Ask your MSPs for a meeting
Enter your postcode below to request a meeting – it only takes 30 seconds. Your MSPs will then get back to you with some time slots, and you can choose the one that suits you best
Ask your MSPs for a meeting
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Once you have asked for your meeting,
see below for guidance on how to easily prepare for your meeting
Frequently Asked Questions: Meeting your MSP on assisted suicide
This section outlines why you should meet with your MSP about the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill and answers some frequently asked questions around MSP meetings.
Why should I meet with my MSP about the McArthur assisted suicide Bill?
Meetings with Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) have a proven track record in being successful in persuading MSPs to vote a certain way – especially on important issues like assisted suicide.
MSPs generally have very busy schedules and are expected to deal with a wide range of topics. Having someone meet with them to talk about Liam McArthur’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill gives them time to properly focus on this issue – time they might not otherwise have to spend looking at the issues with the Bill. You’re helping them understand the key problems with the Bill, which they may not get a chance to do in their day-to-day work.
By visiting in person, you’re also showing that this issue matters deeply to you as a voter. It shows that it matters enough for you to make the effort to meet. Many issues cross an MSP’s desk without any contact from local constituents – so they don’t get prioritised. By meeting your MSP, you show clearly and memorably that opposing this Bill is something local voters care about and expect action on.
Do I need expert knowledge or personal experience to meet my MSP?
Not at all. You don’t need to be an expert or have a personal story to meet your MSP.
The reason you’re qualified to do this is simple – you’re a local constituent. MSPs are elected to represent you, and they want to hear your views on the decisions they’re making in Parliament.
Your meeting is your opportunity to talk through your key concerns with the Bill (we have a full guide below on how to prepare yourself to easily communicate these) and ask them directly and respectfully, as a local constituent, to vote to oppose the McArthur assisted suicide Bill.
What if I do have expertise or a personal story?
If you have specific expertise – for example, as a medical professional, legal expert, carer or disability rights advocate – it’s really valuable to share that with your MSP. Use your knowledge to explain why this Bill is so concerning, and why, based on that experience, you’re urging them to oppose it.
Likewise, if you have a personal story or experience that shows the risks or problems with introducing assisted suicide, this is your opportunity to tell that story and show your MSP real-life examples of the negative impact that this Bill will have if it becomes law.
Is there any point in contacting my MSP if they’re strongly supportive, strongly opposed, or usually don’t engage?
You may feel there is no point visiting your MSP if they are very strongly supportive of assisted suicide, strongly opposed or haven’t replied to your emails in the past.
It’s incredibly important that you still visit your MSP regardless of their past votes or statements on this issue.
If your MSP supports the McArthur assisted suicide Bill:
Some of the most supportive pro-life politicians we have worked with over the years started as the most staunch opponents. Even if your MSP is publicly appearing to be very pro-assisted suicide, you can never know what private doubts they might have.
Your meeting with that MSP could be the deciding factor that convinces them to vote with us.
And even if they’re not quite ready to oppose the Bill outright, they might already be unsure about their pro-assisted suicide stance and choose to abstain rather than risk alienating constituents like you who have taken the time to meet with them.
If your MSP doesn’t usually respond:
You may have an MSP who you never hear back from after emailing.
First, please don’t think that this means that your emails make no difference. They do. We have spoken to politicians who have not replied to emails from constituents on this issue but said that correspondence from constituents impacted how they voted.
In regard to requesting a meeting, it’s important that you still go ahead with making that request. The worst that can happen is that they don’t reply, but do still see that they have a motivated local constituent who cares enough about this issue to ask them to meet. Alternatively, this could be the request that cuts through to them and they decide to go ahead with a meeting, giving you an opportunity to directly engage with this MSP and have a strong influence on how they vote on the McArthur assisted suicide Bill.
If your MSP already opposes assisted suicide:
You may have an MSP who always votes against assisted suicide and wonder whether you still need to meet with them.
It’s still vital that you contact them and meet with them. For example, they may have a diary clash that you don’t know about and are currently not planning to attend the vote on the Bill, and a meeting with you may cause them to change their mind and attend the vote. We have seen this happen many times before.
Even if they are against assisted suicide and plan to attend, it’s so important that you still meet with them. This will ensure they clearly see they have a strong base of people in their constituency or region who support their position on this.
This will also help put this issue on the radar for them and encourage them to be more active in ensuring the Bill is defeated by actively speaking to colleagues who are wavering and taking other actions to help move more MSPs to vote against this Bill. You may even find your arguments in the meeting equip them to speak more persuasively to other MSPs and answer their questions!
Every meeting with an MSP counts.
Don’t hesitate; go ahead with asking your MSP for a meeting now. It’s easy and takes only 30 seconds using our tool, which you can access by clicking here.
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it only takes 30 seconds to request a meeting with your MSP
MEETING WITH MY MSP
Step-by-step guide
What to do before meeting with your MSP
1. Ask for a meeting
Meeting your MSP might feel a bit daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s something anyone can do.
This guide will walk you through each step so you feel ready and confident.
The first step in the process is sending an email to your MSPs requesting a meeting. We’ve made this really easy – our EasyAction tool lets you do it in just 30 seconds.
Click here to use the EasyAction tool to contact your MSPs to request a meeting now.
Once you’ve sent your request, your MSP will reply with some available times. Just choose one that works best for you.
Don’t worry if you don’t feel fully ready yet – go ahead and request the meeting.
MSPs are very busy, so getting your request in early is important. From there, you can use the rest of this guide to prepare before the meeting.
MSPs get a lot of emails, so if you don’t hear back in a week, give their office a call to follow up. You can find their contact details by clicking here.
2. Prepare for the meeting
- Read the MSP briefing document
Use our MSP briefing document to familiarise yourself with the key arguments against the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.
This has been drafted for you to use as a starting point for a meeting with your MSP. It covers key points that are helpful to raise with your MSP, along with supporting evidence.
It has been written so you can leave a copy with your MSP and they can use it for further reading after your meeting.
We recommend printing off some copies of the briefing so you can give one to your MSP and have one to refer to as you speak to them.
- Prepare key points to cover
Remember that your time with your MSP will be limited and that you don’t need to cover everything in your meeting with your MSP.
Prepare to cover two or three key points that you want your MSP to leave the meeting with.
Make sure that you are also ready to politely ask your MSP how they intend to vote on the Bill. It’s also very important that if they say they are opposed but have said they can’t attend, you emphasise to them that the vote is likely to be very close and that it is vital that they turn up and vote against the Bill.
When preparing the key points you plan to discuss with your MSP, remember to use arguments that are likely to hold sway with the particular MSP. For example on assisted suicide, many people will oppose the Bill on principle for very good reasons, such as faith-based arguments, but these may not be effective with MSPs with a different worldview who have no ‘in principle’ objection, so using pragmatic arguments about the risks or costs of particular legislation or evidence-based/scientific research or statistics, may be more effective. So, use the arguments that will best reach your MSP.
The above three points cover the basics for preparing for your meeting. Below are some other helpful points to consider:
- Find out where your MSP stands on assisted suicide – It’s helpful to know where your MSP stands on the issue ahead of the meeting so you can take this into account when speaking to them:
- If they were an MSP when there were previous votes on this issue, you can see how they voted on the pages linked below:
- You can find any previous statements they have made on the issue by searching on Google for their name + assisted dying eg if your MSP is Wendy Alexander, you would search Wendy Alexander MSP + assisted dying
- Local dynamics – Consider any particular local dynamics that could be helpful to mention when discussing the McArthur assisted suicide Bill with your MSP. For example, is there a local hospice that you could champion as an alternative to assisted suicide (if you are unsure, take a look at the Hospice UK search tool)? Given that this Bill will have a significant impact on the NHS in Scotland, how is your local hospital performing?
- Personal stories – If you have a personal story or experience that shows the risks or problems with introducing assisted suicide, this is your opportunity to tell that story and show your MSP real-life examples of the negative impact that this Bill will have if it becomes law. Think about your own experience. Perhaps you have lived experience of what it is like to have a terminal illness or to care for someone who is living with a terminal illness. Maybe a family member or friend is in this position. What would a change to the law mean for you, or for them, or for people you know who are in some way more vulnerable – perhaps due to frailty, their age, their capacity or a disability they may be living with?
- Specific expertise – If you have specific expertise – for example, as a medical professional, legal expert or disability rights advocate – it’s really valuable to share that with your MSP. Use your knowledge to explain why this Bill is so concerning, and why, based on that experience, you’re urging them to oppose it.
3. Attend the meeting
Before you go in, remember: MSPs are just people – like you and me, so don’t feel overwhelmed.
They hold meetings with their constituents specifically so they can hear about what is important to local voters, and this issue is very much of importance to you.
If you still feel that meeting with your MSP might be challenging, why not pair up with a friend or two and go together?
In addition, the following points are helpful to remember when you are meeting with your MSP:
- Be positive – MSPs speak to lots of people, and they often get messages that are complaints. From the start of your time with them, you want them to feel positive about meeting with you. Be polite, friendly, and positive. Even if you feel passionately about the issue, if you are rude or don’t listen, it will leave a negative impression that may subconsciously influence your MSP. This is your chance to make a good impression and build a connection. Remember to smile!
- Focus on key points – Remember that your time with your MSP will be limited and that you don’t need to cover everything in your meeting with your MSP – so prioritise covering the two or three key points that you want your MSP to leave the meeting with. As we have covered earlier, remember to use arguments that are likely to hold sway with the particular MSP. For example on assisted suicide, many people will oppose the Bill on principle for very good reasons, such as faith-based arguments, but these may not be effective with MSPs with a different worldview who have no ‘in principle’ objection, so using pragmatic arguments about the risks or costs of particular legislation or evidence-based/scientific research or statistics, may be more effective.
- Make it personal – Your strength may not be your expert knowledge of the subject, though well done if that is the case; rather, it is often the story you can tell. Your MSP wants to hear from you and understand your story and your concerns.
- Inform – Although this is an issue you are passionate about, your MSP might not know much about this topic. As straightforwardly as you can, clearly explain what you think the problems are.
- Ask your MSP to oppose the Bill – Be really clear not just about your view on this issue, but about what you want your MSP to do. In this case, politely but clearly ask your MSP to vote against the Bill and ask them how they intend to vote. If you are comfortable with sharing what they said with our team after the meeting, take a mental note of what they have said in terms of how they intend to vote. It’s also very important that if they say they are opposed to assisted suicide but have said they can’t attend, you emphasise to them that the vote is likely to be very close and that it is vital that they turn up and vote.
- Say thank you. – Even if your MSP doesn’t agree with you on this issue, thank them for their time and their work as your local MSP. Leave the door open for conversation to continue.
What to do after meeting with your MSP
4. Send a follow-up message to your MSP
After your meeting, if you have time, send a follow-up email or letter to your MSP.
In it, thank them again for meeting with you. Restate your concerns and ask them once more to vote against the Bill.
Doing this shows that you value your MSP taking the time to meet them. It also helps reinforce that they have highly motivated constituents who are urging them to vote against the McArthur assisted suicide Bill.
You should have their contact email address from the process of organising the meeting, but if for any reason you don’t, you can find their contact details here.
Below is a sample email that you can use as a starting point for writing the email or letter:
Dear <MSP NAME>,
Thank you very much for meeting with me to talk about the McArthur assisted suicide Bill.
I was grateful for the chance to share my concerns and explain why the Bill will harm many vulnerable people in our society if it becomes law.
<add any additional points that you want to reiterate either from your meeting or share any new information you think your MSP should know.>
I also want to reiterate that I urge you to vote against the Bill.
Thank you again for your time.
<Your name>
5. Feedback - Share key details from your meeting
We’ve made it simple for you to let us know how it went and share key information from the meeting, including discussions you had about how your MSP intends to vote. Our easy-to-use form should take no more than 5 minutes to complete.
Click here to fill in the easy-to-use form now.
Sharing this information is crucial. It gives our team the key information we need to ensure our work opposing this Bill is as effective as possible. With your input, we can do follow-up work that will build on the work you have done in meeting with your MSP and ensure they are even more likely to oppose the Bill.
Please don’t delay – your response could make all the difference.
6. Encourage others to ask their MSP for a meeting
To defeat the McArthur assisted suicide Bill, we want to get as many people as possible to meet with their MSPs.
Please share this page with like-minded friends and family via email, over WhatsApp, or on social media – and encourage them to take action and meet their MSP.
Free MSP briefing document
We have created a briefing document to take with you when you visit your MSP.
This briefing document on the McArthur assisted suicide Bill has been prepared by our Public Affairs team. It covers key points that are helpful to raise with your MSP, along with supporting evidence. It has been written so you can leave a copy with your MSP so they can use it for further reading after your meeting. We recommend printing off some copies of the briefing so you can give one to your MSP and have one to refer to as you speak to them.
Click the link below to download the briefing now.
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