This new ITV drama exposes just how many police officers lied and tricked members of the public into relationships with them, in order to spy on members of organisations campaigning on issues like animal rights and anti-racism. Some of these police officers lived with their "targets" and had sexual relationships with them. There are even cases of them fathering children with the women they spied on undercover. A long running inquiry is still investigating this scandal, but action needs to be taken NOW to close the gaping holes in our legal system so this kind of undercover operation never happens again.

Across the UK, living standards are falling and millions live in poverty, while the cost of living crisis has made affording the basics difficult. Public services we all rely on - our hospitals, schools, councils, childcare, public transport and social security - have been decimated after a decade of cuts. And now the government could be looking to cut them even further, after slashing the lifesaving international aid budget. It doesn’t have to be this way. The government could find the money to support public services by taxing the very richest more.  The UK has the sixth largest economy in the world. But the huge amount of wealth in this country is held by a very small proportion of the population. The UK’s unequal tax system is stacked in favour of the super-rich, fuelling inequality.  Unfair loopholes and far lower rates of tax on income from wealth than work mean the wealthiest in our society often pay proportionally lower taxes than a teacher or nurse, meaning they get richer at a faster rate.  The average wealth of the top ten richest people in the UK is now £21 billion — up nearly 50% in five years. If you earned £3600 every hour, it would take you over 665 years to save this amount. A 2% wealth tax on assets over £10 million could raise as much as £24 billion a year and affect just 20,000 of the very richest people. Implementing wealth taxes in order to support communities across the country isn’t just sensible, but popular too. Almost three quarters of the  public and 65% of UK millionaires who have been polled are in favour, as well as many unions, leading economists, think tanks, charities, and community groups. Phil White, member of Patriotic Millionaires UK, says: “The British people have always been proud of the shared public services we’ve created and are frustrated to see how they have been run into the ground. The NHS, education, our water system, public transport and others desperately need funding but  British people are being constantly squeezed - working hard week-on-week against rising costs. This makes the need for taxing the very richest even more important. There’s plenty of money in the UK - but it’s stuck in the hands of the wealthiest - and while they get richer everyone else gets poorer. We would be proud to pay more, because that’s what being patriotic is: investing in a stronger, fairer Britain, where our services, businesses, and communities thrive and everyone can succeed.” We have the momentum to tax the super rich. Now we need Rachel Reeves to act. Will she side with the super rich or people like you and me? Sign this petition to demand the Chancellor tax the super rich to rebuild our NHS, schools, and other public services. Sources:  • Tax Justice UK and Patriotic Millionaires 'Ten tax reforms and closed loopholes to raise over £60bn in a single year' • 72% of the public support a wealth tax over £10m, Tax Justice UK, May 2024 • 65% of UK millionaires support taxing the super rich more, Patriotic Millionaires, November-December 2024 • UK billionaires saw their collective wealth increase last year by £35 million a day to £182 billion, Oxfam, January 2025 • Average wealth of the top 10 richest people in the UK, Sunday Times Rich List, 2024 • 1 billion seconds is 31.68 years (Speeli). 21 x 31.68 =665.28 years. 3600 seconds in an hour.

Dartford is becoming congested more and more frequently. When traffic backs up at the Dartford tunnel approach it causes gridlock across the borough and beyond. This means missed appointments, impacts the local economy and stationary idling vehicles contribute to poor air quality. Breathing in polluted air increases the likelihood of health conditions such as childhood asthma, heart disease and dementia. Four years ago it was decided that the yellow box junctions at the Blue Star roundabout would be monitored, as an effective short term solution. This is still not happening! It's time to come together as a collective and call for an end to the traffic misery! Please sign and share widely. Written by Green Cllr Laura Edie On behalf of Citizens' Forum on Congestion  *Promoted by Mark Lindop on behalf of Laura Edie, c/o 12 Old Downs, Hartley, DA3 7AA 

The 28th February 2025 marked a disgusting display of childish playground bullying and a shameful moment in History for America and the American People. How this blots our own history depends on how we respond in the immediate aftermath and the coming days.  Donald Trump’s actions—not just towards Ukraine and President Zelensky but also towards Canada, Mexico, Europe, and other allies—represent an attack on the principles of international cooperation, mutual respect, and democratic governance. His tenure has been marked by divisiveness, hostility, and a blatant disregard for the rule of law, both domestically and abroad.  As John Stuart Mill once said, “Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing. He is not a good man who, without a protest, allows wrong to be committed in his name.” The United Kingdom must not remain silent in the face of such tyranny and corruption. We cannot afford to condone or enable the actions of an administration that has repeatedly proven itself to be neither an ally to its own people nor to democratic nations across the globe.  The offer of a second state visit to Donald Trump would send a dangerous message: that the UK is willing to overlook the erosion of democratic values and the rise of authoritarian tendencies in exchange for short-term economic or political gains. This is unacceptable.  Now is the time for the United Kingdom to take a stand. We must:  1. Rescind the offer of a second state visit to Donald Trump, demonstrating our commitment to upholding democratic principles and international solidarity. 2. Rebuild and strengthen relationships with allied nations, reducing our over-reliance on a single, increasingly unstable power.  3. Work towards a future where peace, stability, and cooperation are built on mutual respect and shared values, not on the whims of a corrupt and divisive leader.   The world is watching. How we respond in the coming days will determine whether we are complicit in the erosion of democracy or whether we stand firm in defence of the values that define us.   We call on the UK government to act with courage, integrity, and resolve. Rescind the offer of a state visit to Donald Trump. Take a stand against tyranny. And work towards a brighter, more just future for all. 

Unbelievable. Keir Starmer has handed Donald Trump a letter from King Charles, inviting him for a second state visit to the UK. It’s totally unprecedented, and should not go ahead.  This is the same Donald Trump that in recent weeks has buddied up with Putin, cranked up tariffs on trade,  slashed aid across the world and berated Ukrainian President Zelensky in the White House. Meanwhile his best buddy Elon Musk has been sticking his oar into UK politics and  spreading lies on social media.  No date for the visit is set yet - so if we’re going to have any chance of stopping this happening, we need to act right now. A huge petition signed by hundreds of thousands of us will show Trump, The King and the PM how unwelcome the US president truly is. It’s the first step in stopping this terrible idea. If you think Donald Trump is unfit to be celebrated with another state visit, will you sign the petition right now and share with as many people as you can? 

It’s important that trusted, well know British, family brands are non-political and take special care when advertising on far right, controversial TV outlets

Our political system is not working because it doesn't put people first. Public trust is at an all time low and discriminatory abuse of people in politics has got worse. These problems can only be fixed if we work together. We need to show the Government that the British public wish politics to change and make it better for everyone. Please sign our open letter to MPs   Dear Members of Parliament, Our political system needs repair, and we, the British people, are paying the price. • 76% of people worry about government corruption. • Only 6% believe voters influence the government. • A record 45% say they "almost never" trust politicians to prioritise the nation over party interests. • 83% of BME MPs report that racist abuse affects their work. This can’t continue! We must Clean Up Politics before it’s too late. That’s why we the British people are calling on EVERY MP to sign a pledge to: ✅ Stop lying in politics - distrust of politicians makes people less likely to vote or engage in politics. ✅ Demand respectful debate and say no to abuse - threats and discrimination of politicians puts people at risk and undermines democracy. ✅ Reform the Lords -  the House of Lords is unrepresentative with 700+ Peers, 71% men and an average age of 71. Unaccountable with no democratic oversight.  It’s time to turn over a new leaf and that starts with each and every MP saying they’ll back the pledge to Clean Up Politics today.  Signed,  Members of the public

Netflix subscription packages are rising by as much as 20% despite Netflix making huge profits in the UK. Netflix paid just £14.2 million in taxes in the UK despite revenue of £1.7 billion.  It’s clear that Netflix is prioritising profits over its customers, and they need to know that UK consumers have the power to push back. When one streaming giant raises prices, the rest follow. It’s unacceptable. Add your name to the petition, and then share with your family and friends to spread the word! 

By signing this petition, you are single-handedly helping to fight back against litter, and keeping Newhaven as the beautiful place it is.

Myasthenia gravis is a chronic and incurable autoimmune disease. It can be a severe and life-threatening condition that significantly impacts a patient's quality of life. Myasthenia gravis causes muscle weakness that affects mobility and day-to-day function of many patients, and is currently treated by 'blanket' approaches such as steroids and immunosuppression, which come with their own side effect burden.   It appears UK myasthenic patients are being left behind with treatment for this chronic, disabling, and, in some cases, life limiting disease.  Patients in many other countries of the world have access to one or more of these newer therapies. These countries include USA, many countries in Europe (France, Germany, Spain, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Slovenia), the Americas (Argentina Brazil, Canada, Mexico), China, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates. The UK appears to stand out as a country in which patients with myasthenia have no access to treatments that can revolutionise their lives.  Patients in the UK are still being treated with the older broad-acting treatments which often involve the long-term use of steroids, with their often lifechanging side effects, or other expensive treatments such as IVIg or plasma exchange. The quality of life for many myasthenic patients is poor, their ability to earn a living can be compromised and they live in fear of a myasthenic crisis which will involve a hospital stay and can be life threatening. 

Drax is a biomass power plant in North Yorkshire. It’s the UK’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide, as well as the world’s number 1 tree burner, and relies on millions of pounds of UK taxpayers’ money in subsidies each year. A recent report from the independent climate change think tank E3G confirmed that DRAX is not needed to achieve the Government’s clean power 2030 mission. • Drax’s operations will increase carbon dioxide levels in the environment for decades (https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aaa512 and https://www.woodwellclimate.org/letter-regarding-use-of-forests-for-bioenergy/). • It is highly polluting. Drax’s facilities have broken environmental laws over 11,000 times in the US, with toxic emissions linked to respiratory diseases and cancers affecting poor communities of colour the most (https://www.landclimate.org/drax-usa-11000/ and https://www.southernenvironment.org/press-release/groundbreaking-report-reveals-harmful-impacts-of-biomass-wood-pellet-plants/).   • It is ecologically damaging, Drax burns rare forest wood, destroying unique habitats. Last year Ofgem fined Drax £25 million, for misreporting data on wood pellet sourcing (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68381160 and https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/ofgem-decision-investigation-drax-power-limited). 

Imagine your elderly neighbor, who uses a cane, getting slapped with a £100 fine just for parking for 5 minutes after hours to grab a pint of milk—while disabled residents face the same unfair treatment, struggling to navigate their daily lives. Although legal—it’s heartless, and it’s driving a wedge between the tuition centre and our community, including families who’d normally send their kids there. Shockingly, Google reviews are already flooded with similar complaints, showing how much goodwill they’re losing. We need to stop these predatory practices because they’re not only alienating locals but also setting a dangerous precedent for private parking firms to exploit vulnerable people—join me to demand change and protect our community’s spirit!