Early day motions

Early day motions (EDMs) are formal motions submitted for debate in the House of Commons. However, very few EDMs are actually debated. Instead, they are used for reasons such as publicising the views of individual MPs, drawing attention to specific events or campaigns, and demonstrating the extent of parliamentary support for a particular cause or point of view.

Why bother?

Although there is very little prospect of EDMs being debated, many attract a great deal of public interest and frequently receive media coverage.

Format

EDMs have a strict format. Each one has a short title, like 'Internet Gambling', and a sentence no longer than 250 words detailing the motion.

Rules

Other than following the above format, EDMs must abide by certain rules about their subject matter. The main ones are:

• EDMs may only criticise other MPs, Lords, judges or members of the royal family if that is the main subject of the motion

• no reference should be made to matters before the courts

• no unparliamentary language or irony should be used

• titles must be purely descriptive

Types of EDMs

• EDMs against statutory instruments - generally the only type of EDM that leads to a debate.

• Internal party groups - put forward by party members to express a different view on an issue to the official party position.

• All-party EDMs - usually promote an issue, such as animal welfare, across party divides. Generally, only all-party EDMs attract a large number of signatures.

• Critical - occasionally EDMs are tabled criticising another Member of the House, or a member of the House of Lords.

• Promotion - of an outside campaign or report (often by the voluntary sector).

• Constituency issue - drawing attention to and commenting on.

• Commenting on deficiencies in other parties' policies - often by government MPs as they can't criticise the Opposition at question time.

Signatures

In an average session only six or seven EDMs reach over two hundred signatures. Around seventy or eighty get over one hundred signatures. The majority will attract only one or two signatures.

An EDM is not likely to be debated even if it gains a large number of signatures.

Who won't sign?

The following people in Parliament normally won't sign EDMs:

• Ministers and government whips

• Parliamentary Private Secretaries

• The Speaker and his deputies

Tracing EDMs

EDMs dating back to 1997 can be traced using the POLIS EDM database. It records the full title and text of EDMs and signatures of supporting MPs.
Use the EDMs database

For Early Day Motions prior to 1997, enquirers should contact the House of Commons Information Office. The Information Office has access to EDMs going back to 1989.
Contact the House of Commons Information Office

Older EDMs can be traced through the Parliamentary Archives.
Contact the Parliamentary Archives