A nation trying to retain its identity and borders has to realize eventually that it cannot own and rule a significant unwilling minority. Once it has bombed and shelled that minority, and 6000 have died, the game is over and there is no way back to friendship and cooperation. It can remain a running sore like so many of the hot spots in the world or sub divisions can be proposed and negotiated that will bring peace. I suggest that a UN supervised referendum in each small region of the whole of Ukraine should be a part of the solution. The eastern areas should be able to opt for union with Russia or other alternatives and the people of the Western region should be able to renounce their claim to rule the East. I believe the 96% majority in the South of Ireland who renounced their claim to the North played a significant role in bringing peace. Please find a peaceful and lasting solution based on the wishes of people, not politicians.

well its dam right cruel horrible and would us humans like it if we had our legs or arms docked no

Sandwell Council is supporting the proposal that it together with West Midlands Metropolitan and City Councils of Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton together with a number of district and county councils and Local Enterprise Partnerships from across the region form a West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). As part of the proposal there has to be regard to the following in order to establish a new body; - The need to reflect the identities and interests of local communities; and - The need to secure effective and convenient local government. Many within Sandwell have expressed concerns that they have not been given enough information on the structure, powers, accountability and scrutiny that a body of this nature will have. There are concerns that we shall lose our identity and that Sandwell and The Black Country will be engulfed by Birmingham and play second fiddle to it. At a recent Council meeting Sandwell Labour Leader Darren Cooper when asked about holding a referendum replied with “Err No” and “he was not prepared to run a referendum”. There are other considerations that don’t appear to have been discussed at any length one being the EU’s push towards regionalisation which a Combined Authority would be. This is tied to the EU’s City 2020 targets. There is a real danger that local democracy and the voice of our communities will be lost as well as our proud Black Country heritage. You really have to ask why there appears to be a race to create a Combined Authority that could include a number of Council with reported failings coming together. Sounds like having a bosted bucket and trying to fill it with water. In my opinion a decision of such magnitude about the future of Sandwell will impact on us all and generations to come and can not be left to Councillors of which in Sandwell 71 of the 72 are Labour members. In notes available from the Sandwell Council website concerning the meeting held on the 21st July point 6.17 states the Chief Executive in consultation with the Mayor may determine the date of an Extraordinary Meeting. The purpose of which would be to approve the proposal and submit to the Secretary of State in late September/early October in order for the Combined Authority is operational from 1st April 2016. No decision should be made without full, proper and representative consultation and all documents are open to view and upon the result of a referendum of the residents of Sandwell. Due to the timescales involved this petition requires your URGENT ATTENTION.

The Conservative government have proposed a ‘Right to Buy’ bill which will force Housing Associations to sell off their housing stock at a discount. This policy would decimate the remaining provision of genuinely affordable social housing in the UK, and turn the housing crisis into a catastrophe. Under the current Right to Buy scheme for council housing, only one new house is started for every nine sold. This has resulted in an abject lack of council housing, and forced 100,000s of people onto the private rented sector - sending rents soaring and fuelling the buy-to-let market. Many council tenants who buy their own home are at high risk of losing it due to being unable to afford mortgage repayments. It is estimated that one third of all ex-council homes are now owned by private landlords, who charge rents more than twice the council level. Extending Right to Buy to housing association tenants will make things even worse. In order to recompense Housing Associations for the discounted price at which they are being forced to sell, the government is proposing that councils should be forced to sell off their ‘most expensive’ properties. In a city with inflated house prices such as Brighton and Hove, this could mean that every council house that becomes empty, and every new council house that is built, would be sold off. This would mean the end of all genuinely affordable housing in Brighton and Hove. The Brighton Living Rent campaign call on the city’s MPs to pledge to vote against this catastrophic bill. Please sign below to show your support.

It saves lives! its quick and easy and quite a pleasent experience believe it or not!

People seeking sanctuary are now given a further push into poverty due to the Home Office’s decision to drastically reduce the weekly support payments made to asylum seekers. Following a review of asylum support payments earlier this year, the Home Office has now taken the decision to provide every asylum seeker, adult or child, the total of £36.95 a week to cover what they refer to as the “essential living needs” of a person claiming asylum in the UK. This amounts to a 20% cut in support for each child. Families with very young children will receive an additional £5 per week for children under the age of 1 and £3 for those age 1-3 years old. Similarly pregnant women will continue to receive an extra £3 per week and be able to apply for a maternity grant of £300. Below are the different payments made currently and the impact from 10th August 2015 Single Parent and a child is £96.90 will be £73.90 Single Parent and 2 children is £149.86 will be £110.85 Couple and 1 child is £125.48 and will be £110.85 Couple and 2 children is £178.44 and will be 147.80 Given that many asylum seekers already experience destitution due to the low level of support provided, it seems inevitable that these cuts will have a huge impact on the quality of living for people seeking sanctuary. Many asylum seekers come to the UK with almost nothing. In addition asylum seekers are forbidden from working by the Home Office. The current level of support is already inadequate and many rely on the support of voluntary agencies to help them get through the day. It is important to remember that asylum seekers have to rely on this £36.95 a week to feed, clothe and take care of themselves and their family, not forgetting travel costs for asylum appointments, solicitors, healthcare and other essential journeys. The Home Office states that “full consideration has been given to the welfare of children”. However it is families with children who will experience the greatest impact of this reduction in support. At the Welsh Refugee Council, we see many asylum seekers coming through our doors for food and clothing vouchers including food and welfare supplies for their children. Welsh Refugee Council Chief Executive, Salah Mohamed, says ‘These changes suggest the UK Government’s intention is to prolong the suffering of asylum seekers and make it more difficult to access their right to sanctuary and protection. This kind of treatment is unacceptable. The Welsh Refugee Council and other agencies in Wales calls upon all organisations working with asylum seekers to express their disapproval of these cuts by asking the government to abandon its plan to put people in further destitution and help families in the asylum process get a decent quality of life after fleeing conflict or persecution.’

We have decided how to select our leader and begun a process.....to now undermine that process because you feel it might not produce what you believe is the best outcome is to put the future of the party at more risk than the selection of any of the candidates.

It is important for a democracy to have elections as often as practical, allowing for good government. On many occasions in the last 50 years elections have been held after 4 years or within a 5 year period eg 1966, 1970, 1974 (February/October) 1979, 1983, 1987, 2001 and 2005. Many other democratic nations hold parliamentary elections every 4 years eg US, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Japan, Brazil. Australia has elections every 3 years. In 1838 the Chartist movement called for elections every year! It is important that the UK has earlier elections to consult the people because unlike most other nations there are no mid-term elections involving the second chamber or elections to choose a President.

Please sign our petition to help us get this issue sorted as soon as possible, we need 250 signatures by July 31st to get this moving, please help us help these children. Hundreds of children are being forced into mainstream schools that have little to no resources to cater to their special needs. There are very few staff members with the correct training to help theses children & the members who do have the training are already overwhelmed with the amount of children with special needs attending the schools.There are specialist units/schools all over Glasgow which are decreasing their intake numbers until they are virtually empty & will be closed. This is unfair to not only the children but also to their families and the overwhelmed staff members at all the mainstream schools. P.A.C.T - Parents And Carers Together For Autism

It is not about being a "party of protest" as some have said, its about standing up & recognising that those millions of voters who voted for you to be their voice, need that voice to be heard.

This will ensure that those committing these crimes do not get away with it even in death and will show the Government is acting fairly and correctly in this matter. We feel that information that was readily available showing the activities of these people were withheld until their death. This was wrong

The government is cutting funds all over the UK child poverty is on the rise and will increase further. Services are being decimated, it is completely immoral for MP's to get such a rise when the public sector gets nothing