UKAR is a company set by the government to get the maximum value from from two banks taken over during the financial crisis. More then 300,000 borrowers have ended up as customers of this company and many of them are in dire financial situation. Few though are as bad off as Rita and Richard Kauffman who are in their late 60's. If they don't repay their 376,000 mortgage UKAR will repossess their home. UKAR is a business without a heart. It has no public share holders and no reputation to protect. Its sole point is to ruthlessly pursue the money it is owed. If that means turning into the street an elderly couple who are the victims of a terrible mis-selling scandal then so be it. In 2006 a financial advisor talked the Kauffmans into a rotten investment. He was part of a group of salesmen who used high pressure tactics and psychological tricks to convince people to take out high risk investments so that he could earn huge commissions. He advised the Kauffmans to take a home loan and invest the money in the high risk deals while they asked for a low risk investment. Bosses at Mortgage Express approved a home loan for the Kauffmans, bringing their total borrowing to £374,925, with hardly a question asked about how this huge sum will be repaid. Bank of Scotland - now a part of Lloyd Banking Group loaned the pensioners a further 194,931 knowing this be used to invest in a package of high risk endowment plans it would also sell them. This sewn together what is now called Frankenstein investment plan has allowed the different businesses involved to wash their hands of any blame because they were just one part of a bigger monster. So although the Financial Ombudsman found in favour of the Kauffmans, none of these businesses have been held to account. Even in 2006, before the financial crash, deals like this were despicable. No bank should ever lend money to allow someone to invest. With compensations awarded by a court following the ombudsman's decision the Kauffmans paid their debt to the Bank of Scotland. However their debt of 376,000 to the now government owned Mortgage Express remains. UKAR has the ability to keep the Kauffmans in their home and ensure they get justice. That would be the best value for the country - not leaving an elderly couple homeless and penniless. UKAR has a net worth of £7 billion!! That is how much they collected for the government. A few thousands will not make a difference to UKAR but mean the roof over the head of two pensioners. Sadly UKAR has shown it doesn't have an ounce of decency. Now it's up to Chancellor George Osborne to show that he does. He is the one man that has the power to keep the Kauffmans in their home. Please sign this petition to urge George Osborne to write- off the Kauffmans' debt and let the Kauffmans keep their home.

The objectives of the petition are: 1. Save the Vale of Health and other harmless, ornamental ponds from further unwarranted work, damage and disruption. 2. Hold to account those who, knowingly or not, misled the ten councillors into wrongly believing they were receiving independent advise at the Camden hearing: namely Camden Planning and AECOM. 3. Ensure that an iron-clad version of the 1871 Hampstead Heath Act be passed through parliament so that nothing of this sort can ever happen again. It appears Atkins/AECOM/Bam Nutall have now commenced works on the Vale of Health. Realistically this means only 2 of our 3 objectives are 100% achievable. But we will continue to fight so that those responsible are held to account and this manner of financial exploitation of Hampstead Heath can never happen again. We ask all supporters to continue to promote and sign this petition, which will be read out and submitted at a press conference on the 20th of September 2015. Over 160 trees have been felled and large swathes of protected Heathland destroyed. It's a 4000,000/1 chance but we might still be able to save some of the historic ponds and surrounding natural habitat. Having been misled into believing they were receiving independent expert advice, 6 of the 10 elected councillors at a Camden Council hearing granted permission for large dams and various grass spills to be built on and around the ponds of Hampstead Heath. It turns out the council's supposedly independent advisor, AECOM, had already formed a strategic partnership with Atkins, the civil engineers building the dams and was therefore not independent. AECOM and Camden Council need to be held to account for misleading a council hearing and negligence, respectively. Moreover, the Vale of Health pond and other ornamental ponds could still be saved unnecessary damage and 'parkification' if the Secretary of State for the Environment, Liza Truss, steps in and prevents this scandalous pillage of the Heath. Please sign this petition to halt or, at least, downscale the works on Hampstead Heath. If one pond can be spared, one tree saved, it will mean some justice for Hampstead Heath.

SAVE ENGLISH HERITAGE. FERRING is a beautiful village on the Sussex Coast and this cottage is a landmark. Named Beehive Cottage for it's unique shape. The Government is forcing councils to build so many properties that we are in danger of losing history. Most of the new housing built in surrounding areas has yet to be sold. Councils are not building to meet the needs of people who need social housing and a lack of planning to increase infrastructure has put great strain on roads, transport, GP Surgeries, Hospitals, Schools etc. Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-33835631

People are being mocked and their struggles are being seen as entertainment when, in fact, it is day-to-day existence for many and not a fictitious variation of shows such as ‘Big Brother’. Sanctions, starvation and evictions are not ‘amusing’ or a joke, they are a reality for many and are horrifying in their brutality. People have died. The result of this misinformation is the alarming increase in hate crime against those who are claiming benefits. Spying on friends and neighbours is encouraged. covert filming and recording is rife. According to the Crown Prosecution Service in 2014 there was a 213 percent increase in the number of prosecutions for hate crime against disabled people. In 2011 the report, ‘Ready Willing and Able’ highlighted the fact that 38 percent of the general public perceived disabled people to be a burden on society. On 24 April 2015 the UN high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein compared British print media’s attitude to migrants to propaganda in 1930s Nazi Germany. The impact of benefits cuts and of the associated campaign of demonisation of disabled people, the unemployed, migrants, asylum seekers and other vulnerable groups has been catastrophic. Crimes motivated by hate have wider and deeper roots, but austerity has made the problems worse.’ This is not healthy. This is frightening. I am asking the Chief Executive Officers and Director Generals of the main broadcasters of UK terrestrial television programming to do the right thing. I am asking them to have the courage to say ‘No More’. The public should be shown the true stories of the struggling majority, not the glamorisation of the extreme minority. Over many years the British press has been lauded for its fairness and unbiased reporting. Please do not allow this to change.

It is ironic that our National Carrier gives out a paper which is so xenophobic and critical of most things that are not home grown. What must many of the overseas visitors think of some of the anti-european and other headlines that they read when flying into the UK. All British Airways is doing is keeping up the sales levels of a newspaper that could not be objective if it tried to be and one that then has the hypocrisy to question the integrity of the BBC.

Governments should be accountable to the People they serve. If we Expose the Truth, and Thank Mr Galloway for his work it may make Gov Ministers more accountable.

The potential is huge, it needs to be like the NHS, free at the point of delivery, paid for by the taxes raised in Scotland, the effect would be like turbo charging the whole of Scotlands activities, and would repay the costs many times over., Given it's intended universality, it could decimate government comms costs and underpin the integrity of news services, and even better would work best as a completely un metered service without any admin overhead but the techies and the hardware, no need to bill anybody, we'd all be paying through the tax and spending mechanism, without the expense of billing and collecting it separately, which would also make faster and easier to install, no confusion over who or where, just everywhere, now. It could even be done largely by local people with a little extra training, and tested, configured etc. , from a small number of hubs, keeping the costs closely controlled. How would it work :- Rather in the way that wi-fi works now, as an open network infrastructure, through which you can access services like email, web addresses etc., paying tax is only the general revenue source which pays for the network structure as a facility of the government services open to anybody who is in Scotland. A large part of the costs of running the present networks is caused by the need to generate millions of bills and collect the due payment, and protect those parts of the service providers facilities for which premiums are charged. With an open network, none of that is needed for basic access, and the network can be available throughout the country, islands included. In addition to personal access for the whole population, the commercial service providers could deliver a bigger range of product than possible at present, collecting payment in the pay-per-use manner identified by the MAC address of the device in use, in practice, much simpler and almost cost free. This would deliver a huge boost to the development of new business, social and government activities throughout Scotland for an almost risibly small cost. The health and emergency services would also benefit and be able to extend their coverage and reach virtually for free, allowing things like remote consultations for residents in isolated communities, new businesses could start anywhere and be in the worlds main markets at no cost beyond their own direct costs. it really needs only political support, the technical bit is really straightforward, get the boss's husband on board, I hear he's a well switched on fella, it would be a huge benefit to post-independence business development for both governance and commerce, and would be like switching on the lights for the populace who've been kept in the dark by the MSM.

A CHARITY THAT'S A NATIONAL RESOURCE

Kids Company provided an invaluable service to vulnerable young people which should of been fully supported by our government. These young service users have now been left by the wayside and its important that they get the support that they need.

Lambeth Council has given notice to dispose of public open space given to them by the Greater London Council in the 1980s. This land has been leased to Coin Street Community Builders (CSCB) with the specific condition that it will remain free public open space for everybody to enjoy without long term commercial development. However the Garden Bridge Trust (GBT) needs this land in order to build a commercial building and CSCB wish to change the terms of their lease to allow this to happen. This completely goes against the core principles of community values fought for - by CSCB. We must not let our open public GREEN space be taken over by private developers. The Thames is London's largest area of central open space, its largest nature conservation area, and its greatest natural feature. Its openness is under threat as there are plans to put a Garden Bridge in the busiest tourist part of London, from Temple Tube Station to the South Bank, at a cost of £175 million. At least £60 million of this will be public money which is utterly iniquitous in these times of great austerity!

Bunn Leisure told 78-year-old Jean Kinahan, from Croydon, they would not refund her £424 for a week’s stay in September after her partner James Burgess, 76, passed away on Monday, despite her having paid an optional £25 cancellation cover. Mrs Kinahan said: “I rang on Tuesday to put them in the picture. She said if your partner was sick we could give you a refund but death doesn’t constitute a refund.” It's plain unfair, she has already suffered. This is a minnow of a campaign, but I hope it shows the lack of human compassion of companies towards ordinary customers. Read more here: http://www.chichester.co.uk/news/local/death-doesn-t-constitute-a-refund-grieving-woman-told-by-selsey-holiday-firm-1-6880385

We risk losing a magnificent iconic community venue.  Kensington does not need any more empty luxury flats being bought up by foreign investors. Hear from the leaders of this campaign just how they feel about the imminent closure. http://youtu.be/czyi8SvcHto With the largest screen in London, a beautiful Art Deco exterior, stunning marble staircases (see end of video) and a mosaic floor in the foyer as the best cinema in London for premieres (already this year it has hosted Sir Ian McKellen in Mr Holmes and Sir Alan Rickman and Dame Kate Winslet in A Little Chaos), special events or just the best family night out! Sir Ian McKellen just interrupted his enjoyment of a Mahler prom at the Royal Albert Hall to sign this petition as he feels so strongly about it! When we went to hand in the petition on Thursday 27th August at 4pm at DCMS, we were very disappointed that minister John Whittingdale was unable to meet us. So we plan to visit Greg Clark at DCLG next week once we have invited all the public figures who have been kind enough to sign our petition (and found which day suits them best), including man of the moment Benedict Cumberbatch and his parents, actor Timothy Cumberbatch & actress Wanda Ventham, those knights of the theatre & film Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf signed at the Royal Albert Hall during Mahler 6), Sir John Hurt (I first saw Alien at the Kensington Odeon), Sir Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard to you), two different Doctor Whos, Colin Baker & Sylvester McCoy, three members of the Star Wars cast, namely Darth Vader himself, Dave Prowse, Kenny Baker (R2D2) & Jeremy Bullock (Bobba Fett), not to mention the two greatest guitarists in the world, Jimmy Page of legendary 70s British rockers Led Zeppelin, http://pic.twitter.com/qiXF2fJesQ who wrote a letter to the council & posed for a selfie with campaigner & film director/composer Paul Wiffen outside the Odeon last weekend when he came down especially to sign the petition & astronomer http://pic.twitter.com/BPVKvUid1n Dr Brian May of Queen (who featured it on his Soapbox and Twitter feed) both of whom live close enough to walk to watch films at the Odeon, Brian's wife Anita Dobson of Eastenders' fame, supermodel Elle Macpherson (and supermum) who brings her kids to the Odeon regularly (as did the People's Princess Diana with Wills and Harry, of course), Jeremy Clarkson's big crush Kirsten Scott-Thomas, Narnia's White Queen Tilda Swinton, fashion designer Bella Freud and father and son combination James and Jack Fox and last but not least Richard "Four Weddings" Curtiss who gave a magnificent headline quote to the Evening Standard on hearing that it was to be demolished, "London will be a lot less fun without the Kensington Odeon!" http://twitter.com/wiffen/status/635260713435574272/photo/1 Benedict Cumberbatch & his parents have been part of this campaign since 2011 as has the now MP for Kensington & Chelsea, former Deputy London Mayor, Victoria Borwick aka the Lady Borwick! I shall return here to inform you who has accepted our invitation. I am also inviting the Evening Standard (who have been marvellous) and their brand new TV channel London Live (who have interviewed me live on air and outside the Odeon), the Independent (also good), the BBC London news team (who have been absolutely appalling and didn't even mention the Kensington Odeon in a piece on old cinemas under threat on their website recently), the much better ITV London Tonight (who covered our Batmobile march from the Odeon to Kensington Town Hall) and the national press (who have been even worse than the BBC in covering this) to witness the press conference before we go in and the news when we come out (I shall be demanding the announcement of a public enquiry there and then as The Odeon is now screening its last film on August 31st!). I'd like to invite all of you wonderful people who have signed this petition to join us next week outside DCLG in Mar too! Please sign now to Save The Kensington Odeon for all Londoners to enjoy for another 90years. **This petition total includes 20,000 people who have signed a physical petition to 'Save the Odeon Kensington'**