No to the privatisation of the Police!

West Midlands and Surrey Police Force have recently announced that they are to put £1.5 billion of Police Force responsibilities out for grabs to the private sector. This is likely to include frontline services such as:

 bringing offenders to justice
 investigating crimes
 detaining suspects
 protecting vulnerable individuals
 supporting victims and witnesses
 managing road safety.

For the full list look here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/interactive/2012/mar/02/contract-note-bidders-police-services?fb=native

The private sector must not be allowed to reep profits from such vital public services. Institutions that are there to protect the safety of the public do not need the third party involvement of private companies.
History has repeatedly shown that when private companies that are incentivised by profit margins are allowed to deliver essential public services, accountability goes astray. Giving the authority that is currently vested in the police to private companies jeapordises the rights and liberties of all UK citizens.

Home Secretary Theresa May believes that handing the power of policing to private companies will protect frontline policing; we say it won’t, and that there are alternatives to making drastic cuts to policing, and indeed, destroying the concept of the Police as a trusted and dependable public institution.

There are far too many issues at stake to summarise them all in this brief call to arms, but other than the basic morality at stake they include:

 Social care and responsibility: ‘the Police’ is far more than a crime-fighting force. What will happen to victims who need access to social workers, counsellors and so on?

 Training: who will ensure that privately trained officers are not in fact privately trained security guards? Our current police force has to train, sit exams and meet required standards. Will the taxpayer then fund yet another private body to take on this crucial role?
 Ensuring the rights of both victims and suspected criminals are protected, and that everyone has a fair trial and is innocent until proven guilty. For example, the UK already has one of the lowest rape conviction rates in the Western world, with the few victims that do come forward often commenting that they feel on trial themselves. How will a profit-driven business model improve our already appalling statistics in such areas?

The list of specific issues is long, and we will be adding to it as this campaign builds. For now, we need you to please register your support and add your comments and feedback. Please act now – before it’s too late!
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Despite the House of Lords overturning the sell off of our beloved Delamere Forest - the Forestry Commisson has prompted a consultation within a window of 1 month to build 70 holiday homes across the Forest creating a devastating impact on the wild life, trees and habitat.

PLEASE HELP US FIGHT THIS! Is there nowhere in the north west which is protected from development??!!

This area is vital protecting what wildlife we have left, and now the FC (gov) want to strip a huge area, laying pipes and leading to the inevitable human contamination.

The email address that I was supplied only today from the FC is: delamereconsultation@forestry.gsi.gov.uk. Please register your objections.

The website which suggests the plans in detail is: www.forestry.gov.uk/delamereproject.

Many thanks for your support,

Helen Beaumont-Kellner
Someone who cares about the environmental impact!

My name is John Langley, and the original driver behind the campaign to petition the Monarch to NOT grant Royal Assent of the Health Bill.

Since starting this campaign on Twitter at 6am yesterday (March 8th 2012) I have so far engaged the support of Lord Toby Harris to be the conduit for rallying the support of his House of Lords colleagues in petitioning the Queen.

It isn't as simple as communicating with Her Majesty direct, as it requires the 'Barons' to petition on our behalf.

The right to petition the Monarch is embedded in Article 61 of the Magna Carta, and as Common Law takes precedence over Statutory Law and is therefore equally embedded within our Constitutional rights.

On the Coronation of Her Majesty, she took an oath to act within the best interests of her people and uphold our wishes.

The Health Bill, as it currently stands, is about breaking up our NHS by the back door towards privatisation in a way which is a win-win for the current Government regardless of the result at the next general election.

If they succeed in their current actions it opens the door to further privatisation legislation being introduced at a later date because they have set a precedence.

If they win by having this Health Bill made statutory and open up further possibilities prior to the next general election and they happen to lose governance to one of the other parties, then it places the incoming Govermnent in a position where it is too far forward to back down from and there is no alternative except to proceed with the Tory/LibDem legacy.

A win-win either way.

If you don't want to see the Health Service broken up into small pieces like British Rail then you absolutely HAVE to support this campaign and stop Royal assent

I want the Government to introduce legislation which will make it illegal for "sex for sale" advertisements to appear in any media. The legislation should cover all aspects of advertising including paper, electronic or other media and should also apply to those who promote, publish, distribute or otherwise allow such advertising.

Sex of all kinds is readily available to purchase through ads in newspapers, Adult Services classified Ads, on the internet. Fraud, deception and violence pull vulnerable women and children into the "sex trade" against their will. Traffickers earn huge tax-free profits through forced prostitution. Sex advertising increases the demand for prostitution and fuels human trafficking. We ban tobacco and alchohol advertising, why do we allow this?

Coletane Lopez ( Sade) is being held in a Yarl’s Wood detention centre in London after Claiming Asylum on Tuesday 13 March 2012. She was detained without notice and placed on a Fast Track Asylum Process. She has been denied any legal representation after being informed she would have legal representation immediately. She is now suicidal and on Hunger strike due to the unfair treatment and deliberate delay in providing her with a Solicitor. Sade has now very little time to prepare a legal case, and will only have a few days to appeal if her asylum claim is refused and will be removed from the UK

Sade who is in fear of severe human rights abuse if returned to her country of origin after being in the UK for 12 years is not getting fair consideration of her asylum claim under the United Kingdom’s “detained fast track” asylum system

In yesterday’s budget, the Chancellor of the Exchequer made an astonishing, and unexpected, announcement that will affect a significant number of listed properties in the UK, and their owners.

The VAT relief that currently applies to alterations to listed buildings is being withdrawn with effect from 1 October 2012. The Chancellor described the existing relief as an ‘anomaly’, which “gives a perverse incentive for change as opposed to repair”. He also considers that the majority of the work covered by the relief consists of “extension work which is not necessary for heritage”. Admittedly, extensions currently qualify for VAT relief at present, but it does not give a true picture of the type of work that owners carry out, and which frequently qualify for relief.

Much of the work carried out is restoration work, and with VAT at 20% being payable on these works in future, home owners are likely to ‘make do and mend’ – or else purchase non-listed buildings next time. The end result, unfortunately, is that many historic buildings will simply fall into a state of disrepair.

Owners of listed buildings are subject to the usually sensible but sometimes draconian and perverse restrictions placed on them by the listed building officer at the local planning department. This results in any work, be it repair, renovation or indeed "extension" costing considerably more than if the work was done to a non listed building. The owners of such buildings are the unsung champions of our architectural heritage, trying to do the best to preserve the fabric of their building at substantial financial cost to themselves.

In the current economic climate it is even more difficult for owners of listed buildings to pay the higher repair, renovation and on occasion improvement costs such buildings attract, together with often far higher heating costs. Even for repairs the cost of listed building consent is often required. Owners have to, and want to, use specialist builders and conservation experts. They have to source specialist materials. All of this costs far more than it would in a non listed building of similar value or size. Owners receive no grants, no help from the state, and need every help they can get to continue to maintain and cherish these gems for prosperity.

Owners of listed buildings are not wealthy people, as is often erroneously thought. The majority of such buildings are not mansions but cottages, frequently owned by pensioners finding it difficult enough to cope with rising prices and falling incomes as it is.

The 20% Vat relief is at least some help towards the high cost of preserving these historically important properties. Without it many owners will have no option but to carry out temporary, cheap repairs or worse do nothing, with potentially catastrophic effects on the fabric of these buildings and their sustainable future. Most owners regard themselves as the caretakers of such buildings, looking after them for the future.

The Chancellor is correct in one sense; the VAT relief is an anomaly. It should of course include repairs and renovations. And yes, perhaps an element of the cost of "extensions" should not be allowable for VAT relief - but only if an adjustment is first made for the additional costs any extension to a listed building incurs. This would include amendments to design to take into account the listed building, specialist materials, listed building consent, specialist reports and surveys and craftsmen and workmen experienced with the care of old buildings. So probably equal or more to the existing 20% VAT relief.

Listed property owners have a hard enough time looking after the often fragile state of their homes that any disincentive introduced will, in the long-term, damage the heritage of the United Kingdom. A consultation exercise has been introduced, and I would ask 38 degrees to campaign against the change. The consultation is being headed by David Roberts who can be contacted at david.roberts4@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk. Or at HMRC, VAT Projects Team, 3C/10, 100 Parliament Street, London, SW1A 2BQ. I would also ask that 38 degrees members petition parliament and their local MP against this change.

My name is Frances Hunt. I am a nuring degree student in the Birmingham area and also work as a HCA in the hospital environment.

I have silently followed the journey of the NHS Bill, now the Health and Social Care Act from when it started in 2010 to the present day. I will continue to follow this story and do everything I can to minimise the effects of this damaging, in my opinion, Act both at a local and national level!

Although there is not much tangibly we can do to change the Act, there are a HUGE number of things we, as the general public, staff, relatives, family, friends, health professionals of the NHS can do to stand up, be heard and counted and have a voice loud enough to delay the privatisation to what we hold dearly as a nation!

The National Health Service (NHS) was set up initially by A Beven on the 5th July 1948 on the basis and long term ideal that healthcare should be free and accessible to ALL!! This is when the first healthcare professionals came together and united to fulfill this proposal and idea. With regards to funding it was proposed that the NHS would be funded entirely from taxation of the nation. This applied to all the people of the nation!

Below is a timeline of events,from when the NHS first started in 1948 to the present day...

In 1960 the first Kidney transplant took place in the UK in Edinburgh (involving identical twins)
In 1962 there is a call for hospitals, General Practice and Local Health Authorities to unite together instead of being split.
In 1967 The Salmon Report identified and set recommendations for the Nursing Profession
Also in 1967 The Abortion Act was introduced and passed on a free vote resulting in Law!
In 1968 the first successful heart transplant took place at an NHS hospital in London
In 1972 CT scans were introduced
In 1979 the first bone marrow transplant (to a child) was successful at Great Ormond Street
In 1980 the first successful use of keyhole surgery was used to perform the removal of a patients gallbladder
In 1980 the iconic 'Black Report' was published, comissioned three years prior to that to look into the inequalities of healthcare in the UK. This resulted in consequent reports,with similar finidings, such as the 'Whitehead Report' in 1987 and the Acheson Report in 1998.
In 1986 the governement at the time launched the largest public health campaign to educate the population about Aids as the direct result of HIV
In 1987 the first successful heart,lung and liver transplant took place in Cambridge
In 1988 the national breast screening campaign was introduced in the UK
In 1990 the Health and Community Care Act came into being which meant health authorties would manage their own budget.
In 1991 the first NHS Trusts were established to help promote equal health care at local level.
In 1998 the NHS direct service was initiated by nurses
In 2000 the first NHS walk in centres opened, operating 365 days of the year.
In 2002 the Primary Care Trusts were launched to help improve healthcare at local level
In 2004 the first patient choice pilots came into effect
In 2010 the White Paper was published
n September 2010 the BMA response to the White Paper was published
In October 2010 White Paper Consultation Ended
In Decmeber 2010 Dr warns of NHS reform danger
On 19th January 2011 Health Bill unveiled
On 1st Febraury 2011 GPs oppose reform
On 12th March 2011 Lib Dem revolt
On 15th March 2011 BMA emergency meeting
On 13th April 2011 Lansley No Confidence Vote
On 10th May 2011 Lansley plans Bill changes
On 24th May 2011 Bill delayed
On 26th May 2011 Bill delayed further
on 2nd June 2011 Lansley states NHS faces crisis without reforms
On 7th June 2011 - issue raised.. 'Health Bill will kill modern medicine'
On 14th June government response to Future Forum
On 17th June 2011 Quality premium removed from the Health Bill
on 27th June 2011, Health Bill to 'sail through parliament'
On 28th June 2011 BMA votes for Health Bill withdrawal
On 7th July 2011 NHS Board plans leaked
On 8th July 2011 5th wave of commissioning groups, Peers set out Health Bill priorities
On 18th July 2011 London GPs protest over NHS Bill
On 25th July petition on accurate Bill backing
ON 17th August 2011 warning on the risks of NHS reforms
On 1st September 2011 .. Lords may scrap the Bill
On 6th September 2011 GPs warn Bill destabilises NHS
On 7th September 2011 MPs set to back Health Bill
On 29th September 2011 GP petition against the Health Bill
On 9th October 2011 GPs join NHS demonstration
On 13th October 2011 Lords vote 'Yes' on Health Bill
On 10th November 2011 quality premium to go ahead
On 28th November 2011 DH withhold Bill risk analysis
On 7th December 2011 BMA warns NHS in chaos
On 22nd Decmeber 2011 fresh RCGP poll on Bill
On 12th January 98% of GPs back
On 19th January 2012 Nurses join Health Bill opponents
On 3rd February 2012 Health Bill ammendments dont go far
On 8th February 2012 calls for Lansley to quit
On 23rd February 2012 epetition to scrap Health Bill
On 6th March 2012 GP confronts Lansley over the Health Bill
On 7th March 2012 RCGP Chair urges Lords to drop the Bill
On 8th March 2012 GPs join anti-health Bill March and Lansley rejects health Bill Lottery
On 12th March 2012 Lib Dem conference blow to Bill
On 14th March 2012 NHS constitution to check Bill and MPs reject GPs epetition
On 16th March 2012 Lord Owen to make the risk register public
On 27th March 2012 HEALTH BILL RECIEVES ROYAL ASSENT!
and draft risk register leaked.

As a nursing student and healthcare worker for the NHS I am extremely passionate about this cause and have followed the progression of events from day 1. I am shocked and saddened that the Bill has passed as a result of ignorance, total dismissal and disregard for public interest by the government. There was numerous occassions where concerns were riased by a range of healthcare professionals about the Bill. I believe GPS,nurses, pyhsiotherapists, doctors, surgeons, podiatrists, speech and language therapists, dieticians, psychiatrists and all the other healthcare professionals that work on a day to day basis with patients and their families are the based placed people to highlight the concerns and worries of the Bill. We all united to prodeuce a petition to oppose the Bill, however the government chose to ignore and dismiss our valid concerns resulting in the full royal assent of their proposal.

It has been an unclear rollarcoaster ride from start to finish but now its Law the fight is only just beginning. We as the general public and nationals of the UK have a platform to unite further and help save our NHS and fight the privatisation of our much loved resource from profit rich, money grabbing private companies that cannot seem to understand the damaging effects that were highlighted so many times by different healthcare professionals over the past 21 months!

The generations before us spent vast quanities of time, energy, money and resources into developing the NHS so there is free access to healthcare for all, without inequalitity between the rich and the poor. However this is now under total threat!!!

Although theres not much we can do nationally, as its now law, theres SOO much we can do locally..

I propose a network of Keep our NHS Public groups nationwide who together can work together to lead the way in fighting privatisation. If you believe in this cause and support our NHS campaign, are willing to stand up and be counted, fight for what you believe in and BE the change you want to see please show your support by signing below...

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

MS is a devastating set of symptoms that destroy the lives of sufferers and their family. The number of people affected by these symptoms is not known, there is an estimated figure of about 85,000 in the UK but early results of a survey undertaken under the freedom of information act suggest this might be half of the actual number. Problem is that as no one knows how many people suffer from MS, resources and services are not in place to help.
Another problem is that appeals for treatment and better service for people with MS fall on deaf ears as the problem is not seen as large enough to be politically significant. Take one possible cause of the syndrome for example: Chronic Cerebro-spinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI) a venous condition affecting the head and upper torso. It is being diagnosed in between 75% and 90% of people with MS and is easily treated using a safe procedure currently performed in our NHS hospitals daily, yet because of their MS diagnosis people are refused this treatment on the NHS. People who have been treated abroad often recover from their symptoms.
Visit these facebook sites and websites for more information and don't forget to pass on the link to this site to your friends and family, we really need your help.
http://www.facebook.com/ms.ccsvi.uk?ref=ts
http://www.facebook.com/groups/vital.now/
And our websites:
http://www.vital-now.org/
http://www.ms-ccsvi-uk.org/

Monsanto is in the process of acquiring and patenting their newest technology, known as "Terminator Technology." This technology is currently the greatest threat to humanity. If it is used by Monsanto on a large-scale basis, it will inevitably lead to famine and starvation on a worldwide basis.....
I have recently been horrified to read articles like this that inform us that seeds are being genetically modified - to resist pestacides (like Monsantos Roundup) and to become sterile so that farmers will have to buy seeds each year. big bucks for the seed sellers and more power to these huge corporations to control what we eat!
worryingly crops can be polluted by pollentation etc and then become sterile etc without the farmers knowledge - how long will it take for the whole world to become infected? what about the poorer countries that cannot afford seeds each year? what health problems will these GMO foods create for us humans?
I am just little me with not a very big voice but I am frightened enough by this to do something about it

Similar to the 'FairTrade' emblem, companies that pay their fair due in tax for doing business in the UK would be awarded the emblem. Many smaller UK companies would get this by default when they don't do any (or a very small percentage) of overseas business.

The goal is to stop global multi national corporations doing business in the UK and then funnelling their business through foreign subsidary companies therefore paying minimal tax in the UK. Examples include Apple, Amazon etc. The Amazon example is of only paying £124 million in tax on £7 billion of revenue from the UK.

If you want to do business in the UK you must support the UK too.

Councils in the UK own million of acres of land. Led by Somerset County Council, many are now considering privatising their public land and forests in a move which could dwarf the Government's attempted sell-off of the forests earlier in 2011. Somerset County Council has begun consulting on the sale of 2,000 acres of land in the Quantock Hills (the UK's first AONB), much of it Sites of Special Scientific Interest and forest. If Somerset County Council (SCC) is successful, other Councils are sure to follow. Help defeat SCC's privatisation plan and make sure that the forests sell-off doesn't happen by default in a piecemeal fashion.