards of behaviour.

On top of this, we’ve been working tirelessly to make dealing with IPSA easier, for better pay, and simply to make sure everyone gets paid the right amount on time. It’s by working together that we can make the change that we want to see happen

We have a team of experienced reps on hand to help with any problem you may have, however big or small.  We will be there to give you impartial and confidential advice, be by your side in every step of a disciplinary procedure, help you make a complaint through the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme, or simply to talk any issues you might have through.  You’re never alone when you’re with us.

GMB is the biggest Trade Union on Parliamentary Estate.  While our Branch is focused on the unique issues faced by staff that work for MPs and Peers, the GMB also represents staff working on the estate in catering, retail, and all sorts of others.  The partnership between all workers across the estate is the cornerstone of our union, and this allows us to run bigger campaigns with more impact.

We have a recognition agreement with the Parliamentary Labour Party, a productive working relationship with IPSA and the Members Services Team.

We want everyone to feel safe, secure and supported at work, and we’re going to stop until that’s the case.  Join us if you want to make Parliament a better place to work, and make sure your rights are protected. We will have your back no matter what.

For further information email: [email protected], and follow us on Twitter: @GMB_MPs_Staff.

Join us here: www.gmb.org.uk/join-GMB

The Privy Council

Standard

What is the Privy Council?

The Privy Council is an advisory body to the Monarch; its members are known as Privy Counsellors. It is one of the oldest parts of the UK’s constitutional arrangements, with its origins dating back to at least the thirteenth century.

Find out more in this Commons Library Research Briefing which looks at the role and powers of the Privy Council: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7460/

Finding legal advice for your constituents

Standard

MPs are there to help only with those matters for which Parliament or central government is  responsible.  MPs are not there to help in private disputes with neighbours, with an employer, with family matters or with companies who have sold faulty goods; nor can they interfere with decisions made by courts.

MPs’ offices should not give out legal advice to constituents, nor should they be involved in Judicial Reviews.  You should ask your constituents to seek independent legal advice given by a suitably qualified person with professional liability insurance.  Judicial Reviews require specialist advice.

MPs should not write to judges as they may appear as attempts to interfere with legal proceedings.  Read more in the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Advice Note.

Law Centres defend the legal rights of people who cannot afford a lawyer. They are specialists working in their local communities to uphold justice and advance equality.  There are various Law Centres throughout the country who https://www.lawcentres.org.uk/about-law-centres/law-centres-on-google-maps/alphabetically

LawWorks is a charity working in England and Wales to connect volunteer lawyers with people in need of legal advice, who are not eligible for legal aid and cannot afford to pay and with the not-for-profit organisations that support them.  https://www.lawworks.org.uk/

Citizens Advice Bureau: Citizens Advice Bureau (external website)
Their network of independent charities offers confidential advice online, over the phone, and in person, for free.  They are independent and totally impartial.  They also give advice on consumer rights on their consumer helpline, support witnesses in courts through the Witness Service and give pension guidance to people aged over 50.

Immigration

In the case of immigration matters, it is against the law to dispense immigration advice unless you are registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) or a member of an approved professional body such as the Law Society.

Find an immigration adviser: https://www.gov.uk/find-an-immigration-adviser

The Public Law Project employs specialist lawyers who assist individuals experiencing personal disadvantage, or charities or organisations representing the interests of marginalised or disadvantaged groups.  PLP also employs expert academics and researchers.

They may be able to take on individual cases that are referred to them by other lawyers, advisors, MPs or voluntary groups.  If they are unable to help, they may be able to signpost you to other lawyers or agencies that can.

Have a look at their page on helping individuals here; https://publiclawproject.org.uk/can-we-help/individuals/

The Public Law Project also gives information on Judicial Reviews here: https://publiclawproject.org.uk/resources/an-introduction-to-judicial-review-2/

The Unity Project supports migrants who have No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF).

Karma Nirvana is a project which supports victims of honour-based violence and forced marriage.  https://karmanirvana.org.uk/

Further information

See the House of Commons Library Constituency Casework Guides:

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Legal Aid: https://www.apg-legalaid.org/

From the APPG’s website:

“The APPG on Legal Aid provides bespoke training to MPs and their caseworkers on a range of subjects through the House of Commons Library. Studies and research have shown that as a consequence of the LASPO cuts there has been a huge increase in the number and complexity of legal problems that MPs are encountering in their surgeries. Our training is designed specifically with caseworkers in mind and provided by industry experts. To date, we have provided training in the following areas:

  • Legal Aid,
  • Immigration,
  • Housing Law,
  • Disability and Discrimination Law,
  • Employment Law,
  • Anti-Social Behaviour Orders and
  • Special Education Needs.

Feedback for the courses has been excellent. We have also developed courses in soft skills and interviewing techniques for new casework staff as part of the House of Commons induction process.

For further information about these courses, please check the ACT website.

We also provide briefings for individual MPs and select committees on various areas within legal aid. For further information, please contact [email protected].”

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Access to Justice:
https://www.appg-access-to-justice.co.uk/

 

Signposting Guide to Pro Bono & Other Free Advice

The Guide to Pro Bono & Other Free Advice is a directory for MPs, their caseworkers, charity sector staff and others looking to signpost individuals to free legal and other advice.

It covers:

  • Legal aid i.e. legal assistance funded by the Government.
  • Pro bono i.e. free legal advice or representation provided by volunteer lawyers to individuals and charities who cannot afford to pay but where legal aid is unavailable.
  • Front line advice organisations, which provide assistance from general advice through to specialist legal support. Note some areas have regulatory restrictions in particular debt and immigration.
  • Online guidance about legal issues and the legal process.
  • Specialist charities providing general advice/support for particular groups or problems, reflecting that legal issues often occur alongside non-legal issues. Some of those charities may offer legal information or advice, or may be able to signpost to it.

Having been launched in the last Parliament with the support of the APPG on Access to Justice, the updated Guide for England & Wales was recently endorsed by the Attorney General’s Pro Bono Committee.

The Guide is now located at the new website of the Attorney General’s Committee at probonocommittee.uk/MPs where there is a dedicated section for MPs and their caseworkers, with various information including an explanation about pro bono, guidance about working with local agencies and signposting free legal advice, and a summary of legal aid.

Hard copies are being sent to all MPs in England & Wales at their offices at Westminster, with a covering letter from Solicitor General, Sarah Sackman KC MP.

The Solicitor General recently referred to the Guide’s publication in an article in the Law Society Gazette, and discussed the Guide in a short video on LinkedIn.

A sister guide for Scotland is linked to on the same website, and a Welsh language version of the Wales chapter is also available.

If MPs or caseworkers would like additional hard copies sent to them, they can email [email protected]

Workplace Equality Networks

Standard

Workplace Equality Networks (WENs) are an opportunity for groups of people to discuss and consider issues relevant to their situation or of interest to them.  In particular, WENs can be useful forums for groups protected by equality legislation.

Current networks include:

WENs are open to all pass holders in the Commons, PDS and Lords staff, contractors employed by the House, MPs, Lords and members’ staff.

Membership is not restricted to people who require a platform relating to this WEN but those involved are required to respect the aims of the Network.

For more information on Workplace Equality Networks, please see their page on ParliNet.

 

A Welcome from Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons
Standard

Whether you are interested in working for an MP – or need advice on parliamentary procedures, the W4MP website is an excellent resource.

As anyone starting a new position here knows, trying to navigate the estate and its way of working can be a bit overwhelming.

That is why W4MP serves as such an indispensable font of advice – from helping you to find your feet as a new member of staff, to understanding the business of the Chamber.

As MPs, and therefore the Commons, could not function effectively without your hard work, it is important that you get the support you need.

W4MP will help you get orientated, introduce you to the best practices of your fellow researchers, case workers and office managers.

It will also provide a guide to the resources available from the House of Commons Library, the Parliamentary Intranet, and the Members’ Services Team.

There is information on representation, trade unions, and social activities – and a place to post small ads for the attention of fellow staff.

The site is run by an independent organisation on behalf of the House and welcomes contributions from experienced staff who want to share their expertise.

It is there for all staff, however long your service and wherever you work. I thoroughly recommend it to you.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons

October 2020

 

LWPSN – Past Events

Standard

Labour Women’s Parliamentary Staff Network

Past Events

See forthcoming events here Go back to the main LWPSN page here  

June 2023

Tuesday 6 June 2023 | 12:30-13:30 | Guest Speaker Bridget Phillipson MP

Bridget Phillipson is the Labour MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, and has been an MP since May 2010, as well as Labour’s fantastic Shadow Secretary of State for Education. Come and share your views on what Labour needs to deliver at the next election for the education sector and hear more from Bridget about Labour’s plans so far and her journey into politics.

Wednesday 21 June 2023 | 13:00-15:00 | Great Parliamentary Get Together with Kim Leadbeater MP

May 2023

Tuesday 16th May | 12:30 – 13:15 | Leader of the House of Commons, Penny Mordaunt

We’re pleased to be joined by the Leader of the House of Commons and Conservative MP for Portsmouth North since May 2010, Penny Mordaunt.  We will be discussing a range of issues including The Good Parliament report 20 Jul Prof Sarah Childs The Good Parliament report.pdf (bristol.ac.uk), culture for women in Parliament and Penny’s role in the House of Commons. There will be lots of time for questions. Do join us!

April 2023

Thursday 27th April | 12:30 – 13:15 | Amy Hart

We’re delighted to be joined by Amy Hart for a Q&A. Most famous for her iconic appearance on Love Island in 2019, Amy describes herself as a ‘Labour gal through-and-through’ and is no stranger to a leaflet round in her native Worthing! Amy has been outspoken with her support for the Labour Party, as well as her own future political ambitions. She kicked off last year’s Labour conference in Brighton by interviewing Keir Starmer. She has also just become a first-time mum to baby Stanley! Join us to learn more about Amy’s political journey.

Tuesday, 25 April | 18:00 – 21:00 | Suffragette

Labour Women’s Parliamentary Staff Network ‘Suffragette’ film screening and panel discussion (Staff, MPs and Peers)
There are a few spaces remaining for this cross-party event in Parliament. The film screening will be followed by a panel discussion which will include Helen Pankhurst. If you’d like to attend, please email [email protected] to secure a space. Places are limited and allocated on a first come first served basis.

March 2023

Extraordinary women to mark International Women’s Day

Tuesday 21 March | 12:30 – 13:15 | Behind the Downing St door with Anji Hunter

We’re delighted to be joined by Anji Hunter, as part of a series of speakers to mark International Women’s Day this month, to talk about women in public life, working in Downing Street and winning the next general election. Anji Hunter is a Senior Advisor at Edelman. She worked for former Prime Minister Tony Blair for 15 years, both in opposition and government, eventually serving as Head of Government Relations in Downing Street. Come and join us for this unforgettable meeting!

Tuesday 7 March 2023  |  12:30 – 13:30  |  Guest Speaker Helena Kennedy 

The network is delighted to welcome Helena Kennedy as our guest speaker for International Women’s Day this year. Helena has spent her professional life championing civil liberties, social justice and promoting human rights. The discussion will be particularly focused on women in Afghanistan and there will be ample time for questions. 

January 2023

28 January 2023  |  Campaigning for Ashley Dalton

We’re out campaigning for Labour’s brilliant parliamentary candidate Ashley Dalton in the West Lancashire by-election on Saturday 28th January. Come and join us, the Labour Women’s Network and Fabian Women’s Network throughout the afternoon to support Ashley🌹See you there! #Labourdoorstep

February 2022

Thursday 10 February 2022 | 12:30-13:10 | Guest speaker Deborah Mattinson

Deborah is the Director of Strategy for Keir Starmer and advised Labour through the 1980s and the birth of New Labour.  Deborah will be taking us through some recent polling and telling us how women view the Labour party across the UK.

December 2021

16 December 2021  |  12:30  |  Guest speaker Bridget Phillipson MP Please join us at 12:30 for a Christmas wind down and conversation with Bridget Phillipson, MP for Houghton and Sunderland South and new Shadow Education Secretary. As usual, Chatham House rules apply but do please come with any questions you’d like to ask Bridget. Please email [email protected] for further information and link.

8 December 2021 The Labour and Conservative Women’s Parliamentary Staff Networks invite you to

The Great Cross-Party Get Together – with Kim Leadbeater MP (aerobics class) Time: 8:30am – 9:15am Date: 8 December 2021

Following the covid-19 pandemic and tragic murder of Sir David Amess MP we wanted to do something to bring everyone together in a safe way to spend some light-hearted time together and would be delighted if you could join us.

This aerobics class is open to all MPs, Peers and their staff and we hope you can join in with your team. You’ll be pleased to know that lycra is not compulsory but fancy dress is welcome!

Please sign up via https://forms.gle/JJiogrvnRuuPwHUr9  

April 2021

Tuesday 27th | 12.30pm | Women in local government | 1 hour (approx) We are delighted to bring you a councillors panel discussion on women in local government where attendees will learn more about what you need to do to stand for selection, what it’s like to be a councillor, how to survive the election campaign and more! We are thrilled to be running this event in partnership with the Labour Women’s Network and Fabian Councillors Network. We will be hearing from Cllr Naushabah Khan, Labour and Co-operative Councillor at Medway Council, Cllr Josie Channer, Labour Councillor at Barking and Dagenham Council, Cllr Sharon Thompson from Birmingham City Council and more women to be announced.

Thursday 22nd | 12.30pm | Carolyn Harris MP and Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP | 1 hour (approx)  Join us for this unique cross-party meeting for women working for MPs and Peers examining cross-party working to progress legislation through Parliament and the difference that can be made by working together across the political divide. We are delighted to be joined by Carolyn Harris, the Labour MP for Swansea East and Deputy Leader of Welsh Labour, and Andrea Leadsom, the Conservative MP for South Northamptonshire, former Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President. There will be ample time for questions. Don’t miss it! *This is a cross-party session open to all women working for MPs and Peers from all political parties. 

March 2021

Tuesday 23rd | 12.30pm | UK Women’s Budget Group | 45 mins (approx)  We are delighted to be joined by Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, Director of the UK Women’s Budget Group, who will be talking to us about the principles of feminist economics and gender budget analysis in the month when we are expecting a budget statement from the Chancellor of the Exchequer. There will be ample time for questions.

Tuesday 9th | 12.30pm | David Lammy MP | 40 mins (approx)  David Lammy is the Labour MP for Tottenham, Shadow Lord Chancellor and Shadow Secretary of State for Justice. Join us for an interactive discussion with David who will be sharing his experiences in front line politics and answering questions on a range of topics. We’re delighted to be partnering with the Labour BAME Staffers Network for this event.

Thursday 4th | 6pm | Compassion in Politics | 1 hour (approx)  Join us for a session with Jennifer Nadel, Co-director for Compassion in Politics, focusing on looking after your own wellbeing and gaining the tools and strategies to prevent burn out in a high pressured working environment. Jennifer Nadel is a qualified barrister, author, political strategist, activist and award-winning television journalist. She has reported for the BBC, Channel Four News and was ITN’s Home Affairs editor. Compassion in Politics is a cross-party organisation working to put compassion, inclusion, and cooperation at the heart of politics. More information on the organisation can be found here: https://www.compassioninpolitics.com/ ​ *This is a cross-party session open to all women working for MPs and Peers from all political parties.   

February 2021

Thursday 11th | 12.30pm | Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP | 45 mins (approx) We are delighted to be joined by the Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP, Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee and former minister at the Home Office, Department for Work and Pensions and Cabinet Office.  Caroline is the Conservative MP for Romsey and Southampton North, first elected in 2010. There will be ample time for questions. Don’t miss it!

Tuesday 9th | 12.30pm | Jacqui Smith | 45 mins (approx) We are delighted to be joined by former Labour Home Secretary and For the Many podcast co-host Jacqui Smith for what promises to be a fascinating conversation about women in politics and public life.  Hear more on what it was like for women coming into Parliament following the 1997 general election, what you need to do to stand for elected office and we’ll be sure to have some back stage gossip from the Strictly Come Dancing show too! Join us for this unmissable session which promises to be lots of fun.

Tuesday 2nd | 12.30pm | Jess Phillips MP | 45 mins (approx) Jess Phillips is Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley and Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding. A woman that’s never afraid of speaking the truth, we’re delighted she will be joining us for a conversation on women, politics and how to make an impact. Please be prepared for an interactive conversation with Jess. There will be opportunities for questions.

January 2021

Thursday 28th | 12:30pm | Social media skills | 1 hour We’re delighted to be joined by Twitter and Facebook representatives for a session on developing your social media skills. The time will be split into two half hour sessions with each presenter. This much requested session will explore everything from creating compelling content to drive engagement on the two platforms to how to use all the features they offer to reach a wider audience. Do not miss it!

Thursday 21st | 12:30pm | Conflict resolution for yourself and others | 1 hour Come and join us for a second session with Kay Scorah to learn more about conflict resolution. This session will look at applying all our learning in the previous session to conflict, harassment and bullying scenarios. There will be ample opportunity for questions throughout the session.

Tuesday 19th | 12:30pm | How to be an expert listener | 1 hour Come and join us for the first of two interactive sessions with Kay Scorah to learn more about how you can become an expert listener in conflict situations, using what you hear to build bridges between yourself and others. Kay has over 40 years of experience working with leadership teams in business, science and the charity sector. In 2019, she founded the Turning the Tables conference where business leaders come to learn from young people who have been through difficult, even life-threatening experiences. There will be ample opportunity for questions throughout the session.

12 January 2021  |  The Great Winter Get Together

DECEMBER 2020 – Women’s representation themed month

Thursday 10 December 2020  |  Women, leadership and statistics  |  1 hour Professor Rosie Campbell, Director of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London, will be joining the network for the last session of the winter to discuss the institute’s latest research produced with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, which has found that women political leaders are key to more equal and caring societies.  The report is based on an analysis of over 500 pieces of research into the impacts of women leaders in politics and public life, and shows that when women are able to exercise political leadership, there are gains for the whole of society. You can read the full report here: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/women-political-leaders-key-to-more-equal-and-caring-societies

Tuesday 8 December 2020  |  Women in Westminster  |  1 hour Rachel Reeves MP, Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Labour MP for Leeds West, will be joining the network to talk about her book ‘Women of Westminster: The MPs Who Changed Politics’. Join us for what should be a fascinating conversation about the battles fought by women from 1919 to 2019.  There will be an opportunity for questions.

NOVEMBER 2020

Tuesday 24 November 2020  |  Journalists panel discussion on women in the media  |  1 hour We’re excited to bring you a panel discussion on women’s experiences in the media with journalists from across the media who will share their insights into the challenges and opportunities they face bringing us the news from Westminster, the United Kingdom and around the world.  We will be joined by Esther Webber from the Times RedBox, and two other journalists to be confirmed.  

Tuesday 17 November 2020  |  Preet Kaur Gill MP  |  40 mins Preet Kaur Gill MP, Shadow Secretary of State for International Development and Member of Parliament for Birmingham Edgbaston, will be joining us to talk about her experiences in politics and discuss Labour’s view on how we can work more collaboratively with other countries around the world in a post Brexit era.

Thursday 12 November 2020  |  Women’s rights at work  |  40 mins Join us for the second meeting with two trade union representatives – Jenny Symmons from the GMB and Lily Lewis from UNITE parliamentary staff union branches – who will brief the network on everything you need to know about your rights at work.  There will be ample opportunity for questions and useful information and links will be shared out with the network after the session.

Tuesday 10 November 2020  |  Sexual harassment and your rights  |  40 mins We are delighted to be joined by Deeba Syed, Senior Legal Officer at Rights of Women, for a Q and A session on sexual harassment and your rights.  Deeba is a qualified solicitor, originally training in the financial sector and now specialising in employment law.  She is an experienced equality and women’s rights campaigner and activist.  She has previously worked in politics, communications and the charity sector.

OCTOBER 2020 – mental health and wellbeing focus for World Mental Health Day on 10th October

Tuesday 27 October 2020  |  Tackling Abuse in Public Life  |  1 hour We are delighted that Catherine Anderson, CEO of the Jo Cox Foundation, will be joining us for a discussion on tackling abuse in public life and to tell us more about the work of the foundation and how we can get involved to help make a change.  Catherine is no stranger to Parliament having worked for Rory Stewart MP for a number of years.  The Foundation was established in 2016 by the friends and family of the late Jo Cox MP and is aiming to build a positive legacy for Jo.

Tuesday 20 October 2020  |  Great coffee get together  |  40 mins This is an opportunity for just us to get together for a chat to share our recommendations on interesting things to read, what to watch and listen to.  This could be a book you’re reading at the moment, Podcast you’re listening to or an event you’re attending that may be useful to others.  Put the kettle on and check in with the network on how you’re doing and share some interesting things to get stuck into!

Thursday 15 October 2020  |  Women Political Advisors to the Shadow Cabinet  |  40 mins Join us for a special session with the women advising members of the Shadow Cabinet including Sally Copley, Political Advisor (PAD) to Marsha de Cordova MP, Emma McNicholas, PAD to Lord Falconer of Thoroton (Charlie Falconer), Kate Robson, PAD to Cat Smith MP and Collette Bird, PAD to Jon Ashworth MP. This much requested session will explore the role of an advisor, provide advice for those looking to progress their parliamentary careers and give the network an opportunity to meet and ask questions of these fantastic women.  Do not miss it!

Tuesday 13 October 2020  |  Looking after your mental health and wellbeing  |  1 hour Dr Sonia Adesara is an NHS doctor, women’s activist and the former Director of 50:50 Parliament.  She will be talking to us about mental health and the effects of policies on women and give top tips on looking after our own health and wellbeing.  Do join us for what we’re sure will be an invaluable session for the network.

Tuesday 6 October 2020  |  Dr Rosena Allin-Khan MP  |  40 mins Dr Rosena Allin-Khan is Labour’s Shadow Minister for Mental Health, Member of Parliament for Tooting, A and E doctor and a woman that always gets her tone right!  We’re delighted she will be joining us for a conversation with the network on mental health and wellbeing. Please be prepared for an interactive conversation with Rosena.  There will be opportunities for questions.

SEPTEMBER 2020

Tuesday 22 September 2020  |  The Good Parliament  | 1 hour The network will be joined by Professor Sarah Childs, Professor of Politics and Gender at Royal Holloway University of London and author of ‘The Good Parliament’ report which was published on 20th July 2016.  We will discuss this report with Professor Childs who made 43 recommendations focusing on three elements; equality of participation, parliamentary infrastructure and Commons culture.  We’d recommend reading the report in advance of this meeting which can be found here: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/media-library/sites/news/2016/july/20%20Jul%20Prof%20Sarah%20Childs%20The%20Good%20Parliament%20report.pdf

Thursday 17 September 2020  |  Writing good comms  |  40 mins This session will cover top tips on writing good emails, engaging articles and press releases and how to properly brief journalists.  We are delighted to be joined by Georgina Bailey, Policy Editor for The House Magazine and lead for parliamentary campaigns coverage, as well as covering the work of All-Party Parliamentary Groups.  This session is a must for all communications staff and an opportunity to meet one of the women lobby journalists in Westminster. You can read all articles published by Georgina here: https://www.politicshome.com/thehouse/peer/georgina-bailey.htm

Tuesday 15 September 2020  |  Women’s rights at work  |  40 mins Join us for the first of two meetings with two trade union representatives – Jenny Symmons from the GMB and Priya Dev from UNITE parliamentary staff union branches – who will brief the network on everything you need to know about your rights at work.  There will be ample opportunity for questions and useful information and links will be shared out with the network after the session.

Thursday 10 September 2020  |  Parliamentary procedures  |  1 hour Come and join us to explore parliamentary procedures with two senior clerks from the Table Office and Public Bill Office in the House of Commons.  The clerks will be taking the network through tabling orderly oral and written questions, amending legislation, explain how legislation is passed through both houses of Parliament, and more! The time will be split into two half hour sessions.  Each presenter will talk to the network for approx.10 minutes followed by approx. 20 mins of questions from the network. There will be materials to take away afterwards.

Tuesday 8 September 2020  |  Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP  |  40 mins We are joined at our first formal meeting of the autumn with the Mother of the House of Commons and Member of Parliament for Camberwell and Peckham, the Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP to discuss women’s participation in public life and her experiences in Parliament since first being elected to the House in 1982.  Questions will be read out that have been submitted in advance and some taken in real time.