Who is my MP?

Your MP (Member of Parliament) represents your constituency in the House of Commons in Westminster. They vote on national laws and can take up problems with government departments for you, such as issues with HMRC, the DVLA, the Home Office, benefits or the NHS. You don't need to have voted for them to ask for help.

Your local council runs services such as bin collections, council tax, planning, housing, parking and local roads. In some parts of England there are two tiers: a district or borough council for bins, planning and council tax, and a county council for schools, social care, libraries and main roads. Elsewhere, a single unitary or metropolitan council does everything.

Your ward is the area within the council that elects your local councillors, usually two or three of them. They're the people to contact about local issues like potholes, planning applications or anti-social behaviour.

Parish and town councils are the most local level, looking after things like allotments, village halls, footpaths and Christmas lights. Not everywhere has one.

In Wales, you also have a Member of the Senedd for devolved matters such as health, education and housing, and in London an elected London Assembly member and the Mayor.

Tips for contacting your MP

• Always include your full name and address, so they know you live in their constituency. MPs usually only take up cases for their own constituents.
• Keep it short: what's happened, what you've already tried and what you'd like them to do.
• For council matters such as bins, potholes or planning, your ward councillor will usually get things moving faster than your MP.