What is a Private Members’ Bill Ballot (PMBB)?
At the start of each new parliamentary session, backbench MPs from across the House of Commons are able to enter the Private Members’ Bill Ballot. The Ballot for 2026 will take place on 21 May. If selected, MPs have the opportunity to introduce any piece of legislation they want, with dedicated parliamentary time to debate it.
This is not only an exciting opportunity for campaigners calling for a legislative solution to the climate and nature crisis, but also for backbench MPs who want to deliver the change their constituents sent them to Westminster to champion.
Following the warnings in the Joint Intelligence Committee report, the warning of food system collapse by DEFRA and expert briefings in the National Emergency Briefing, the PMBB provides an open door for MPs to plug the legislative gaps that undermine nature recovery and national security.
After MPs add their names to the ballot list, which, remarkably, is still done via a physical book, 20 names are drawn at random. They are then ranked in order, with higher places receiving the priority of parliamentary time for their chosen bill.
The 20 selected MPs then have a short window to decide which bill they want to take forward. As you can imagine, this is a very competitive moment, where many organisations and campaign groups are making the case for their proposals.
This is why the Private Members Bill Ballot is critical for YOUR MP to help deliver for nature and help secure your future.
Why is the Private Members’ Bill Ballot important for nature and national security?
We know that we are running out of time to act. With nature in decline, we are more exposed than ever to climate change. We must use every opportunity we have to try and secure our futures. The ballot is not the only opportunity, but it is one of the strongest paths to lock urgent action into law.
If an MP in the top 20 champions environmental action, it will not only mean formal debates and scrutiny, but direct engagement with Government Ministers on the urgent need for a joined-up climate and nature plan.
By 2030, the UK must be well on its way to restoring nature and rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Right now, we remain off track. That means 2026 must be the year the UK gets serious about responding to the climate and ecological emergency.
Now we need MPs, from every party and every part of the country, to stand by the science and seize the opportunity of the Private Members’ Bill Ballot to help deliver on the warnings from Joint Intelligence Committee.
