It's something most MPs and also most elected councillors do on a regular basis. 

You set up in a local facility, like a church hall, or a community centre - usually for a few hours - advertise locally and constituents can come to talk to you about whatever local issue they need to, or seek help and advocacy over something affecting them. It used to be just a walk in thing - these days a lot require you to call in advance to give your details (basically ever since Jo Cox was killed at a surgery 5 years ago) - but anybody can come to see them. 

By contrast to see an MP at their constituency office, requires an appointment and often you will deal with their aides rather than the MPs themselves. 

Back when I was a local councillor, my colleagues and I used to hold surgeries at a local church - there were 3 of us per constituency so we'd usually take it in turns and just do 2-3 a year each.  Some councillors held them monthly or every other week, but as our constituency was only a short bus ride from the Town Hall, we mostly just had people come see us at the party office in Town Hall and didnt hold as many surgeries 

 

Last edited by DanaC (10/16/2021 5:47 am)

I thought I'd replied to this post yesterday. It really looks like democracy is threatened from a number of quarters right now.

I read this morning the cops are calling it a terrorist attack because the killer is a strong supporter of islam.
 

DanaC wrote:

 Dickheads like this don't represent Islam and Muslims, they represent extremism
 

Diskhead is a subjective and vague description.  Same people brought power to Hitler and Joseph McCarthy.  Extremism is about telling adults, who are still children, what to believe.  Hitler said it quite clearly.  Disparage the bourgeoisie and intelligencia. So that only soundbites (ie tweets) will educate extremists - people who are only emotional.

Limbaugh said same in his early days in California.  The news to too complicated.  I will tell you what to believe.

So many also knew Saddam had WMDs, that "search and destroy" is how to win wars, that kids at Kent State deserved to be shot dead, that Brexit is good for Britain, that the Covid vaccine creates sterility, that Listerine does something useful, that Hillary Clinton was running a pedophile ring in the basement of a pizza shop,  that immigrant come to America to get a free ride, and that Trump is honest.  Soundbytes prove it is all true.  I heard it on Facebook.  It must be true.  Facebook and Fox News would not lie.

Adults who are still children.
 

 House Minority Whip Steve Scalise was the most seriously injured in the ball game attack.
It is hard to say if he suffered permanent brain damage.

xoxoxoBruce wrote:

What the hell is a "constituency surgery"?

"town hall meeting"

oh... yeah that's different

monster wrote:

It's like a walk-in clinic at the doctor's office, but for your elected representative.  First-come first-served but everyone within their constituency is entitled to seek a consultation until time runs out.

That's so much clearer than my explanation - thanks Monstah!

So many fancy words for what is only an office, an operation room, a theater (so that other doctors can watch), or a human repair shop.
 

Brexit was not hyped by moderates.  Was promoted by extremists using soundbyte reasoning.  One would think the Brits get it.  Now that their economy is slowly degrading as predicted.  Even worse is low intelligence demonstrated by their leaders. 

Only someone dumb would claim tax cuts make a more robust economy.  That was always an obvious lie.  Even worse (because she is brainwashed by her extremist rhetoric) foolishly advocated massive tax cuts only for the rich.  Someone just as wacky and dumb (Trump) also did that in America.  We are now seeing the result of that major mistake.

Since she was not a moderate (a patriotic Brit), then she simply tried to push even farther the stupidity of Theresa May and Boris Johnson.  But then what choice did the Brits have.  Another anti-British politician (because he was an extremist and therefore brainwashed) was Jeremy Corbyn. Corbyn has been replaced.  Current leader of the Labor party is not avidly speaking in extremist rhetoric.  Therefore he might be a patriotic Brit - a moderate.

Brits are stuck with many extremists from the Conservative party until 2024.  Unless moderates rise up and demand intelligent leaders.
 
Liz Truss demonstrated corruption (due to ignorance) that is found in all extremists.  Extremists are brainwashed by rhetoric - not by facts.  One even openly admitted the purpose of extremism.  To fuck things up.

She was so extremist that even Conservative Party leaders knew how dumb she was.   But she brainwashed grass roots in that party who then wanted her.  She talked in soundbytes.  Soundbytes (ie Tweets) easily manipulate the ignorant and naive (who would also attack a Reichstag or Capitol Building to promote a corrupt and potential dictator.  Who also know Saddam had WMDs because soundbytes said so.).

Few says stupidity more than Brexit.  But then it was only promoted by extremists using soundbytes.  And since Labor was also extremists, then Labor could not put forth honest and intelligent replies.

Stupidity is not limited to Britain.   Silvio Berlusconi is now (and again) a popular and potential Prime Minister of Italy.  Being an extremist, he openly praises and advocated the policies of Vladimir Putin.  From Wikipedia:

On the eve of the 2022 Italian general election, he defended the "special military operation" implemented by Russia, adding that Putin just wanted to replace Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government with "decent people". In October 2022, leaked audio recordings revealed Berlusoni expressing dismay at Italy's military support for Ukraine and blamed Volodymyr Zelenskyy for Russian invasion of Ukraine.

And so extremists also love Berlusoni.  They love the hate necessary to make any extremist popular.

Loving wacko extremists is not limited to Britain.
 

Last edited by tw (10/21/2022 6:34 am)