The difference between an MP and a councillor

23rd July 2023

What does an MP do?

Scrolling through social media, I am often surprised at the conversations where people mention their local Member of Parliament (MP).  It seems that many believe their MP is someone you simply complain to:

“If you aren’t happy with X, send an email to your MP.” 

Most importantly, an MP’s role is to represent us. This involves raising issues, challenging the government, debating, and voting in the House of Commons to make decisions, formulate and table law. These processes can take many years, and often those who work on something are out of office by the time they come to fruition. So, we vote for someone who we believe aligns with our own values so that when they vote in the House on our behalf, (for or against something), we feel they are doing it in line with what we believe. 

One of the biggest flaws of democracy is that the minority will not feel they are truly being represented, but was it not Churchill who famously said that democracy is the best we have got?

The second part of an MP’s job is to support individuals and groups. Many MPs describe this role as being similar to a social worker. Their casework is only in relation to national issues and not anything under the local council ‘umbrella’. MPs are not allowed to wade into local planning, highways, or adult social care, for example. But things like GP and dentist appointments, ambulance waiting times, rising food and energy bills, polluted rivers, national security and borders, our relationship with other countries, trade deals etc are all part of their regular casework.

Many MPs are appointed to cross-party committees to look at issues in more detail or to scrutinise policy, law, and strategy, which adds to their already busy calendar of events, meetings, openings, and their own party gatherings.

But it is vital to remember that an MP is only allowed to deal with casework from people who live in their constituency. You will get an auto-response email to remind you, that if your address and postcode are not on your first email, to submit these details in a second email so that the casework can be linked to your address.

Many do not send this in, and thus do not get a response from their MP.

What does a councillor do?

The job is in the name.  Your local elected councillors are your link with the council they represent. Your parish councillors look after village issues and the percentage they get from your council tax, as they see fit.

Adam Boyden and I are your Somerset Council representatives. This means we connect the community with services delivered by the county council - waste collection and disposal, education (schools, libraries, and youth services), social services, highway maintenance, planning, beaches, flooding, benefits, parks, births and deaths, licencing, leisure, tourism, housing, parking, buses and more. Of course, you do not need to go through your Somerset councillors to access these services, but we are here to signpost you if you need it, and to give you support wherever we can (if you live in our division of Frome North).

Tips to contact your elected representatives:

1. Find out who your MP and your councillors are on the Write to Them website.

2. Please include your address and postcode.

3. Make sure your correspondence goes to the correct person – national issues to your MP and council issues to your parish and / or Somerset councillors.

4. Do not expect a reply right away.  As a Somerset Councillor I can receive over 200 emails per day, and an MP can receive many, many more.  But, if you do follow-up, use the case number (on the first mail from your MP) or the same email subject (on an email to your councillor) to ensure your issue is logged correctly and does not go to the back of the queue.

Please do get in touch if you have any questions or would like a chat about something that is concerning you: dawn.denton@somerset.gov.uk