The Long Walk to Patchway....The Long Walk to Freedom Many migrants in Bristol are required by the home office to sign in regularly at a police station. Until recently, people reported at Trinity Police Station, near central Bristol. Since 1st October 2014, they have had to travel all the way to the new station in Patchway. Many of the people signing are applying for asylum in the UK. Only those in receipt of support from the Home Office are entitled to travel costs. Destitute asylum seekers either have to walk all the way (a 14 mile round trip for some) or beg lifts or bus fares. "I have a daughter aged 3 and she goes to school in Soundwell from 9am till 12. On my signing day, Tuesday, she misses school, because I have to be at Patchway between 10.30 and 11.30. From Easton it takes 1 hour30 minutes each way. It is not possible for me to take her to school in Soundwell, then go to Patchway and return in time to pick her up at 12. So she misses school. When I signed at Trinity Road she didn't miss school, because the journey was not so long." S, Bangladesh Students are forced to miss college classes. Disabled people find it difficult to travel to Patchway using public transport. Furthermore, the majority of people who sign will not abscond as they are dependent on accommodation via the home office, churches or friends and want to resolve their case positively. They don’t want to do anything to jeopordise this even when faced with detention. Making people sign up to weekly seems unnecssary, and degrading. It is all too common for people claiming asylum to have to wait years and years for their case to be resolved. Many who are initially refused go on to win their leave to remain in the UK. This long wait is due to problems with access to good lawyers, interpreters, a "culture of disbelief" in the Home Office. During this long wait, people have to keep signing every week. Each time they go, there is the chance they will be detained, taken to a detention centre and deported. Signing is a stressful experience for all, traumatic for some. "Before, I could walk to Trinity in 5 minutes, and I signed once a month. Now I have to sign every two weeks at Patchway. I don't have NASS support so I have no money for a bus ticket (which costs £4). It is 6 or 7 miles to Patchway. I have a problem with my ankle and it is too far to walk.. My friends have to help me to get there. My case is ongoing so I should have NASS support" E, Ivory Coast We fear that the difficulty of accessing signing will increase the likelihood of people missing signing dates and this is counterproductive for everyone.

As part of Stonewall's 'No Bystanders' campaign, it was revealed to me that 75,000 young people will be bullied every year because they are gay, and of this number, 21,000 will attempt suicide. This figure is unacceptable, and the only way that it can be lowered is through education. As an eighteen year old, soon heading off to University, not once during my school career have I been taught that it is acceptable to be gay, bisexual or transgender - the possibility that myself, or any of my classmates may be LGBT is entirely ignored. It is for this reason that many young people struggle to come to terms with the fact that they are gay, bisexual or transgender, and it is for this reason that young people continue to bully their peers for being LGBT. The physical and psychological wellbeing of young people is of the utmost importance, and the education system has a responsibility to LGBT youths that cannot and must not be ignored.

Tony Blair was awarded the "global legacy award" by Save the Children US. Apparently this is for his "commitment to Africa". But the former prime minister is central to Sir John Chilcot's inquiry into Britain’s controversial and protracted war in Iraq. Earlier this month, it emerged that Blair had signed a multimillion pound contract with a Saudi Arabian oil company in 2010 to broker secret deals on the firm’s behalf with Chinese state officials. The revelation raises serious questions over the former PM’s diplomatic role as Middle East envoy, and his personal vested interests in the region. Then earlier this year, Blair managed to successfully quash a Serious Fraud Office investigation into alleged corruption regarding an arms deal with Saudi Arabia. It is for these reasons that Tony Blair should not be awarded Save the Children’s Global Legacy award. His “legacy” in Iraq overshadows his achievements in Africa.

Julian Assange and Wikileaks provided a very important service to the whole world by exposing the extent to which the US National Security Agency (NSA) is invading everyone's privacy, among other things. He should not be forced to spend the rest of his life in the Ecuadorian embassy in London when there is a simple solution. Why have the Swedish prosecutors refused to see him over here, given that there are so many of his supporters who would be willing to pay their costs. He has not ben charged with any offence in Sweden - they merely want to question him over rape allegations.

Dr Gilbert worked tirelessly trying to save the children of Gaza during the recent bombing campaign by Israel, the Israeli government are attempting to silence him for speaking out about the atrocities that he witnessed first hand, Dr Gilbert carried out great humanitarian work in the most difficult of circumstances, banning from entering Gaza for like is tantamount to a kind of punishment and is certainly not the actions of a 'democratic government' http://bit.ly/1sMZrV3

There are many people speaking openly online about the fact that this is far from historic and is still going on now and as well as parties from both houses the suspects go into the church and royal family at the highest levels. if a small amount of the allegations are real then we have the right to know and the appropriate parties should be removed from office and society. If any of us were suspected you would be in custody NOW, there wouldn't be an "inquiry" into it simple POLICE ACTION and that's what we need

George Orwell wrote "some animals are more equal than others". Did you know that government grants to FCA and its predecessor FSA (UK’s financial services regulator) statutory immunity from liability to damages? You do now! Why? Only government could tell you. But it won’t! FCA's not immune from prosecution. Nor is it immune from liability to costs of successful litigation. It’s only damages. Bizarre! UK Courts are forbidden by law to award any damages against FCA, however much damage has been done by it. The immunity gives carte blanche to damage citizens’ interests. None may sue for redress. The law provides that FSA/FCA maintain a public register ACCURATELY at all times. Years ago, FSA falsely displayed two individuals on that register as directors of a large national firm. It then publicly censured that firm for gross professional misconduct. That censure's published on the same register! Nothing's changed since; the false data and public censure remain on that register today! Damage to those individuals’ reputations is immense; the knock-on effect on their business has been devastating. FSA upheld the individuals' complaint. It admitted to MISLEADING register users, acting UNFAIRLY and publishing UNCLEAR data. Case closed? No! FSA refused to remove the data, believing it also to be “LEGALLY AND FACTUALLY CORRECT"! Yes, that’s right; "MISLEADING, UNFAIR AND UNCLEAR", but "LEGALLY AND FACTUALLY CORRECT"! That takes some doing! (don’t try this at home)... But FSA, protected by law from suit for damages, got away with it. What a way for a major UK industry regulator to behave! FCA endorses FSA’s position. It enjoys the same immunity. The individuals referred their case and the immunity issue variously to the Independent Complaints Commissioner, Ministry of Justice, HM Treasury, their MP, the Information Commissioner, their MEP, the European Commission, Council of Europe, the Parliamentary Ombudsman and even the Prime Minister – all to no avail. This immunity seems inviolable; no one dares challenge it! The police don't have such immunity. Nor does NHS. Nor does the Serious Fraud Office. Nor do the armed services. Nor do other UK industry regulators. Even GCHQ is not immune from liability to damages! Human rights legislation affords citizens equal treatment under law and by Courts, including the right to justice and a fair trial. This is enshrined in UK's Human Rights Act, the European Convention on Human Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; UK GOVERNMENT IS A SIGNATORY TO ALL OF THESE! But how CAN citizens be treated equally and exercise rights to justice and fair trial when their government bars Courts from awarding damages? Does government care? No. It maintains the status quo without explanation, claiming “contentment” with current arrangements. Government invited an international law firm to submit a consultation paper. Published at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmtreasy/writev/1574/fca38.htm , it is deeply critical; it demands that the immunity be scrapped and FSA/FCA made more accountable. Government ignored ALL of its criticisms and recommendations! Were this typical Government behaviour, laws might never change! Only by rescinding this immunity can justice be done and be seen to be done. FCA will lose nothing if it’s removed. It would instead rely on Professional Indemnity insurance, just like everyone else has to do. Parliament stands to gain credibility by abolishing it. We ask everyone who's concerned about this threat to citizens’ rights to support this petition and publicise it as widely as possible until Parliament sits up, listens and removes this unfair privilege. Please share this on Facebook, Twitter et al and with your friends and colleagues; we need all the support that we can get! As the National Lottery's catchphrase once had it – “it could be you!”…

Britain first are a far right hate group that promotes racial and religious hatred via their website and Facebook page. The number of their likes, even though fake, gives them a veneer of respectability and increases their global reach. The comments on their posts are of the vilest hate speech imaginable. Facebook needs to investigate Britain Firsts page and remove their fake likes.

Fracking carries significant risks. Strong evidence suggests risks of significant health and environmental damage, damage to the quality of home and family life—and damage to property. Fracking releases pollutants into the air and risks polluting water supplies. Stories come in from all over the world. The evidence is well supported and researched. Families can't drink water. Cattle die. Children suffer. There are also risks from fumes, vibration, heavy traffic, from light pollution, and much, much more. The UK government is ignoring important democratic and human rights considerations in its 'dash for gas'. Human rights to health, to a healthy environment, to enjoy wellbeing don't even figure in the debates. On top of this, ordinary people, many of whom have never, ever protested before, are being subjected to underhand tactics designed to intimidate them and which violate their civil and political rights. Enough is enough. The UK government has important responsibilities under human rights law. It is time to ban fracking until a full human rights impact assessment has been made, based on the best evidence, and independent of the companies with an interest in fracking the UK.

Last year, the UK government said it was no longer willing to support rescue missions in the Mediterranean designed to come to the help of migrants who find themselves in distress at sea. This is in violation of internationally recognized minimum humanitarian standards. More than 20,000 men, women, and children are estimated to have lost their lives in the past two decades, while trying to cross the Mediterranean in search of a safe place to live. The majority of these people are refugees escaping violence, persecution, and hardship from countries like Libya and Syria. It is the duty of the international community and in particular the EU to minimize loss of life and do as much as possible to rescue as many people as possible.

In June this year I visited the Lebanon. Whilst there I saw destitute refugee women and children begging on the streets, and I met young Syrians fleeing from their country. When I asked a teenager whose leg was bandaged whether he was studying, he shook his head. By way of explanation he told me he was from Syria. He raised his hands to his chest and gestured a broken heart as he said this. The UNHCR has confirmed that there are now over 3.2 million refugees from Syria. Over half are children. Most are in situations that are not sustainable in the long term. 80,000 refugees alone live in Zaatari, one of the world's largest refugee camps in the desert of Jordan. These are people who have lost loved ones, experienced violence and are unable to return to the places where they grew up and the lives that they had before. They are seeking safety. In her recent TED talk, the UNHCR's Melissa Fleming said that the average time a refugee spends in exile is 17 years. When we could be offering some thousands the chance of safety and education and a future in the UK, 'to thrive not just survive' as Melissa Fleming puts it, we are choosing not to do so. In January this year, the UK announced a commitment to resettling the most vulnerable Syrian refugees but since then we have resettled just 50. (4000 Syrians in total since the war began according to Home Office figures). By contrast Germany and Sweden sheltered 42,000 refugees last year. The UK's commitment to resettlement is not enough if we are not prepared to help people get here. I am calling on the leaders of the main political parties to show compassion and commit the UK government to giving resources to transport Syrian refugees here and fund their resettlement in the UK. Each person sheltered can be a life changed for the better. Let us lead the way and work with European countries to care for some of the victims of this devastating conflict. (Picture is of 3 year old Aisha Nour from Azaz, Syria, outside the container in which she and her family live at the 'Container City' refugee camp in Oncupinar, Turkey. Photograph by Sam Tarling.) More information: Refugee Council news 'UK resettles just 50 refugees from Syria' http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/latest/news/4144_uk_resettles_just_50_refugees_from_syria You can see UNHCR's Melissa Fleming's TED talk here http://www.ted.com/talks/melissa_fleming_let_s_help_refugees_thrive_not_just_survive?language=en

It is morally reprehensible to allow fellow humans to die when we are able to save them. Turning our backs on desperate people to let them die is not something that we would do as individuals and we shouldn't do this as a country. No research or evidence has been offered to back up the argument that current search and rescue causes a pull-factor. The issue needs to be addressed by resolving the issues at the root that put our fellow humans in the situation where they are willing to risk life and limb, simply letting them drown will do nothing other than killing people.