Our work in government

How we work with politicians

Policies in every nation need to reflect the needs of people with MS, so we work closely with politicians in the UK Parliament, Welsh Assembly, Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly to influence these policies.

We do this through:

One-to-one meetings with politicians and other policy makers.

Producing briefings on policies affecting people with MS.

Drafting parliamentary and Prime Minister’s questions (PQs and PMQs).

Working in coalition with other groups to lobby.

Administering and working closely with the All-Party Parliamentary Group for MS (in Westminster) and the Cross-Party Group for MS (in the Scottish Parliament).

Our manifesto for the 2019 UK general election

We work closely with our MS community to understand current gaps in treatment, care and support, and some of the burning issues that need acting on. We’re calling on political parties to listen to them and adopt key recommendations to:

Make Personal Independence Payment (PIP) make sense

Create a social care system that works for everyone

Improve access to cannabis based medicines for people with MS

All-Party Parliamentary Group for Multiple Sclerosis (Westminster)

We work with a cross-party group of Parliamentarians who are committed to tackling issues that affect people with MS: the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Multiple Sclerosis. The group is made up of MPs and peers from all parties who help to make sure MS issues are high on the government’s agenda.

Charlotte Nichols, MP for Warrington North, is Chair of the Group. Charlotte has campaigned for the MS Society and has a keen interest across welfare and benefits, access to treatments, research and the NHS workforce. Lord Dubs and Christine Jardine MP are Vice-Chairs of the Group.

In 2023 the APPG will spotlight some of the challenges people with MS face today, and the opportunities presented by cutting edge research into the future.

Cross-Party Group for Multiple Sclerosis (Holyrood)

In October 2013 the first ever Cross-Party Group (CPG) for MS was established in the Scottish Parliament.

The CPG sets out to influence relevant legislation, raise awareness of the experiences of people with MS and ensure the voices of people affected by MS are heard by key decision-makers.

Members of the CPG include MSPs from different political parties, voluntary organisations, people affected by MS and health and social care professionals. The office bearers are:

Convener: George Adam MSP

Deputy Conveners: Donald Cameron MSP, John Finnie MSP, Liam McArthur MSP

Secretary: MS Society Scotland

Is your MSP involved? Ask them to join the Group if they're not a member.