chappie
From my posts on this thread, of 11/12 June 2006:
Perhaps you should ask them to put forward an “
Early Day Motion” – defined as follows:
An Early Day Motion, or EDM, is a motion put down ("tabled") by Members of Parliament calling for a debate on a particular subject. In practice, there is rarely time to debate EDMs nowadays and their true modern-day purpose is to enable MPs to draw attention to an issue and to canvass support for their views by inviting other Members to add their signatures in support of the motion. Members may table amendments to existing EDMs.
Below is a
list of Wiltshire MPs, surrounding Lyneham, taken from the UK Parliament Website.
You will be able to contact them either by email
here or by letter/telephone
here. Do not be afraid to approach them – they are your representatives and your servants and they know that you can make life very difficult for them if they do not take you seriously – especially as your brother was a casualty.
I would imagine that the majority, being Conservative MPs, will be absolutely delighted to support your cause and wreak havoc with the present “government”. Better be quick though, before the summer recess.
Finally, I have in the past organised a lobby campaign with a cross party selection of MPs – all were absolutely delighted at the prospect of easy personal publicity and brownie points with their constituency voters! I'd guess that things have not changed too much in the intervening years.
Wiltshire (County including Swindon unitary authority)
Devizes Rt Hon Michael Ancram, Earl of QC (Con)
North Swindon Mr Michael Wills (Lab)
North Wiltshire Mr James Gray (Con)
Salisbury Robert Key (Con)
South Swindon Anne Snelgrove (Lab)
Westbury Dr Andrew Murrison (Con)
Keep at it and continued good luck.
Probably best to try Michael Ancram, especially if James Gray may be a little unenthusiastic. From memory, Ancram is a shadow minister and he’s also a Privy Councillor. If he were to put down an EDM, it would certainly be taken note of and would draw other MP’s in for their share of any future brownie points which might become available. Another advantage of approaching Ancram is that he is new to this particular fray and may genuinely wish to help. He will also, of course, wish to embarrass the “government”.
Might be an idea to request
nigegilb’s assistance in drafting the letter of request and his accompanying you to see Ancram, as he now has plenty of experience dealing with our esteemed representatives!
Keep up the excellent work.
PS. For an MP to call a member of the public a “self publicist” beggars belief and, coming from any member of that band of self-regarding, preening egotists, is perhaps the finest possible example of the “pot calling the kettle black”.