Early Day Motions (EDMs) Task
EDMs are:
- proposed by backbench MPs on subjects they feel strongly about
- frequently used by MPs as a method of gauging the opinion of the House of Commons on a particular issue
- the primary mechanism for opposing (‘praying against’) Statutory Instruments
They don’t automatically trigger debate, but:
- the Prime Minister or the Leader of the House can be asked about EDMs during debates or oral questions
- when a significant amount of MPs support an EDM, the issue may be debated at Business Questions
Steps
- Parliamentary Branch will contact you, providing the EDM text within a response template
- Reply by the deadline with:
- a government position (Support/Oppose/Neutral/Sympathetic)
- two or three concise Lines To Take (in Arial font, size 16, double spaced)
- a very brief background note
Deadlines
Keep to the given deadlines. These are fitted to the Leader’s schedule. Thursday morning EDM Business Questions briefing request deadlines will be particularly tight, as Business Questions take place at 11.30am.
Updates
- keep copies of EDM responses on file
- review on a quarterly basis
- provide Parliamentary Branch with updates when requested
Learn more
EDM information on the House of Commons website
