We now know that there will be a General Election on 4 July 2024. This election is going to be hugely significant in its impact upon nature and the natural world.

Many of the world’s countries, including the UK, have signed up to meeting ambitious targets for the restoration and safeguarding of biodiversity by 2030 and if any progress is going to be made, it will be within this next Parliament. Our own strategy at the Wildlife Trust also covers this same period and with the natural world teetering on the brink, it feels like this is a crucial moment for our wildlife.

As a Wildlife Trust, we make no apologies for taking action on behalf of the environment. To be clear, we do not get involved in party politics – what you might call politics with a big P. But political decisions – regardless of the political party - have an impact upon our environment and defending nature is very much part of our charitable aims. We have to be advocates for Lincolnshire’s wildlife purely because it doesn’t have a voice of its own. And that is why we are asking you to act as well. 

You can use your power as a voter to influence your local candidates. And at election time, they want your vote so your concerns are much more likely to get their attention. If every one of you took the time to contact them in the run up to the election, we would be putting nature high on the agenda both within Lincolnshire and ultimately, at the national level too. 

We think that it will have an impact if you were to tell them what nature means to you, that you will be making it a key factor in how you vote and what issues you want them to tackle. Ask them to reply to you setting out their own views on the environment and to set out what they intend to do for the natural world if they were to be elected. When talking to MPs and parliamentary candidates, they tell us that these are the sorts of letters that they listen to the most and the ones that are most likely to get their personal attention.

How to engage with your local parliamentary candidates

• The deadline for candidate nominations is 7 June 2024.
• Write to them. The constituency addresses should be available on the local party websites.
• Ask questions and tell them what's important to you on the doorstep or at local events. Lots of candidates or their representatives will be knocking on doors to try to win your vote or attending events in the constituency.
• Use social media to ask questions. Many candidates will be on X (formerly Twitter) and some will have a Facebook campaign page.

Join the call to Restore Nature Now

Restore Nature Now is a mass event taking place on Saturday 22 June from 12 noon in central London, with the aim of demonstrating clear public support for action on nature and climate before the general election. 

Find out more on our What's on pages.