Ask your MP for a meeting to discuss Cancer Research UK’s new Unlock Cancer Breakthroughs campaign. Discover our guidance on meeting politicians for our tips on how to find their details, get in touch and prepare for your conversation.
Let us know when you’ve met your MP and how it went.
Step: 1
Get in touch with them to let them know you are a Cancer Research UK Campaigns Ambassador and constituent and you’d like to discuss how they can unlock cancer breakthroughs and represent your constituency in Parliament.
Step: 2
Use your campaign toolkit to make sure you know the policy calls and what your MP can do to support the campaign.
Read the toolkit(PDF, 1.16 MB)
Step: 3
You’re ready for this! Using your research and personal cancer story, it’s time to meet your MP. It’s normal to be nervous but remember that MPs are people just like you and me.
Use the assets below — designed specifically for social media — to help spread the word about our Unlock Cancer Breakthroughs campaign. Every post builds momentum and strengthens our collective voice.
When you click on the links below, the asset will open in the same page. To download, save the image to your device (on desktop: right‑click; on mobile: press and hold). Then pair it with the suggested caption and share it on your channels to inspire others to take action.
Breakthroughs in cancer research are transforming how we prevent, detect and treat cancer. But right now, research in the UK is being held back. I’m joining @cr_uk in calling for the UK Government to remove the barriers holding back research to unlock more cancer breakthroughs for people affected by cancer.
Access the Unlock life-saving progress asset(PNG, 1.04 MB)
Access the Unlock global talent asset(PNG, 1.17 MB)
Access the alternative Unlock life-saving progress asset(PNG, 1.19 MB)
Access the Unlock faster trials asset(PNG, 899 KB)
Find out what some of those new science terms mean in this campaign:
Breakthroughs are new discoveries that could help us beat cancer.
Clinical trials are medical research studies involving people. They test new treatments to confirm they’re safe, effective and can work better than current treatments. They also help us test new ways to prevent and detect cancer.
Clinical trials funded by the public sector or charities like Cancer Research UK. A majority of patients recruited to trials are recruited to non-commercial trials, and they often investigate drugs that are promising but may not be profitable.
Interventional clinical studies are trials that aim to find out more about a particular intervention or treatment.
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a measure of the size and health of a country’s economy over a period.
In the context of cancer, the word ‘innovation’ can mean a lot of things: a new diagnostic test or treatment, a new technology, or a new method of delivering a service. All innovations start as an idea, often from a researcher, that must go through many activities to become something usable and impactful for people affected by cancer.
The barriers holding back research affect all four UK nations, so we need governments across the UK to unlock more cancer breakthroughs for people affected by cancer, wherever they live.
Our campaign launch focuses on Westminster, but decisions about science and research are made by both the UK Government and devolved administrations. Health is devolved, meaning each nation shapes how clinical trials are set up and delivered. We’re already calling for progress on this in our Wales and Scotland manifestos, and will do the same in Northern Ireland in September.
While the UK Government sets overall research budgets, devolved administrations influence how research is supported within their nations. Immigration policy sits with the UK Government but impacts all four nations. Devolved MPs can raise these issues in Westminster backbench debates to help drive change.
That’s okay — your MP can still take part in the backbench business debate even if they don’t sign the form at this stage. If they are unsure or need more time to consider it, make a note of their response and let the Campaigns team know during the debrief session. We can then support you with any follow-up, such as sharing further information.
Don’t worry — you’re not expected to have all the answers. If your MP asks something you’re unsure about, it’s absolutely fine to say that you don’t know, but that you’ll find out. You can let them know you’ll pass their question on to the Campaigns team and will follow up. Make sure to write the question down and let us know after your meeting so we can support with a response.
For any questions, or if you need this toolkit in an alternative format, please contact us.
