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Lobby your MP and government leaders
Get your MP to sign an EDM:
Click here for current EDMs
Massive rebellion against Trident Replacement - a first step towards nuclear
abolition
Write to your MP
If your MP voted against Trident replacement, click here.
If your MP voted for Trident replacement, click here.
On 14th March, the government suffered its biggest rebellion on domestic
policy since Labour came to power in 1997. Only the Iraq war rebellion
has been greater. 161 MPs voted
against the government's motion calling for a replacement to go ahead,
and 167 voted for an amendment
stating that the case for Trident replacement has not been proven.
How to lobby your MP
As you are aware, the ultimate objective of the Campaign for Nuclear
Disarmament (CND) is the elimination of Trident, Britain’s nuclear
weapons system (our own Weapons of Mass Destruction). This would be a
major contribution to the global abolition of nuclear weapons.
You can make a significant contribution to achieving that goal by lobbying
your MP on the dangers of nuclear weapons and convincing him or her of
the disastrous consequences of pursuing a replacement of the Trident system.
Our government is currently backing a new generation of nuclear weapons
in spite of majority public opinion being opposed. The procurement and
lifetime running costs of such a replacement have been estimated to be
as much as £76 billion. That amount of money would transform our
crumbling social infrastructures including transport, the National Health
Service, education and care of the elderly. The money could also be spent
on combating the effects of climate change.
The most urgent task facing disarmers today is to press for a full debate
on replacing Trident, before the decision is taken not afterwards, and
to make a strong and coherent case for non-replacement.
These are the ways in which you can use your democratic right to push
for the elimination of British nuclear weapons and the prevention of a
new generation of Britain’s WMD:
1. Write to or make an appointment to see your local MP and ask him/her
to:
- Ask an Oral Question: an Oral Question is asked
on the Floor of the House and the responsible Secretary of State, or
a Minister in his/her department will normally provide an answer. A
typical Oral Question would be, 'Will the Secretary of State for Foreign
and Commonwealth inform the House of what his department has done to
implement our agreements under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty?';
- Table a Written Question: a Written Question
is similar to an Oral Question and the only difference is that the former
will be answered approximately two weeks after it is tabled;
- Table an Adjournment Debate: Under parliamentary
rules, an MP is entitled on application to be given a 30-minute period
during which he or she can address the House on a particular subject
of his/her interest. Under the rule, in an Adjournment Debate a responsible
Minister is obliged to give a detailed response to the points raised.
This would normally provoke interventions from other MPs with interest
on the subject. Like Oral Questions, Adjournment Debates are useful
for stimulating debate and sometimes for eliciting information from
the government;
- Intervene and make contributions during debates
on Defence and Foreign affairs;
- Table a Private Members' Bill: a Private Members'
Bill is a bill 'introduced by a Member of Parliament in his or her capacity
as private Member rather than a Minister of Leader of the Opposition';
- Table an Early Day Motion (EDM): an EDM is a
short, written statement of facts, beliefs or opinion, which is put
out by an MP asking the government to take a position on a matter of
policy, practice or procedure. The more MPs sign an EDM, the more effective
it is in attracting press interest and stimulating public opinion. It
may ultimately compel the government to act. Click here for current
EDMs
2. Write directly to the following government leaders and express your
concerns.
- The Prime Minister Mr. Tony Blair, 10 Downing
Street, London SW1 2AA
- The Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office, Rt. Hon Mrs Margaret Beckett, King Charles Street, London SW1A
2AA
- The Secretary of State for Defence, Rt. Hon
Mr Des Browne, Old War Office, Whitehall, London SW1A 2EU
3. How to find your MP: If you do not know the name of your MP, simply
ring your Local Authority, ask for the section dealing with Electoral
Registry and give them your postcode. This information is sufficient for
them to readily identify your MP. They should also give you the address
of his or her Surgery. Otherwise you can simply enter your postcode at
the website www.writetothem.com.
4. Note of caution about writing letters to your MP or a Minister. Please
bear in mind that an MP or a Minister is an extremely busy person who
has to deal with literally thousands of letters on a daily basis. To save
their time and to help them to respond to your letter quickly, please
remember the Brief, Objective, Relevant, Readable, and Reliable (BO3R)
rule:
- Brief - no more than one side of A4 paper;
- Objective - indicate on the outset what is it
you are asking the MP to do;
- Relevant - stick to the subject of your letter;
- Readable - write neatly or type your letter,
if possible; and
- Reliable - if you are providing information
make sure that your source is reliable.
See the UK parliament website for more on parliamentary procedures at
www.parliament.uk
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