Early Day Motions

Click on the links shown below to follow the count and names of signatories.

 
EDM 1263 
OVERSEAS PENSION PARITY    26.03.2008
 
Connarty, Michael

That this House is dismayed that the Government has not ceased the practice of maintaining a discriminatory differential in UK state pensions, dependent on the country in which the recipient resides; acknowledges that the Government has stated that there is no legal reason to do so; and calls upon the Government to cease the practice of freezing some overseas pensions and to provide the 525,000 affected recipients resident abroad with pension parity.
 
EDM 1313
EDM 1313
 
SOCIAL SECURITY (S.I., 2008, No. 667) 02.04.2008
 
Clegg, Nick

That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Regulations 2008 (S.I., 2008, No. 667), dated 9th March 2008, a copy of which was laid before this House on 13th March, be annulled.
 

EDM 1313 is a special motion that seeks to cancel this year's denial of uprating. The mover and his supporters will be seeking to have a small committee appointed to consider it. We understand that not many signatures are needed to make it possible to to have the debate, but we need to know our stuff well if we are going to make any progress on this one.

See Adopt an MP for a sample letter.

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 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.

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

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

Similar EDMs have been tabled in earlier years.

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 Law Lords, 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.

  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"

If you want to find an address for an MP, try http://politics.guardian.co.uk/aristotle/ Search for your MP by name or constituency. Aristotle will give you the House of Commons address and fax and email (if any). In many cases it will also give you the constituency details.

Pick whichever address method you feel comfortable with.

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