What do MPs do?

Members of Parliament (MPs) are sent to the House of Commons from every part of the UK to represent local people and ensure they have a voice in national decisions.

MPs work both at the UK Parliament and in their local constituencies. As elected office-holders, there is no statutory job description for MPs and so how they each carry out their role may vary.

How an MP decides to divide their time can depend upon the schedule of business in the House of Commons, the distance of their constituency from London, their family responsibilities, or whether they have taken on additional responsibilities in the Commons or in the government.

If an MP has taken on an extra role in the House of Commons (such as a committee chair) or in government (such as a ministerial role), they may need to spend more time at Westminster particularly when the House is sitting.

MPs employ a small number of staff to assist with work at Parliament and help to run offices in the constituency. This allows work to continue in both settings while the MP travels between the two.

MPs at Parliament

In Parliament, MPs are expected to carry out the core work of the House of Commons:

• Legislation and taxation – examining and approving new laws or taxes

• Scrutiny – holding the government to account for its actions

• Debating – where competing viewpoints can be expressed and the concerns of constituents can be raised

Find out more at: What is the role of Parliament?  

Although each MP is sent from one local area, at Parliament many also consider the best interests of the entire nation.

MPs carry out their parliamentary work in the debating chambers and committee rooms of the House of Commons, and in their parliamentary offices. Apart from formal parliamentary events, MPs can attend private meetings during each week at Parliament. These may be meetings with representatives from industry, trade unions, campaigners, and lobbyists. They may also attend party meetings and meetings arranged by All-Party Parliamentary Groups.

MPs in their constituency

In their constituency, MPs can meet with local businesses and community groups, attend local events and visit schools, hospitals or job centres to see for themselves how services are being delivered. Conversations in their constituency can help to inform an MPs’ priorities when they are in Parliament.

An MP will often hold advice surgeries, either in person or online, in their constituency. Surgeries are an opportunity for local people to ask if their situation is one that the MP can help them with.  

As their representative, an MP is in a position to speak to government officials on behalf of a constituent, or write to the relevant government minister.

Dealing with cases that are raised by constituents in this way, or via emails and calls to their office, can take up much of an MP’s time when they are not busy with parliamentary work. Constituency office staff can assist with this caseload.