Members of Parliament are elected to the House of Commons to represent the interests and concerns of all the people who live in their constituency, whether they voted for them at the General Election or not. They are only able to deal with issues raised by people who live in their constituency, called constituents.
To check if you are one of my constituents, please enter your postcode on the Parliament website.
MPs consider and vote on legislation and use their position to ask government ministers questions about current issues.
We split our time between working in Parliament and working in the constituency. In Parliament, I spend my time fighting for the interests of all my constituents, attending debates, scrutinising and voting on legislation, and attending meetings. I attend meetings and community events, as well as visiting local organisations and businesses across the constituency.
When a constituent writes to me, I will write to the relevant department or official or the Minister involved. Many problems are solved in this way and I always aim to respond as soon as possible although sometimes more complex cases may take slightly longer.
What can Jo help with?
MPs can help with matters for which central government is directly responsible. This includes:
- Tax issues involving the HM Revenue and Customs Department.
- Issues dealt with by the Department for Work and Pensions such as benefits, pensions and National Insurance.
- Issues dealt with by the Home Office, such as immigration.
- Issues dealt with by the Department of Health, such as hospitals and the National Health Service.
- Issues dealt with by the Department for Education, such as school closures and grants.
Issues with local authority services, such as waste collection, road maintenance, planning, and school and housing allocation are managed by your local council and should be raised with your local Councillors in the first instance. However, I am always happy to write to the Council and ask them to look into a situation or reconsider a particular issue.
Contact details for Stoke-on-Trent City Council can be found here: https://www.stoke.gov.uk/info/20003/your_council_your_city/527/contact_us
As your MP I can ask that your views are taken into account in planning decisions, but I cannot instruct or influence councillors making the decisions, as this is a council matter.
MPs are unable to intervene in private disputes with neighbours or employers, nor help to settle family arguments.
They also cannot interfere with decisions made in civil or criminal court or offer legal advice.