Central News has picked up on the EDM to congratulate Somaliland on 16 years of democracy. It's a small step, but anything that brings the attention of parliament to this fledgling nation's quest for recognition.
If you can, please write to your MP asking them to sign the EDM. You can do so quickly and easily using Write To Them. If you do, I'd be interested in hearing what reasons they give for declining (or agreeing) and would be grateful if you could either post them as comments to this post or forward them to me at ranting.stan@hotmail.co.uk and I'll update this thread.
Thanks.
Recognition for Somaliland has just got a step closer.
6 comments:
Copy of e-mail sent to my MP a couple of minutes ago. If I get a reply I'll send it on to you.
If I don't get a reply within - say - a week, I'll also let you know that too, and tell you who my MP is.
I don't hold out much hope of a reply; I've never yet had a reply to e-mails - several - sent to this particular waste of oxygen. None of them was critical - just questions.
I think he thinks that as he got 60% of the vote at the last election he doesn't need to take any notice of we scrotes living at the bottom of the heap. I think the BNP will shortly be making him have a rethink.
Oh sorry, here's the copy of the e-mail:
Sir, have you signed the EDM offering congaratulations to Somaliland on
its 16 years of democracy?
If so, why?
If not, why not?
Thank you
Yours sincerely,
Thanks, Henry.
I haven't had much joy with writing to MP's either. I've sent a number of emails to various politicians over the years. I received replies from William Hague and Michael Howard, but never once had a response from Tony Blair or Gordon Brown other than an auto response. I did get a response from my MP - Fiona MacTaggart - when I used the Write To Them web site to send the mail.
Sent off an email to my MP. Hope she responds.
Stan
Credit to the man for a very prompt reply; I got a proper letter in reply to my e-mail. It arrived this morning. I don't quite know what to make of it. Here it is word for word:
" Thank you for your letter asking me to support the EDM on Somaliland on its 16 years of democracy.
Unfortunately, as a member of the government, Parliamentary protocol precludes me from signing EDMs on policy issues.
Best wishes
[...] "
The word "unfortunately" indicates that he does personally support the motion; and the issue of Parliamentary protocol sounds fair enough as far as it goes. I suppose it's possible to argue about the validity of the protocol, along with so many other protocols.
However, there's information here as well: were you aware that the issue of democracy in Somaliland was a "policy issue"? And what, exactly, is the policy stance? Maybe it's all out in the open somewhere, but I've not read of what the policy stance is. Is there a governmental 'bigger picture'?
Maybe something here for you to dig into?
Thanks, Henry. It is an interesting reply as you say. I'm not aware of any specific "policy" that HM government has towards Somaliland, but I will look into it. However, I expect that the "policy" is to hand over all foreign affairs to our EU "colleagues".
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