It is always interesting to read the latest documents supplied in the Early Day Motion session in Parliament by MPs outside of the Government. Most of them are focused on political themes and indeed they are useful to research and indeed to promote but a few of the others are focused on local settings and also high quality themes that are not political. Jim Shannon is the DUP MP for Strangford in Northern Ireland and he is involved a wide range of themes that are political although he does work alongside people from all of the political groups. He supplies and endorses many of the EDM documents that emerge within Parliament. However it will be very interesting to find out which MPs will endorse his most recent EDM which can be obtained from here that is focused on Christmas for Jesus. The way that the EDMs work is that the website states “The first 6 Members who have signed to support the motion are the sponsors.

The primary sponsor is the person who tabled the motion and is responsibility for it” Since I wrote this blog there has now been a submission from

Tim Farron is the Liberal Democrat MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale signed it on 13th December

Gavin Robinson is the DUP MP for Belfast East who signed it on 14th December

Paul Girvan is the DUP MP for South Antrim who signed it on 15th December.

Carla Lockhart is the DUP MP for Upper Bann who signed it on 19th December

These four MPs are sponsors for this document which Jim Shannon submitted it back on the 12th December. We clearly need to promote this document with MPs outside of the Government who might be willing to promote it. The document text and its headline is shown below.

Celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ

That this House recognises the true meaning of Christmas being the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as the first step of God’s redemptive plan; highlights the greatest gift that was given that first Christmas of love and forgiveness in the form of a baby; expresses gratitude that we are able to openly practise and express our faith at Christmas and all the year through; thinks and prays for those in other nations where freedom of religious belief is only a dream and where persecution for faith is a daily battle; and takes the opportunity to wish everyone across this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland a blessed and safe Christmas and a prosperous New Year.