Lobbying your Elected Representatives
According to the Oxford Academic, the UK lobbying industry at Westminster is the third largest in the world, with more than 4000 lobbyists. Major scandals regularly punctuate British politics, and lobbying has been a continual, rolling controversy since the 1990s. Despite its importance as a source of democratic information, lobbying has come to represent the ‘dark side of politics’ in Britain.
As Caroline Lucas recently noted, the lack of urgency in the political response to the climate crisis is mostly the result of fossil fuel industry political lobbying. The industry has used its vast resources to delay, weaken and disrupt climate policy at every turn. The UK repeatedly claims to be world-leading in its response to the climate crisis, but the Climate Change Committee recently issued an interim report stating that the UK is off target to meet its climate goals. She also notes that the fossil fuel industry enjoys privileged access to meetings with Ministers, which allows it to shape policy.
Despite these concerns, we can influence public policy. If more and more of us write to our councillors, MPs and MEPs, the fossil fuel industry and corporate interests will no longer set the agenda.
Just enter your postcode in the link below to find out the names of all your representatives and demand action - on clean energy, clean air, affordable public transport, healthy food, etc.
If possible, link your message to a specific action for your representative to take, such as a vote or public consultation.
Let us know how they respond
Useful links
Lobbying and transparency. https://www.transparency.org.uk/lobbying-uk-its-time-change
Fossil Free Parliament. https://fossilfreeparliament.uk
A guide to lobbying. https://about.policyinfluence.org/uk-lobbying-a-beginners-guide/
The West Midlands Combined Authority
The West Midlands Combined Authority is made up of 18 local councils. The Chief Executive is Laura Shoaf. She leads WMCA along with the Mayor, Richard Parker, and the leaders of 7 local councils. This link will take you to their website https://www.wmca.org.uk
A combined authority is a group of local authorities working together to make their region a better place to live. The government gives combined authorities the money and power to make decisions for their regions. This is called devolution. It means that decisions are made by people who know their region best.
The WMCA was set up in 2016. Its stated aims are:
- making it easier and safer to travel in and around the region
- using derelict land to build homes
- protecting our green spaces
- making sure young people have the education and employment opportunities to make a great start in life
- working together to support our communities and build a fairer, healthier and more inclusive West Midlands
- tackling climate change through their climate pledge.
You can read their constitution here. https://governance.wmca.org.uk/documents/s19213/Constitution.pdf
The WMCA is not a council. You don’t pay council tax them and they don’t collect your bins - your local authority does this.
These local councils have full voting rights on any decisions made:
- Birmingham City Council
- City of Wolverhampton Council
- Coventry City Council
- Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
- Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
- Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
- Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council
These local councils have reduced voting rights:
- Cannock Chase District Council
- North Warwickshire Borough Council
- Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council
- Redditch Borough Council
- Rugby Borough Council
- Shropshire Council
- Stratford-on-Avon District Council
- Tamworth Borough Council
- Telford and Wrekin Council
- Warwickshire County Council
- Warwick District Council.
Find your MP and Councillor
Climate Emergency UK Scorecards.
Find out here how your Local Authorities Climate Action Scorecard is rated.
Climate Emergency UK assess all Local Council Climate Action Scorecards. You can see the methodology here.
Link to scorecards
Regional Lobbying Stories.
The West Midlands Climate Coalition.
The West Midlands Climate Coalition has developed these eleven action points to move towards a zero-carbon region.
RETROFIT BUILDINGS. Domestic insulation and heating programs need to be massively accelerated. This is a rapid way to reduce carbon emissions and save households money on their heating and energy bills. The WMCA, alongside its seven local authorities, should implement a comprehensive plan for the retrofitting of housing in its constituencies. They should campaign for adequate resourcing from central government.
FARE FREE PUBLIC TRANSPORT. Transport for West Midlands should set up a feasibility study into the economic, social, and environmental benefits of FFPT for the West Midlands. The WMCA should bring the region's buses back into public control, following the example of Greater Manchester, as a step towards FFPT.
WMCA Mayor Richard Parker plans to take control of the WM bus franchise. What can we learn from Greater Manchester? This article from Richard Hatcher details what.
END SUPPORT FOR HS2. HS2 has been a vastly expensive fiasco. It has damaged the environment and squandered resources that could have been used to improve regional and local public transport. If the private sector fails to fund the Old Oak Common to Euston link, the line will become even more of a white elephant. Support should be withdrawn from this vanity project.
DIVEST THE WEST MIDLANDS PENSION FUND FROM FOSSIL FUEL
INVESTMENT. Pension funds investing in fossil fuels are contributing directly to uncontrolled global warming and in support of a sustainable future for all should invest instead in green renewables.
END THE INCINERATION OF WASTE. The continuation of waste incineration is an environmental crime. Plans should be made immediately to increase recycling (including food waste) and to transition to ecologically sustainable degradation.
CURB AVIATION. The WMCA should encourage its residents to limit the excessive use of environmentally damaging national and international flights (pending the development of zero carbon planes) to one return flight every two or three years.
LEARNING. An informed understanding of the climate and ecological emergency is widely needed to engage the public and identify the best possible actions for the future. All citizens, from a young age, should have access to Lifelong Learning courses across all education settings. Carbon literacy, nature restoration and sustainable living should be embedded elements in all courses including professional development and voluntary sector training. Work-based training and re-training should support a just transition to a new green economy and green jobs.
PAUSE TRAM DEVELOPMENT. Trams are more accessible than buses and trains for disabled people and prams, but they are also hugely expensive to build and emit a large amount of carbon dioxide from cement and steel in their construction. New growth of this network should be paused, and the money diverted into upgrading the current regional public transport system, including the opening of new bus and train routes.
BUILDING A WORKFORCE FOR THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY. The WMCA should use its resources to collaborate with the region’s trade unions, FE colleges, universities, and employers to create and implement a long-term strategy for the creation of green jobs and a just transition for workers in high carbon workplaces as they decline.
PRODUCE A LOCAL NATURE RECOVERY STRATEGY. This would support nature recovery across the WMCA; by increasing tree cover, identifying, protecting, and enhancing nature, and eliminating greenspace deprivation in line with the 30 x 30 biodiversity principles agreed at the biodiversity summit December 2022.
DEMOCRATISE THE WMCA. The Environment involves every issue and every person, so it is essential to have the widest possible public involvement in decision-making. The aim should be government of the WMCA by an elected WM Assembly. In the immediate future more public participation can be achieved, especially in priority issues including environmental policies, such as:
a) Co-option onto WMCA bodies, particularly of presently under-represented groups such as women, ethnic minorities, and trades unionists.
b) Public participation in Scrutiny Committees, with opportunities to speak and with an indicative vote.
c) Each WMCA Board/Committee (Economic Growth Board, Employment Committee, Environment & Energy Board, Housing & Land Delivery Board, Investment Board, Wellbeing Board) to have an associated Scrutiny Committee.
d) Inclusive citizens’ assemblies and panels on key issues, particularly regional transport, with relevant Board and Committee members.
You can support these demands in the following ways:
Share the leaflet with your family, friends, and networks.
Post the leaflet in suitable public locations.
Scan or photograph the leaflet and place it on social media.
Send the leaflet to your local councillor and ask for their comments, letting us know of the response.
Send your support for the demands to the West Midlands Midland’s Combined Authority via their websitehttps://www.wmca.org.uk/contact-us/
Contact the WMCC if you would like copies of the leaflet or an A3 poster: westmidscc@btinternet.com