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Advocating and Campaigning For Change

Identifying Key Decision- Makers

Politicians

Local representatives such as Members of Parliament (MPs) and councillors may be best suited to help with your cause. Some decisions go through multiple stages and multiple actors before they are implemented. Drawing up a list of targets and their details, such as who they are, their priority areas, and how you can communicate with them, can be a good starting point.  

What are their priorities?

MPs and councillors may have specific areas of interest, such as specific policy areas or targets set by councils.  

  • MPs may have details on their policy areas and campaigns on their websites.  
  • Bristol councillors form eight local policy committees which address issues aligned with the broader themes of the Corporate Strategy of the Council (changes to the committee system due to come into force in 2027). 
 
Click on each title below to read more about their remit. 

Local MPs are there to represent the constituents and vote on legislation and policies at a national level, debate issues and ask questions, and bring up concerns of their constituents to ministers in Parliament. They can also support campaigns to reform laws. If you have a concern or are affected by an issue, MPs may be able to assist in various ways. 

  • You can find your local MPs on the Parliament UK website.
  • Type in your postcode or location, and you will be shown the MPs in your area.  

 What can they do:

  • MPs can help with issues that fall within the scope of responsibility of the UK Parliament. For example, they can help with issues such as the NHS and transportation facilities.  
  • MPs can make private enquiries with officials or a government minister on a constituent’s behalf.  
  • They can also prompt individual cases to be investigated by the Parliamentary Ombudsman. 
  • If a MP chooses to support your cause, they can raise it in the House of Commons, for example through question time or by proposing legislation.
  • MPs can present a petition to Parliament on behalf of their constituents.  

What can’t they do:

  • MPs do not have jurisdiction over decisions made by the local council, for example licensing issues or decisions regarding adult social care. They can ask the council to look into an issue, but your first point of contact should be the council or your councillors.  
  • MPs cannot intervene in private disputes and legal or court cases. 
  • MPs may refuse to address issues that go against their party policies or the interests of other locals.  
  • There are also certain issues MPs cannot raise in the House of Commons as they have to follow a Code of Conduct.  
  • More information about the role of MPs and how they can be contacted can be found on the Parliament UK website.

There are various ways of communication you can use to contact your MP:  

  • Post a letter to your MP at: House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA 
  • Email them using the contact details in the Directory of MPs on the Parliament UK website.  
  • You can also phone your MP if needed 
    • You can phone their office at the House of Commons by calling 020 7219 3000 and ask to be put through to their office by providing the MP’s name. 
    • To phone your MP at their local constituency office, you can find information on the Bristol Council website, the Parliament UK Directory of MPs, or the personal MP websites.  
  • Some MPs have their personal website where you can contact them. Additionally, they may have a social media presence, such as on X (formerly Twitter).  
  • MPs may hold drop-in sessions known as surgeries. You can make an appointment to discuss an issue face-to-face.  
    • Information on surgeries can be found on the MP’s website.  
    • You can email or phone the MP to confirm surgery details.  
  • When you can expect to hear back: it usually takes up to two weeks to receive a response if you’ve emailed an MP or sent them a letter. In some cases, it may take up to four to six weeks depending on how busy the MPs are. 
  • If you don’t hear back within two weeks, you can follow up or make an appointment to meet them at your local surgery. 

Local councillors represent the residents in their wards or divisions and help connect communities to the Council.  

  • The Council is responsible for issues such as housing and council tax.  
  • Use the finder for more details on your local councillors.

You can reach your councillor via email, post, phone, or in person. 

  • Many councillors will have in-person surgeries in their wards (for example at local libraries or community centres).  

In 2023, the Bristol City Council set up several Policy Committees to preside over a broad range of decisions, including strategy and resources, children and education, economy and skills, environment and energy, health, care and wellbeing, homes and communities and transport.  The public can raise their concerns with the Committees and attend Council and Committee meetings. 

Please note, the policy committees system is due to change in 2027.

What are the Policy Committees? 

In 2023, the Bristol City Council set up several Policy Committees to oversee decision in the following areas:  

  • Adult social care 
  • Children and young people 
  • Strategy and resources 
  • Economy and skills 
  • Environment and sustainability  
  • Homes and housing delivery  
  • Public health and communities 
  • Strategy and resources 
  • Transport and connectivity  

More information on Committees is available on the Bristol Council Website. 

The public can raise their concerns with the Committees and attend Council and Committee meetings. 

How to Get Involved with the Council and Policy Committees 

  • Each policy committee meeting (and also the full council meetings) has a 30-minute section called the public forum where councillors must respond to questions from the public.  
  • You can submit either a question or statement for an upcoming Bristol City Council’s policy committee meeting to get answers from the councillors about the issue you are concerned about.  
  • You submit a question or statement using an online form available on the Council’s website.  
  • Public forum statements and questions are published on the council’s website on the meeting’s agenda and so your question will appear in print as part of the meeting information.  

Timeline for submitting questions 

  • Deadline for questions is no later than 5pm, three working days before the meeting.
  • Deadline for statements is 12 noon, two working days before the meeting.
  • Deadline for petitions is 12 noon, two working days before the meeting.
  • Questions should be addressed to the Council Leader or Policy Committee Chair.  
  • Questions should be answered in writing ahead of the meeting but if you attend the meeting in person, you have the opportunity to heer the response and to ask two follow-up questions.  

Communicate with Policy committees 

  • Reach out to the Committee Chairs – if you can meet them it can be useful for them to hear your experience directly as they have the power to bring issues to the attention of the policy committee and council.  

Public consultations 

 Ask Bristol: Ask Bristol is the consultation and engagement hub for Bristol City Council. Their website contains information about all the consultations the council and others have open at that time. You can use public consultations as a way to give your opinion on particular issues.  

Petitions 

You can also start your own petition on an issue you care about. If your petition receives more than 1,500 signatures, the issue will be debated in the policy committee. If you can achieve more than 3,500 signatures, the issue will have to be debated at full council.  

You can find more information about how to start a petition and the criteria for eligibility on the council website. There is also a Petition Template you can use. https://www.bristol.gov.uk/files/documents/1490-cs-petition-template 

Your main point of contact for this is:  democratic.services@bristol.gov.uk 

Health and Social Care

Decisions about healthcare and social care affect everyone, and there are ways you can help shape these services by sharing your experiences, views, and ideas. 

Click on each title below to read more about their remit. 

The Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (BNSSG ICB) is responsible for: 

  • Planning and funding most NHS services in the area. 
  • Working with councils, hospitals, mental health services, GPs, and social care to improve health outcomes: https://bnssg.icb.nhs.uk/  
  • Attend Board Meetings: Many meetings are held in public and can be attended or watched online. 
  • Submit Questions: You can submit written questions in advance of meetings. 
  • Join Advisory Groups: Some ICBs run regular engagement panels or advisory groups where patients and members of the public can give feedback. 
  • Consultations and Surveys: The ICB often runs public consultations on changes to services like GP access, hospital care, or mental health. 

Healthwatch is an independent organisation that exists to: 

  • Listen to the experiences of people using NHS and social care services. 
  • Report concerns and suggest improvements to the ICB, local councils, and the Care Quality Commission (CQC). 
  • There are local Healthwatch groups in: 

How to Get Involved with Healthwatch

  • Share your experiences—good or bad—about any NHS or care service. 
  • Take part in surveys or focus groups. 
  • Volunteer to help gather feedback or be a community representative. 

 

What to expect: 

  • If you raise a concern through Healthwatch, they will feed this into local decision-making, campaign for improvements, and may refer serious issues to regulators. 
  • If you attend an ICB meeting or submit a question, you’ll usually receive a formal written reply or have your question addressed during the meeting. 
  • Change in the NHS can be slow, but public input is highly valued, especially when backed by shared experiences or evidence. 

The Police

The police make decisions that affect how people in Bristol experience safety, justice, and policing in their communities. There are ways you can raise your voice and help influence how the police work. 

Click on each title below to read more about their remit. 

How to share concerns with the Police:

You can: 

  • Report a specific issue by calling 101 (non-emergency) or 999 (emergency). 
  • Make a complaint through the Avon and Somerset Police complaints process. 

 

What to expect after contacting the Police: 

  • For non-emergency reports, you should receive a reference number and can ask for follow-up updates. 
  • For concerns about police behaviour, a complaint may trigger an investigation or review, and you should receive a written response. 

Independent Advisory Groups (IAGs) aim to: 

  • Improve trust between the police and the public. 
  • Make sure the police listen to the voices of all communities. 

 

IAGs members are volunteers from different backgrounds who meet with the police to: 

  • Give feedback on how policing affects local communities. 
  • Share community concerns or tensions. 
  • Help the police understand how their actions impact different people, including women, Disabled people, Black and minority ethnic communities, LGBTQ+ communities, and others. 

 

There are different types of IAGs: 

  • Local IAGs: Focus on specific neighbourhoods or areas, e.g. Bristol, South Glos.  
  • Thematic IAGs: Focus on particular topics like women, counter terrorism, young people.

Anyone with lived experience, local knowledge, or an interest in making policing fairer is encouraged to apply. You do not need formal qualifications. 

To join, you can: 

  • Contact Avon and Somerset Police through the website. 
  • Express your interest in joining your local or a specialist IAG. 

 

What to Expect as an IAG Member: 

  • You’ll meet regularly, usually every two months, to discuss policing issues. 
  • Meetings are usually informal but structured, and police officers attend to listen and answer questions. 
  • You’ll be asked to share your views, lived experiences, or community concerns. 
  • It’s a volunteer role, but your voice can shape police practice and decisions. 

 

Some IAGs may also be consulted during: 

  • Critical incidents (such as major events, protests, or community tensions). 
  • Reviews of stop-and-search, use of force, or public safety plans.