How to address members of the Government in a letter

How to address members of the Government in a letter Writing to the Government Will you have something you just have to say to the next government of this country? It seems fitting somehow (not sure why) to follow-up our last blog with a quick clarification on how to write to MPs. After all, the wait is nearly over. The campaigning is all but finished. We know the results are a tough one to call, and that whoever rises victorious from the hustings will have some tough calls to make. So if youre interested in sharing opinions, suggestions, recommendations, congratulations, or even a selection of budget recipes with whichever party (or parties) makes it past the post, heres how to do it. Its considerably more straightforward than politics. Prime Minister For the new/re-elected PM, begin your epistle, Dear Mr [insert surname here], or even more simply: Dear Prime Minister. Finish Yours sincerely. The Cabinet For the rest of the Cabinet, its just Dear [appointment]. For example, Dear Minister, Dear Home Secretary, Dear Lord Chancellor, Dear Under-Secretary and so forth. If the appointment in question is particularly long-winded, its better to use their name. Yours sincerely is the sign-off. Envelopes Members of the Cabinet are known as Right Honourable. The formula for addressing them on the envelope is: The Rt Hon [title] [name] [honours], MP, [appointment/position] Bear in mind they may not have a title (eg Sir), or any honours (for example, KBE, CBE etc). So the next PMs envelope would read (in your best handwriting): The Rt Hon [Gordon Brown/David Cameron/Nick Clegg/Shock outsider], MP, Prime Minister. Democracy Now, after youve written your X, youll be well-equipped to write anything else you feel you must. Before then, of course, theres just the small matter of counting the votes. And you can also always have your say on what appears here. Just leave a comment below, or contact us directly. Write Now aims to address any questions you may have about business writing: blogging with the people, for the people. Image credit:derwiki / Pixabay