How 100 Volunteers Secured 28 MP Meetings in a Single Day

In October 2025, UK Voters for Animals made history with the first mass lobby day for farmed animals. Volunteers from across the country travelled to Westminster to meet with their MPs and discuss banning cages for farmed animals in the UK. Around seven million hens still live confined in so-called "enriched" cages, each with barely more space than an A4 sheet of paper, unable to dust-bathe, nest, forage, fly or run. In a single day, we secured 28 meetings with MPs, with several more in the week that followed. In total, over a third of all MPs were contacted. The event was run almost entirely by volunteers, supported by key animal NGOs, on a budget of just a few thousand pounds. Many organisations with full-time policy staff work for months to achieve this level of parliamentary engagement. This is the power of grassroots politics working alongside NGOs: when constituents ask to meet their MPs, doors open that might otherwise remain closed to professional lobbyists. Since the lobby day, the UK government has released its Animal Welfare strategy, committing to phase out cages for egg-laying hens and crates for pigs. Unfortunately, there is no deadline for the transition, with just a vague statement that they aim to achieve the improvements by 2030. The work to ensure this commitment is delivered, and as soon as possible, continues. Beyond debriefing the lobby day, we'll explore why more animal advocacy groups and individuals should be engaging with their MPs, how political engagement can complement other forms of campaigning, and what building long-term political relationships could mean for the animal protection movement. ------ Presentation at VARC 2026 VARC brings together advocates, organisers, and researchers to strengthen the UK animal advocacy movement. Views expressed are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect those of VARC. Learn more about VARC and future events: www.varconference.com