No politics knowledge needed
Email your MP and MSP
I use your postcode only to find your area, MP and MSP. I do not save it.
Optional, but it is the part only you can write, and it goes in first — before any of the policy asks. Nothing is sent to me and nothing is saved.
Enter your postcode above. I will find both people and prepare both emails. You do not need to choose who should receive which request.
Your email
Your two addressed emails will appear here
Enter your postcode. I find your MP and MSP, use your area's official figures and write one email for each person automatically.
Every figure in the email is published on this site. You and your representative can check it on your area's page, alongside the source.
The bit nobody explains
What is the difference between an MP and an MSP?
Lots of people are not sure, and nobody ever explains it. Here it is in plain words. You have both of them. Two different people, in two different cities, deciding two different sets of things.
Your MP
Works in London
The UK Parliament
Decides the money almost everyone gets.
Things they help decide
- Universal Credit and most benefits
- Help with the rent if you rent privately
- Tax, and the State Pension
Your MSP
Works in Edinburgh
The Scottish Parliament
Decides things that are run here in Scotland.
Things they help decide
- The Scottish Child Payment
- Council houses, and help if you are homeless
- Schools, childcare and the NHS in Scotland
Both of them work for you. You do not need to know which one is in charge of what, and you do not need to pick.
That is why I write one email to each, and why each email only asks for things that person can actually do. You do not need to have voted for them — they still have to answer you.
The proper names for all this, if you want them
MP stands for Member of Parliament. They sit in the UK Parliament at Westminster, in London. The area an MP covers is called a constituency. Scotland has 57 of them.
MSP stands for Member of the Scottish Parliament, at Holyrood in Edinburgh. Powers held in London are called reserved; powers held in Edinburgh are called devolved.
You actually have more than one MSP. Everyone has one constituency MSP for their local area, plus seven regional MSPs covering a wider region. Any of them can be contacted. This site finds your constituency MSP, because that is the one whose area matches where you live most closely.
MP areas and MSP areas are drawn differently and do not sit on top of each other. That is the only reason I ask for a postcode to find your MSP.
The third one nobody mentions
You also have councillors
Your MP is in London and your MSP is in Edinburgh. Your councillors are the ones down the road, and for a lot of everyday problems they are the people who can actually fix it.
You have three or four, not one
Scotland elects councillors in groups. Almost every ward returns three or four of them, usually from different parties, and every single one represents you. A few island wards elect fewer.
That matters more than it sounds. If one does not reply, or fobs you off, you can go straight to another one who represents exactly the same streets. You do not need a reason and you do not need to explain why you are asking them instead.
How to find yours
- Search for your council's name plus “find my councillor”. Every Scottish council has this page.
- Put in your postcode. It returns your ward and everyone who represents it, with email addresses and usually a phone number.
- Email them the same way you would an MP. Say where you live, what has happened, and what you want done.
Not sure which council you are in? Enter a postcode above and I will tell you.
Things to take to a councillor
- Council houses, repairs and damp
- Homelessness applications and temporary accommodation
- Bins, recycling and fly-tipping
- Local roads, pavements and street lighting
- Schools, school places and catchment
- Social care and care at home
- Council tax bills, discounts and reductions
- Planning applications and licensing
Benefits, the NHS and the minimum wage are not council matters — who decides what sets out the split. If you are not sure, send it to your MP and MSP as well. Nobody minds.
Why send an email?
MPs and MSPs keep a record of messages from local people. A short email with a local fact and a clear question is harder to brush aside than a general complaint.
Each email gives the exact local figure and asks what they will do. It also asks what they expect the figure to be in five years, so their answer can be checked later.
No email is sent through this site and nothing you type is stored. Your postcode is used only to find your area and representatives from official services. Your name and personal message stay in your browser. The finished email opens in your own email app.
Other simple ways to help
Share one clear fact
A simple local fact is easier to understand and share than a full report. Every local page has the exact figure and source underneath.
Use the figures in your own work
Charities, community groups, unions and newsrooms can reuse everything for free. The download page has the exact files and original sources.
Take the question to a local surgery
Ask what your MP or MSP will do, and what they expect the local poverty figure to be in five years. A clear question is harder to avoid.
Correct me in public
If a figure is wrong, tell me. I will check it, fix any error and keep a public record of the change.