>On 3 December, John Barrett, the Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West, presented the following Early Day Motion to the House of Commons.

That this House notes that 2008 marks the 30 year anniversary of the assassination of San Francisco Supervisor and gay rights campaigner Harvey Milk; recognises the profound impact that Harvey Milk had on socio-political life in the 1970s as the first openly gay man elected to any substantial political office anywhere in the world; notes that following his tragic death there have been continual calls for the removal of barriers facing homosexuals in society; and calls on the Government to continue to promote equality for all regardless of sexual orientation. 

Early day motions (EDMs) are formal motions submitted for debate in the House of Commons. However, very few EDMs are actually debated. Instead, they are used for reasons such as publicising the views of individual MPs, drawing attention to specific events or campaigns, and demonstrating the extent of parliamentary support for a particular cause or point of view.

An MP can add their signature to an EDM to show their support. In this case, Lynne Jones, Labour MP for Birmingham Selly Oak and Sandra Gidley, Liberal Democrat MP for Romsey showed their support by adding their signatures.

An eagerly awaited biopic of Harvey Milk, starring Sean Penn, will be released in the UK next month. View the trailer and our previous post on the film here.

Read a thorough review of the film here.