With a General Election fast approaching (8 June 2017) we have another opportunity to ensure the Irish community is heard and recognised by the politicians in Britain and our community cannot afford not to be heard. MPs and prospective MPs will vary in their levels of awareness of Irish needs and the equalities agenda. Some will have no awareness at all, this presents an opportunity to surprise them with information and points of view they have never heard before.
You can search for candidates from the parties standing in your area by googling “Who is the candidate from x party in my area”. See parliament.uk for details of the parties running in the election.
What you can do
Write letters and emails to candidates
You can write again if the response you receive is unsatisfactory. Writing as a voter rather than an activist will carry more weight, they hear from activists all the time but rarely regular voters. Doing the same to local newspapers is another potentially effective way to make yourself heard.
Raise issues on your doorstep
If you have a candidate or canvassers knock on your door they will probably be happy to answer an informed question.
Radio phone–ins
They need questions and you need answers.
Attend a hustings
These are public meetings often held at churches and community centres which give candidates a chance to address constituents. You can raise concerns and question candidates on their intentions and views. You can find the time and place of hustings in local papers, libraries and on church notice boards.
Hold a hustings
As an Irish in Britain member organisation you could think of organising a husting. If you can get the three main candidates for your area together in your Irish club or community centre and bring your service users or members to meet the candidates this is a fantastic opportunity to put your club and the needs of the local Irish community onto the candidates’ radar.
Arrange individual meetings with candidates
This is quite a big undertaking so prepare well and be armed with interesting questions.
It is good to hold MPs to account after elections; keep a record of all relevant things said to you or to the community before Election Day.
Example questions
1. Irish people in Britain have the highest rates of cancer, heart disease and hypertension in the population. What will you do if elected to ensure that Public Health England strategically addresses these health inequalities experienced by Irish people?
2. Irish people in Britain have the highest rates of mortality from cancer in the population. If elected what will you do to ensure that the DH and NHS prioritise the Irish community to have access to early diagnosis, effective treatment and follow up care?
3. The Irish community in Britain have the oldest age profile in the population and as such have high rates of long term illness, disability and dementia. Given the massive cuts to social care, what will you do if elected to ensure that those who need it have accessible and culturally acceptable care in their own homes for as long as possible?
4. Like other minority ethnic communities, Irish voluntary organisations emerged to provide the advice support and care, which mainstream services did not provide. They continue to cater for the fallout from mainstream cutbacks but are disadvantaged when competing for funds with large bodies and preferred providers, who rarely reach BME groups. What will you do if elected to ensure that Irish (and other BME ) voluntary sector organisations are funded fairly for the services they provide for some of the most vulnerable in society?
5. Irish people in Britain have high rates of common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety, high rates of hospital admission at older ages and among the highest rates of suicide in the population. What will you do if elected to ensure that mental health services are equitably funded and that the cultural needs of Irish people with mental health problems are recognised and addressed sensitively in health and social care?
“One Community, many votes” – Make sure you are registered
British citizens and Irish citizens resident in the UK can vote in Parliamentary elections. The election is taking place on 8 June 2017, and you will need to register before 22 May. It’s very simple to register your vote, you can do so:
- at your local registration office
- online at www.yourvotematters.co.uk where you can also perform a postcode search to find your registration office.
Many of our community may not yet be registered to vote, especially those who have emigrated to Britain more recently. Spread the word in your organization and make sure all your members and community know they have a say in this election.
The voting process is set up to give everybody the opportunity to vote
- Polling Stations are open from 7am to 10pm, so you need not worry about missing work.
- If you need assistance getting there contact your registration office to find out what help is available
- You can take children along with you if necessary
If you cannot make it on the day, you can register for a postal or proxy vote. You can find out more and apply for a postal or proxy vote by printing an application form online at www.yourvotematters.co.uk or by contacting your local electoral registration office.
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