As a Member of Parliament, you can make a real political difference for your country.Gaining experience as an activist or party volunteer is what you will need to become an MP.Decide if you want to be an official member of a political party or an independent candidate.Pick a constituency and fill out the paperwork.Speak out on issues that concern you if you run an active campaign.You could find yourself in Parliament with the right combination of luck and effort.
Step 1: Understand the political and electoral system in your area.
It is important to know the history of the system and how it works if you are going to take on a government position.You can browse through the website of the election authority in your area.Contact them to see if they can send you more reading material.You can learn how your political system works by watching the news, reading a newspaper, and paying attention to the major issues under discussion.It is important to know that each of the 650 constituencies in the UK will choose their own individual MP to stand at general elections on a five-year cycle.General elections are held every five years in the United Kingdom under the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act 2011.The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom used to be able to call general elections whenever they wanted.If a two-thirds majority of the House of Commons votes in favor of an early election, it can be held.The first time this happened was in April of last year, when Theresa May called for a general election to be held on June 8.
Step 2: Take your public speaking skills to the next level.
Extra classes, such as speech or debate, will help you prepare and give presentations to a variety of different audiences.You can join a local speaking club if you aren't in school.Do you want to be the public face of a non-profit organisation in your area?
Step 3: Become a member of a political party.
There are established parties that have MPs in your country.You can join one of these groups.You can either start your own party or run as an independent candidate.Going with the establishment may be difficult to break into.You need to start working years in advance if you want to be a traditional party MP.These parties often groom their parliamentary candidates to follow their ideals.The Conservatives, Labour, and Liberal Democrats are the main parties in the UK.
Step 4: There is a political party.
If you decide to go with an established party, reach out to a local branch of the organisation offering your services as a volunteer.Working as a volunteer will give you inside knowledge about how the party structure works, and you will also form personal relationships with the people involved in the selection process.If you are unsure about joining a party, this is a great opportunity to get to know an organization without committing for the long-term.As a volunteer, be patient with doing grunt work.It might take some time to get up the ladder of responsibility.
Step 5: Work on the staff.
If you want to serve on the staff of an MP, make contact with them and offer to be a volunteer or paid employee.For someone with limited political experience or expertise, this is a great approach.You could work as a researcher, speech writer, caseworker, or even community contact.
Step 6: You can serve as a political activist.
You can find an issue that concerns you and work to address it on a larger scale.Drug use can be a major problem in your local community, which may help you gain a political reputation.The various tasks associated with running a large political campaign can be prepared by working as an activist.About one in six members of the UK Parliament worked as activists before they were elected.
Step 7: The basic requirements need to be met.
Discuss the age, citizenship, employment, and criminal record requirements with your local electoral commission.To become an Member of Parliament in the UK, you need to be at least 18 years old, a British citizen, and not currently employed as a civil servant.You can't serve more than one year in jail for a criminal offence.There are more obscure requirements.A parliamentary candidate in the UK can't be involved in any type of bankruptcy proceedings.
Step 8: If you plan to run with an established party, get on the approved list.
Each party has a list of potential candidates.Attach a copy of your CV and write to the party headquarters to describe your willingness to serve.You will probably need to provide a list of references and undergo a series of interviews with senior MPs.If you are interested in standing as an MP, you should reach out to party headquarters as soon as possible, as they will give you more information about how to apply.If your request for approval is denied, you can change your party affiliation completely.
Step 9: Do you know a constituency?
Each constituency gets to send at least one person to serve in Parliament.Most MPs run from their hometown or at least an area that they know well.If you don't know anything about a constituency, you should get to know local customs.If they aren't originally from the constituency they're seeking election at, some MPs will take classes to learn the local accent.It is easier to communicate with the locals.
Step 10: Take the time to submit your paperwork.
Most Election Commissions will require you to submit a packet with signatures from your voters in order to serve as their candidate.A letter from you will be included in your packet.The UK requires a total of ten verified signatures from your constituency.To reserve your spot as a candidate, you need to provide a monetary deposit.In the UK, you have to win over 5% of the vote to get your deposit back.
Step 11: Hold meetings.
Set up a calendar of events in your constituency where the people of the area can get to know you and where you stand on issues, as soon as you decide to run a campaign.Public speeches, Q&A sessions, or even random meet and greets are possible.
Step 12: You can choose an electoral agent.
The financial aspects of your campaign will be managed by this person.They will complete and submit the necessary paperwork for the election.It is possible to serve as your own agent, however, this will require a lot of work on your part.If you are working with an established party, they will likely give you a list of suggested agents.
Step 13: Donate money to the campaign.
It costs a lot of money to run a successful campaign.Some of these funds may be provided by your party organization.You need to raise money from the beginning.You should learn the rules on donations and follow them carefully.Push for small donations across your constituency,licit donations from wealthy donors, and use the funds that you have wisely.
Step 14: Work with your party.
You can make up more of your own rules if you are working as an independent candidate.Traditional party candidates will need to conform more closely to party guidelines regarding campaigning, such as only giving interviews in certain venues.You will get to draw upon the experience and resources of your party.Other MPs may be asked to campaign for you.If the particular MP is popular with your voters, this can boost your election returns.
Step 15: If you win the election, you can become a party representative.
The parliamentary systems in different countries.You can get into an election in the UK if you win more votes than your opponent.In Germany, you can either win an election or get a seat as part of the proportional allocation given based on each party's voting numbers.Before you take your place in the Parliament, you will usually be sworn in.You will be asked to give an oath of office during the swearing in ceremony.