Good afternoon all, Your next (small) mission should you choose to accept it! Please ask your MP to sign EDM 1063 sponsored by Tim Farron et el. The following MPs have already signed: Bottomley, Peter Conservative Party Worthing West 14.03.2017 Cunningham, Jim Labour Party Coventry South 14.03.2017 Donaldson, Jeffrey Democratic Unionist Party Lagan Valley 15.03.2017 Farron, Tim Liberal Democrats Westmorland and Lonsdale 14.03.2017 Meale, Alan Labour Party Mansfield 15.03.2017 Monaghan, Paul Scottish National Party Caithness Sutherland and Easter Ross 16.03.2017 Mulholland, Greg Liberal Democrats Leeds North West 15.03.2017 Saville Roberts, Liz Plaid Cymru Dwyfor Meirionnydd 15.03.2017 Shannon, Jim Democratic Unionist Party Strangford 15.03.2017 Stephens, Christopher Scottish National Party Glasgow South West 16.03.2017 Vaz, Keith Labour Party Leicester East 16.03.2017 Williams, Mark Liberal Democrats Ceredigion 14.03.2017 I have asked my own MP David Winnick to sign it and I know that MPs Richard Graham and Steve Brine do not sign EDMs. The wording of the EDM is as follows: Early day motion 1063 POLICE WIDOWS' PENSIONS Session: 2016-17 Date tabled: 14.03.2017 Primary sponsor: Farron, Tim Sponsors: Williams, Mark Cunningham, Jim Bottomley, Peter Donaldson, Jeffrey Mulholland, Greg "That this House recognises that police officers often place themselves in the way of harm to protect their communities, sometimes making the ultimate sacrifice and leaving behind families and loved ones; is deeply concerned that the Police Pension Regulations 1987 do not allow police widows or widowers the opportunity to marry or cohabit, without losing their right to a police widows or widowers pension for life; agrees with the Police Federation of England and Wales that it is morally and ethically regrettable to make police widows and widowers and their dependents effectively choose between future financial security and the possibility of future personal happiness; welcomes the fact that the Police Pension Regulations 2006 allow new entrants or serving officers to transfer to a new scheme which permits their survivors to access benefits which are payable for life regardless of whether they remarry; regrets that nevertheless many police widows and widowers still remain disadvantaged by the Police Pensions Regulations 1987; calls on the Government urgently to review the situation; and notes that this would achieve parity with police widows and widowers in Northern Ireland and military widows in all parts of the UK." Please note that all armed forces widows have not benefited from the changes in 2014. So what is an EDM? “EDMS are used to put on record the views of individual MPs or to draw attention to specific events or campaigns. Topics covered by EDMs vary widely. By attracting the signatures of other MPs, they can be used to demonstrate the level of parliamentary support for a particular cause or point of view.” www.parliament.uk This is the link to EDM 1063: https://www.parliament.uk/edm/2016-17/1063 I am working on an update regarding our visit to Parliament on March 15th and the Adjournment Debate secured by MP Madeleine Moon. Best wishes as always, Cathryn CathrynHall@outlook.com