Who your MP is depends on where you live. The UK is divided into 650 areas called constituencies, and each constituency is represented by one MP. Before Simon can help with your query, we need your full postal address, including your postcode so we can confirm that you live in the Wakefield and Rothwell constituency, which Simon represents in Parliament. MPs are only allowed to take up issues for people who live in their own constituency. This is a long-standing rule in Parliament that helps make sure everyone is supported by the MP elected to represent their area. Once we’ve confirmed your address, Simon will be happy to look into your concerns and do what he can to help. Sometimes people contact us about something that happened in Wakefield and Rothwell, even if they don’t live here. In those cases, it’s best to contact the MP for the area where you live. Find out why here! (https://www.simonlightwood.org.uk/faqs?questionId=bb78474e-45e2-4d81-8dba-7535060c0690&appDefId=14c92d28-031e-7910-c9a8-a670011e062d) You can use your postcode or a place name to search Parliament's Find MPs (https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons)service and find out the name of your MP and how to contact them. Constituency Representation: MPs are elected to represent a specific geographical area, known as a constituency. Protocol: It is a long-standing convention in the UK Parliament that MPs only deal with issues raised by their own constituents. Verification: Your address is the key piece of information that allows Simon to confirm if you live within his constituency and are therefore eligible for his assistance. Other MPs: If you contact an MP outside your constituency, they will advise you to contact your own MP

Simon represents over 73,000 people living in the Wakefield and Rothwell constituency in Parliament. As you can imagine we receive hundreds of inquiries every day and so it can take up to 30 working days to send you a reply. (Though we will always try to reply as soon as we possibly can!) Priority is always given to urgent personal cases over any automated campaign or policy related emails, but every message is read and considered carefully. Every email receives an automatic reply confirming we've received your message. If you didn't receive this email from us then we have not received your email. It's worth double-check the spelling of "parliament" in our email address — it’s a classic typo trap! No pressure, but even seasoned spellers have fallen victim to rogue vowels. It’s p-a-r-l-i-a-m-e-n-t not parliment, parlimentt, or parlimant. Get it wrong and your message to vanishes into the email abyss!

We’re genuinely sorry to hear if you’re not happy with Simon’s performance as your Member of Parliament. That’s never what we want to hear, and we take all feedback seriously. Your views matter, and we’re here to listen and help however we can. MPs aren’t employed by the House of Commons, they are elected by local people and answer directly to them. It’s up to constituents to decide how well their MP is doing the job, and if they’re not happy, they can choose not to vote for them at the next election.

Ministers are still elected MPs, which means Simon is still responsible for helping people in his constituency first and foremost. He runs our local constituency office with a small team who handle casework, respond to queries, and support his constituents with casework and concerns. Ministers are expected to support government policy, but that doesn’t mean they can’t raise your concerns behind the scenes, using private meetings or letters.

Early Day Motions (EDMs) are formal motions submitted by MPs in the House of Commons to draw attention to specific events, causes, or issues. They’re a way for MPs to put something on the parliamentary record and show support — often for campaigns, local matters, or national concerns. Think of them as a kind of “parliamentary noticeboard” — they rarely lead to debates or votes, but they can raise awareness and gather support from other MPs. When an MP becomes a government minister, they take on extra responsibilities — not just for their department, but for supporting the government as a whole. Ministers are expected to publicly support all government decisions to maintain collective responsibility within the government. Ministers can still: • Raise concerns privately with colleagues or departments. • Speak up internally in Cabinet or ministerial meetings. • Support constituents through casework and behind-the-scenes advocacy. So while he might not be able to sign an EDM, he's still very much working to represent your concerns — just in a more discreet way.

When an MP becomes a government minister, they take on extra responsibilities — not just for their department, but for supporting the government as a whole. Ministers are expected to publicly support all government decisions to maintain collective responsibility within the government. Ministers can still: • Raise concerns privately with colleagues or departments. • Speak up internally in Cabinet or ministerial meetings. • Support constituents through casework and behind-the-scenes advocacy. So while he might not be able to sign a public letter, he's still very much working to represent your concerns — just in a more discreet way.

It might seem logical to contact the MP for the place where something happened — like where you had poor service, an accident, or a frustrating experience. But in the UK, MPs represent people, not places. MPs are elected to represent the people who live in their constituency. That means only your local MP can take up your case, even if the issue happened somewhere else. For example: If you live in Wakefield but had a problem in Leeds, you should still contact your MP in Wakefield. The MPs in Leeds can’t act on your behalf, because you’re not their constituent.

We love hearing from people in Wakefield and Rothwell — but with so many messages flying around on social media, it’s not always possible to keep up with every comment, tag, or DM. To make sure we don’t miss anything important — and to keep your information safe — we ask that all casework and policy enquiries be sent by email or post. Email is best: Please send your enquiry to simon.lightwood.mp@parliament.uk(mailto:simon.lightwood.mp@parliament.uk) Or write to us at: Simon Lightwood MP 16 Westmorland Street Wakefield WF1 1PJ Prefer to speak to someone? You can call the office on 01924 682269, Monday to Friday, between 10am and 4pm. While we do use social media to share updates and stay in touch, we can’t guarantee we’ll see every message or mention. That’s why we handle all casework through email, post, or phone — it’s the best way to make sure your enquiry is dealt with properly, securely, and with the attention it deserves. Thanks for understanding! ​

You can find details of Simon’s expenses on the official website of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), which oversees MPs’ business costs and expenses. 🔗 Visit: https://www.ipsaonline.org.uk(https://www.ipsaonline.org.uk/) To view Simon Lightwood’s expenses specifically: 1. Go to the IPSA homepage. 2. Use the search bar or navigate to the “MPs’ published data” section. 3. Enter Simon Lightwood in the search field to view his expense claims, including travel, office costs, staffing, and accommodation.

You can find more details about MPs’ salaries and expenses on the IPSA website(https://www.ipsaonline.org.uk/the-scheme-of-mps-staffing-and-business-costs)

Many people understandably get confused about the roles of elected representatives, especially when it comes to Members of Parliament (MPs) and local councillors. While both are elected to serve the public, they operate at different levels of government and focus on different areas of responsibility. As your MP, I often get asked to help with things that the local council is responsible for and whilst I’m always happy to try and help and support you, it’s important to understand that I’m not a councillor. I don’t run the council, and I can’t tell the council what to do. Local councillors are elected to make decisions about things like housing, planning, bin collections, and road repairs. They vote on local policies and set the council’s budget. As a Member of Parliament (MP), my job is to: • Represent you in Parliament. • Work on national issues like the NHS, education, and laws. • Help with problems involving government departments (like benefits or pensions). • I can raise your concerns with the council - but I can’t force them to do anything. What I can do: • Contact the council on your behalf. • Ask questions and push for action. • Work with councillors to try to solve problems. • Speak up for you in Parliament and in public. But ultimately, the council makes its own decisions, and I don’t have the power to overrule them.

To be honest, I don’t particularly enjoy having my photograph taken. Like many people, I’d happily get on with the job without a camera pointed at me. But visibility is part of the role. Constituents deserve to see their elected representative at work in Parliament, in the community, meeting residents, supporting local groups, and holding others to account.  Sharing photographs isn’t about vanity; it’s about transparency and accountability. It shows where I am, who I’m meeting, and what I’m doing on your behalf. Politics should feel open and accessible, not distant or hidden. For many people, especially those who can’t attend events in person, online updates are the main way they stay informed and engaged. So while I may not love the camera, I do believe in keeping constituents informed. And that’s why I’ll keep sharing the work even when it means stepping in front of the lens.

This isn't remotely true. I’d gently suggest taking a couple of minutes to look through my Facebook page or my website at www.simonlightwood.org.uk.(http://www.simonlightwood.org.uk) You’ll see regular updates all year round-on local issues, casework, community events, and the work I’m doing in Parliament on behalf of constituents. I don’t switch this work on when there’s an election. It happens every week, whether there’s a campaign underway or not. (There are no parliamentary elections for me for many years yet). I’ve supported over 27,000 people with casework since being elected and I’m proud of my record of fighting for the people of Wakefield and Rothwell all year around.  My team and I are also out knocking on doors throughout the year, not just during elections. But with around 73,000 constituents, even with the best will in the world it takes time to reach everyone and when I do knock, I often miss people who aren’t at home. That’s why I try to stay in touch in different ways: online, in writing, at events, and through casework. The work doesn’t start at election time, and it doesn’t stop afterwards. Elections just shine a brighter light on work that’s happening all year round. I encourage anyone who’s interested to have a look and judge my record for themselves.