What are political ‘surgeries’ in Britain?

A constituency surgery or political surgery, in British and Irish politics, is a series of one-to-one meetings that a member of parliament (MP) or political officeholder may have with the people of their constituency.

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MPs hold surgeries in their constituency to give public a chance to meet them and discuss their issues on the other hand they are an opportunity for the public to raise their concerns with their MP in a 1-1 meeting.

MPs usually hold surgeries once or twice a week – often on Friday or Saturday and advertise them locally or on social media.

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In these sessions, MPs can invite their constituents to discuss issues affecting them or problems they are facing. These issues could be in regards to benefits or immigration status, a concern about the local area, or even a national policy.

Usually, there are a lot of appointments back to back so the MP can meet with as many people as possible.

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People usually listen to people’s concerns and may give them a suggestion or offer to take their case and get back to them with a solution or follow up.

Surgeries are often held at a public building in the constituency like a school or a community hall or library. Some choose to conduct meeting at their respective offices. Most MPs change the location of their surgeries each week, moving around different areas of their constituency to help them reach more constituents.

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How to attend a surgery?

Every MP has a different way of holding their surgeries. It can be a simple drop-in session or a one-to-one meeting with constituents. Sometimes the MP just pitch a stall in public and invite members to speak to them. Surgeries are usually advertised on social media. However, to be sure to get the right information you can call or email the Constituency Office of your local MP.