2.4 – The ways in which Parliament interacts with the Executive
An Early Day Motion (EDM) is a formal motion by an MP to bring attention to an issue. After it is tabled, it can then be signed by other MPs. This means in has some similarities to a petition. The more signatures an EDM gets, the more focus it will attract.
Dozens of EDMs are submitted by MPs every week. Many are niche and obscure, relating solely to an MPs own constituency. They are a way for MPs to show their constituents they are representing their issues. Since the last General Election, at the time of writing, there have been 2,728 EDMs.
Sometimes, however, EDMs can be used by Backbench MPs to bring attention to an issue that party leaders would rather they avoid. This is what happened last week when a Labour backbencher, Nadia Whittome, tabled an EDM calling for a public inquiry into the links between Jeffrey Epstein and British public figures. The motion was then signed by 36 other MPs, including from the Green Party, Liberal Democrats, SNP and Independents.
At the moment, discussion of a public inquiry is something the government want to downplay. By trumpeting one, Whittome is sending a clear message to the government. Reports indicate the the atmosphere among Labour MPs is febrile and the willingness by so many to sign this EDM may confirm that to be true.