Early Day Motions
With the compliments of British Age Pensioner Alliance

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An example of an Early Day Motion.
 

"That this House notes that under regulation 3 of the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Regulations 2011 more than half a million British people who have retired to any one of more than 120 countries including the majority of Commonwealth countries have their rightful British state pension frozen and are denied their rights to annual up-rating to that pension, meaning that they continue to lose money to which they are entitled having paid National Insurance contributions during their working lives; further notes that the continuation of this regulation will impact on the freedom of choice of country of residence for many constituents upon their retirement in coming years; and calls on the Government to review regulation 3 of the Up-rating Regulations and thus treat all British pensioners with the dignity and fairness that they deserve."

One special type of EDM is an annulment motion

In one rather cynical definition of EDMs, we read "In the House of Commons, a motion put down by a back-bench MP nominally for discussion ‘at an early day’ but with no time fixed for it. As the parliamentary timetable is controlled by the leadership of the parties, Early Day Motions are almost never actually debated. They may be regarded as pure expressive gestures, as cheap talk in which an MP can strike attitudes at no cost, or as a serious basis for classifying MPs' ideologies."

By convention, ministers and shadow ministers do not sign EDMs. However, EDM 1895 has the approval of a senior minister.

We need to know our stuff well if we are going to make any progress on this one. So here is How Freezing Works

We try to persuade MPs to sign all EDMs.  Please keep up the pressure on Parliamentarians of all parties.

What you can do

We invite all frozen pensioners and supporters of our cause to join in a campaign of writing to MPs of all descriptions to encourage them to sign  EDMs. You can write direct to UK MPs who have not yet signed; you can write to Federal and State MPs asking them to encourage their friends and contacts in the UK Parliament to sign; you can write to friends back in the UK and encourage them to write to their MPs.

See Adopt an MP for a sample letter.

But best of all, Adopt an MP. Join in a co-ordinated effort to reach every UK MP.
If you decide to adopt then please let us know, so that we can try to avoid too many duplicates.

An explanation of the term "Early Day Motion" can be found at /http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/business/edms/
Just click on the above reference.

Similar EDMs have been tabled in earlier years. Maybe this time we can make a difference.

Let's make a big effort and use all the arguments, all the reasons, all our powers of persuasion.

Here are some of the supporting arguments.

  1. Although the Courts, in dismissing the Carson case, said that it was perfectly legal for the UK government to freeze our pensioners, we all know that it is not fair and just.

  2. To unfreeze our pensions would not cost an enormous amount of money, less than 1% of the annual pensions bill, and an even smaller percentage if you include the extra benefits which resident pensioners enjoy and which we do not claim. In fact the cost of these extra benefits exceeds the cost of abolishing the freezing regime.

  3. The National Pensioners' Convention, representing pensioners who still live in the UK, supported us in their manifesto, and still support us now.

  4. It would not need an Act of Parliament, nor even a series of reciprocal agreements, to end the freezing regime. All that would be needed would be to annul the annual freezing regulations tabled in Parliament in March each year.

For some tips on writing letters, read our Guidelines for letter writers 

This page will help you decide which MP to write to

You may be asked for your postal address, because some members are sensitive about dealing with people who live in another member's constituency. Tell them this is not a constituency matter nor a party matter - it is a matter of principle and of national importance.