WIKIGeneral Election London Training
Agenda
General Election Training: How can you campaign against mass surveillance?
Tuesday April 14, 7 - 9.30pm
Programme order
7.00 - 7.15pm Arrival and Refreshments
7.15 - 7.30pm Introductory talks
- Surveillance, the General Election and the next government - Executive Director, Jim Killock
- Introduction to ORG's Election Campaign - Campaigner, Ed Paton-Williams
- Why Local Activism Matters - Local Groups Co-ordinator, Lydia Snodin
7.30 - 7.55pm: Session 1: How can we talk about surveillance? How to talk about and challenge arguments for surveillance.
7.55 - 8.15pm: Session 2: Letters to newspapers [20 mins] Challenge your candidates in your local paper to say what they think about surveillance. We'll provide a template that you can edit, the emails to contact and send off this evening!
8.15 - 8.30pm 15 min BREAK
8.30 - 8.50pm Session 3: Talking to candidates online Contact parliamentary candidates on Twitter and find out what they think about surveillance.
8.50 - 9.20pm Session 4 - Talking to candidates face to face We explain how to feel confident talking to your local parliamentary candidate, whether it's on your own doorstep or at a public debate in the town hall.
ORG's General Election 2015 Briefing
Here's an online version of our election briefing. It's got all sorts of information including a summary of the arguments you can make to candidates and canvassers.
Party Manifestos
Have a look at what the manifestos that have been published so far are saying: https://wiki.openrightsgroup.org/wiki/General_Election_2015_Party_Manifestos
Sample Letters to Local Media
Sample letter 1
To the Editor,
As a local resident of <insert the town you live in>, I am writing to express my concern over the intrusive surveillance we have become subject to.
In a general election that will be dominated by the economy and public services, I think it’s important that we also discuss security, privacy and the fact that our intelligence agencies are collecting our data - regardless of whether we are suspected of a crime. Polling from Ipsos/MORI shows that many people are concerned about this. The majority of Brits say it’s “important” to keep the contents of their emails and their internet browsing history private. Over twice as many people believe the balance has gone too far in favour of security over privacy, than in favour of privacy over security.
We hope local people in <name your local town> agree with [us/me] that whoever our new MP is, they will work hard to ensure we get a new law that protects us better and gives the intelligence agencies the powers they need to keep us safe.
Yours,
Sample letter 2
To the Editor,
It’s an incredible state of affairs where we are all presumed guilty until proven innocent. All our emails, our private family photos, our financial details, are all considered fair game by GCHQ regardless of whether or not we are suspected of a crime. polling from Ipsos/MORI show that over twice as many people believe the balance has gone too far in favour of security over privacy, than in favour of privacy over security. In February a court found some of the programmes run by GCHQ to be illegal.
I hope local people in <name your local town> agree with me that whoever our new MP is, they will work hard to ensure we get a new law that protects us better and gives the intelligence agencies the powers they need to keep us safe.
Sample letter 3
To the Editor,
This is the first General Elections since the whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed that GCHQ are bulk collecting our data. During the last two years, our MPs have not had the opportunity to debate or vote on whether this level of mass surveillance is acceptable in a democracy. This is not acceptable.
We hope that our new MP for XXXX, will work hard to reform surveillance and fight for a new law that protects our privacy while maintaining national security.
Yours,
Sending your letter to your local papers
Here is the list of local papers with some of the email address for the letters page. Obviously quite a lot of the email addresses are missing. You can find most of them within the Contact Us page of the newspapers’ website. Please tell us if you find a missing email address so we can update this list.
| Title | Letters' page email | |
| Metro | mail@ukmetro.co.uk | |
| Evening Standard | joshua.neicho@standard.co.uk | |
| Barking & Dagenham Recorder | postletters@archant.co.uk | |
| Barking & Dagenham Yellow Advertiser | ||
| Barnet & Potters Bar Times | ||
| Bexley Mercury | ||
| Bexley News Shopper | ||
| Brent & Wembley Leader | ||
| Bromley News Shopper | ||
| Camden Gazette | ||
| Camden New Journal | letters@camdennewjournal.co.uk | |
| Croydon Advertiser | ||
| Croydon Guardian | ||
| Croydon Post | ||
| Ealing Gazette | ||
| Ealing Informer | ||
| Ealing Leader | ||
| East London Advertiser | eastlondonadvertiserletters@archant.co.uk | |
| Edgware & Mill Hill Times | ||
| Enfield Advertiser | ||
| Enfield Gazette | ||
| Enfield Independent | ||
| Fulham & Hammersmith Chronicle | ||
| Greenwich Independent | ||
| Hackney Citizen | editor@hackneycitizen.co.uk | |
| Hackney Gazette | gazette.letters@archant.co.uk | Note - same address as Islington Gazette |
| Ham & High | letters@hamhigh.co.uk | |
| Haringey Advertiser | http://www.haringeyindependent.co.uk/contactus/writetous/ | Online form |
| Harrow & Wembley Observer | ||
| Harrow Informer | ||
| Harrow Leader | ||
| Havering Yellow Advertiser | ||
| Hendon & Finchley Times | ||
| Hounslow Borough Chronicle | ||
| Hounslow, Chiswick & Whitton Informer | ||
| Ilford & Redbridge Yellow Advertiser | ||
| Ilford Recorder | ||
| Islington Gazette | gazette.letters@archant.co.uk | Note - same address as Hackney Gazette |
| Kensington & Chelsea Informer | ||
| Kensington & Chelsea News | ||
| Kilburn Times | times.series@archant.co.uk | |
| Kingston Guardian | ||
| Lewisham & Greenwich Mercury | ||
| Lewisham Independent | ||
| Lewisham News Shopper | ||
| London Fisse | ||
| London Informer | ||
| Marylebone, Paddington & Pimlico Mercury | ||
| Mitcham, Morden & Wimbledon Post | ||
| Newham Recorder | ||
| Richmond and Twickenham Times | ||
| Richmond Informer | ||
| Romford Recorder | ||
| South London Press | ||
| Southwark News | ||
| Southwark Weekender | ||
| Stratford & Newham Express | ||
| Stratford & Newham Express | ||
| Streatham, Clapham & West Norwood Post | ||
| Surrey Comet | ||
| Sutton & Epsom Post | ||
| Sutton Guardian | ||
| The Founder | ||
| The Press [covers Borough of Barnet] | ||
| The Wharf | ||
| Uxbridge & Hillingdon Leader | ||
| Uxbridge Gazette | ||
| Waltham Forest Guardian | ||
| Waltham Forest Independent | ||
| Wandsworth Guardian | ||
| Wanstead & Woodford Guardian | ||
| Willesden & Brent Times | ||
| Wimbledon Guardian |
Sample tweets
Use YourNextMP to find the candidates in your area and what their Twitter handles are. https://yournextmp.com/
Sample tweet 1
As my next MP, would you back #dontspyonus 6 principles for reform? https://www.dontspyonus.org.uk/org
Sample tweet 2
Organisations have come together to reform law covering surveillance, will you back them? https://www.dontspyonus.org.uk/org
Hustings
Use MeetYourNextMP to find hustings in your area https://meetyournextmp.com/
Here's their list of upcoming hustings in Greater London: https://meetyournextmp.com/area/712-greater-london