How to address
British Politicians

How you address British politicians also depends on whether they are a privy counsellor. If they are, they have the prefix The Rt Hon’ before their names. ‘Mr/Mrs etc’ are dropped.

For example: The Rt Hon John Jones.

If a male privy counsellor is also a knight, his correct style of address would be ‘The Rt Hon Sir John Jones’.

If the privy counsellor is female, ‘The Rt Hon’ replaces Mrs/ Miss/Ms in her style of address.

For example: The Rt Hon Judy Jacobs.

If she is also a dame, her style of address would be ‘The Rt Hon Dame Judy Jacobs’.

As membership of the Privy Council is an appointment rather than an honour conferred, the letters PC follow all honours and decorations awarded by the Crown. They would go before most other letters after the name, including MP.  Thus, if Judy Jacobs were a Privy Councillor and a Member of Parliament, she would be: ‘The Rt Hon Judy Jacobs PC MP’.

Members of Parliament (MPs) refers to the House of Commons, the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

All members of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom have the letters MP after their names in writing.

For example: Mr John Smith MP or John Smith MP.

MSPs are elected members of the Scottish Parliament and accordingly have MSP after their name in writing.

Ms Jane Jones MSP or Jane Jones MSP.

Members of the Senedd Cymru (the Welsh Parliament) use the English title Member of the Senedd (MS) or the Welsh equivalent Aelod o’r Senedd (AS) after their name.

For example: Mr Hugh Green MP or Hugh Green MP.