Personal advocacy - the position of Sebastian Wood. Evidence resource at /database

Take Action

You don't need to be an AI expert to push for democratic oversight. Here are practical tools you can use today.

Contact Your MP

Your MP represents you in Parliament, where AI governance decisions are made. A thoughtful letter from a constituent carries real weight - especially on issues where few people are writing in.

How to Write an Effective Letter

  • 1. Identify yourself as a constituent (include your address)
  • 2. Be specific: ask about binding AI safety legislation, not "AI" generally
  • 3. Reference concrete facts (use the Evidence Database)
  • 4. Ask a direct question they need to respond to
  • 5. Keep it concise - one page maximum

WriteToThem

Find and contact your MP, councillors, and other elected representatives.

TheyWorkForYou

Track what your MP says and how they vote. Search for AI-related contributions.

Parliament - Find Your MP

Official Parliament website to find your MP and their contact details.

Hansard

The official record of parliamentary debates. Search for AI governance discussions.

Template Letter

Adapt this template for your own use. Personalise it with your own concerns and local context.

Dear [MP Name], I am writing as your constituent in [constituency] to raise concerns about the governance of artificial intelligence in the United Kingdom. The people building the most advanced AI systems have themselves warned that this technology could pose existential risks. In May 2023, hundreds of AI researchers and executives - including the CEOs of OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic - signed a statement that "mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war." Despite these warnings, the UK has no binding AI safety legislation. The AI Safety Institute operates on a voluntary basis with no enforcement powers. The EU has already enacted comprehensive AI regulation through the AI Act, while the UK relies on non-statutory guidance. I would like to ask: 1. Will you support legislation giving the AI Safety Institute statutory enforcement powers - including the ability to compel pre-deployment safety testing and block unsafe releases? 2. Will you table or support a Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State what percentage of frontier AI models deployed in the UK have undergone independent safety evaluation? 3. Do you support establishing a national citizens' assembly on AI governance, so that the public - not just industry and government - has a structured say in how this technology is governed? AI governance is not a niche technical issue - it affects jobs, national security, public services, and democratic institutions. I believe constituents deserve to be part of this conversation. I look forward to your response. Yours sincerely, [Your name] [Your address]

Model Council Motion

This model motion can be adapted for any local authority in the UK. It has been drafted to be politically neutral and factually grounded.

Motion: Democratic Oversight of Artificial Intelligence

This Council notes:

  1. That artificial intelligence systems are advancing rapidly, with leading AI researchers and developers warning of significant risks to society, including existential risks.
  2. That the United Kingdom currently has no dedicated, binding legislation governing AI safety, relying instead on voluntary commitments and existing regulatory frameworks.
  3. That the UK AI Safety Institute has no statutory enforcement powers and operates on a voluntary basis.
  4. That the European Union has enacted the AI Act, demonstrating that comprehensive AI regulation is feasible.
  5. That polling consistently shows the UK public supports stronger regulation of AI.

This Council believes:

  1. That decisions about how AI is developed and deployed should be subject to democratic oversight.
  2. That voluntary commitments from AI companies are insufficient to protect the public interest.
  3. That citizens should have a meaningful say in AI governance through deliberative democratic mechanisms such as citizens' assemblies.

This Council resolves to:

  1. Write to the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology calling for the introduction of binding AI safety legislation.
  2. Write to the local Member(s) of Parliament asking them to raise AI governance in the House of Commons.
  3. Ensure that any AI systems used by this Council are subject to transparency, impact assessment, and democratic oversight.
  4. Support calls for a national citizens' assembly on AI governance.

How to Get This Passed

  1. Contact a sympathetic councillor - you need a proposer and seconder
  2. Provide them with the motion text and the briefing pack (the facts from our Evidence Database)
  3. Attend the council meeting to show public interest
  4. Follow up: if the motion passes, check that the letters are actually sent
  5. Share the result - let other citizens know it's possible

Why Council Motions Are the Highest-Leverage Action

Five council motions create more political pressure than a thousand individual letters to MPs. When a council passes a motion, it formally writes to the MP and the Secretary of State - that's an institutional voice, not just an individual one. Multiple councils passing the same motion creates a pattern that media covers and government cannot ignore.

This is how the climate emergency declaration movement worked: Colchester passed a motion in July 2019, hundreds of councils followed, and it shifted national policy. The same model applies to AI governance.

Follow Parliamentary Proceedings

AI governance is regularly debated in both Houses of Parliament. Watching or reading these debates helps you stay informed and provides material for your own advocacy.

Parliament TV

Watch live and archived parliamentary proceedings.

Hansard

The official written record of parliamentary debates. Search for "artificial intelligence".