Following up on this week’s launch of the UK Development Agency for Comics at Parliament on Wednesday, six MPs have now proposed an Early Day Motion calling for Parliament to recognise the British comics industry and the role of comics in encouraging a love reading.
Early Day Motions (EDMs) are motions submitted for debate in the House of Commons for which no day has been fixed, 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, but as there is no specific time allocated to EDMs very few are debated. However, many attract a great deal of public interest and media coverage.
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, so if you’re a comic fan, encouraging your local MP to support this EDM would be much appreciated by creators and publishers alike!
Six MPs from across the political spectrum have sponsored the EDM, led by Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat), an enthusiastic reader of VIZ and staunch supporter of the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, along with Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat), Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat), Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat), Chris Law (Scottish National Party) and Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist).
EDM (Early Day Motion)1149: Comic Art reads as follows:
That this House celebrates the UK’s vibrant and flourishing comic industry; praises the ingenuity and originality of British comic artists and publishers; notes the launch of Comic Book UK as a representative voice for the industry, which includes the publishers of some of the world’s most celebrated comics and best known characters; recognises the influence of the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, held annually in Bowness, in promoting the diversity and creativity of comic art old and new; and further celebrates the potential of comics to inspire a love of reading and engagement in creativity among people of all backgrounds.
You can read the EDM here on the UK Parliament web site – and, if your MP can sign it, please do encourage them!
As of Tuesday 6th May 2025, further signatories are: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat), Daniel Francis (Labour) Ayoub Khan (Independent), and Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat), Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat), Tim Roca (Labour) and Andrew Rosindell (Conservative) have joined the sponsors in support so far. In an average session of Parliament, only six or seven EDMs reach over two hundred signatures, and around seventy or eighty get over one hundred signatures.
The majority will attract only one or two signatures, so on that basis, EDM (Early Day Motion)1149: Comic Art is already doing well!
There is no rule whereby the number of signatures affects the likelihood of an EDM being debated.
As we previously reported, the Lakes International Comic Art Festival (LICAF) has announced it has formalised its role as the UK Development Agency for Comics. The new Agency for Comics will be based in Barrow-in-Furness, where the Government and private sector is investing in a bold programme of cultural renewal.
The announcement was made at a reception held in the UK’s House of Commons yesterday, Wednesday 30th April, hosted by Tim Farron MP, to celebrate UK comics.
Comic Book UK is the newly-established organisation which represents the interests of all parts of the UK comic industry.
This is not the only initiative promoting comics to government, with, as we also reported, the Comics Cultural Impact Collective also calling for support for comic creators through its own recent report.
The report – available to download here from the Comics Cultural Impact Collective website – recommends a UK Comics Fund, in the model of the government-supported Games Fund,
• You can read the EDM here on the UK Parliament web site – and, if your MP can sign it, please do encourage them!
• UK Parliament – Find Your MP Directory Page
Do note that Ministers, Whips and Parliamentary Private Secretaries do not normally sign EDMs. The Ministerial Code sets out the standards of conduct expected of ministers and how they discharge their duties, and includes guidance for Parliamentary Private Secretaries. Neither the Speaker nor Deputy Speakers will sign EDMs as their role requires them to be politically impartial.
• More about Early Day Motions here
• Read our news story: Lakes International Comic Art Festival launches UK Development Agency for Comics
• For more on the Lakes International Comic Art Festival’s Comic Development Work please visit Comics Can Change the World at comicscanchangetheworld.com | Follow Comics4Change on BlueSky
This year’s Lakes International Comic Art Festival in Bowness-on-Windermere will take place over the weekend of the 26th – 28th September 2025
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: British Comics, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events
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