The government has already raised Universal Credit and working tax credit payments by £20 a week for 12 months, but those on benefits that have not yet been replaced by Universal have not received the same help. Recipients of legacy benefits are often amongst our most vulnerable, including disabled people, carers and people with young families. It is unacceptable that these people have been left facing hardship, just because they happen, through no fault of their own, to be claiming the ‘wrong’ kind of benefit.” Government focus is on appeasing the unprecedented numbers of new claimants for Universal Credit. But in the background, people on legacy benefits have slipped down the list of priorities and been forgotten. This cannot be allowed to continue.

"We are at a unique stage in our history. The future of humanity and indeed, all life on earth, now depends on us" - David Attenborough Why do we need this bill? We are facing an unprecedented climate crisis and the UK government simply isn’t doing enough. We know that we are in an emergency, the next 10 years are critical to keeping global temperatures at a safe level, and we want the government to take immediate and urgent action. The Climate and Ecological Emergency bill is an alliance bill that has been written by scientists, lawyers and activists; it has been proposed in parliament by Caroline Lucas MP and is gathering support from a broad range of campaign groups, businesses, charities and individuals. The key points contained in the bill are: * Ensure the UK reduces greenhouse gas emissions in line with its legal obligations to limit global heating to 1.5°C * Protect and restore woodlands, wetlands and the wider natural world * Set up an assembly to involve people from all parts of the UK to develop a strategy to deal with the climate emergency. We need the support of as many MPs as possible from all political parties. Please sign this petition asking Lee Rowley MP to support and vote for the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill when it returns to the House of Commons on 12th March 2021 More info and/or join the campaign https://www.ceebill.uk/ The Climate and Ecology Bill https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/58-01/0172/200172.pdf Contact our MP on this issue - https://members.parliament.uk/member/4652/contact

The government is not on track to meet its commitment to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C. The current Environment Bill is not fit for purpose and the latest 10 point plan announced by Boris Johnson is not even ambitious enough to reach the government’s own climate goals. The CEE Bill offers a viable framework for climate action based on scientific reality and was drafted by an alliance of scientists, academics, lawyers and environmentalists. It was officially published by Parliament on 2 November 2020. The Bill aims to ensure that the UK plays a fair and proper role in limiting global heating to 1.5°C and conserving the natural world by restoring essential ecosystems. A temporary, Citizens Assembly is also proposed by the Bill, in order to assist the UK Government in determining which policies to include in its emergency strategy for reducing emissions and protecting nature. More than 80 MPs from eight political parties are already backing the Bill and five parties - the Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru, SDLP, Alliance and Greens - now officially support it. The CEE Bill is gaining momentum and the way public opinion is changing about the climate and ecological crisis will determine more than ever, how people vote at the next election. To protect our planet and our future, it is undeniable that we will have to change the way we live. We could delay this until it is too expensive or too late to limit extreme damage and societal breakdown, or we can act now in a well planned manner guided by legislation such as the CEE Bill. How we act right now will define the UK's place in the world for decades to come. The nature of the crisis that we face demands a bold, far-reaching and radical climate and ecological emergency strategy, which will reboot our economy with a just transition to a zero-carbon society living in harmony with a thriving natural world. We implore you to show leadership in this moment of extreme crisis and to back the CEE Bill. The CEE Bill Campaign: https://www.ceebill.uk/ List of MPs supporting the CEE Bill: https://www.ceebill.uk/bill The CEE Bill published by Parliament: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/58-01/0172/200172.pdf

Catering staff may be outsourced, but the decision to outsource services such as catering, cleaning, security and reception has been entirely at the discretion of LSBU, as has the decision to outsource on conditions that provide inferior sick pay, holiday and remuneration when compared to directly employed staff. LSBU has already intervened to place staff at risk, it is now time to intervene to save jobs before Christmas.

Soho's connections with the UK film industry run deep and this sign an important historical artefact linking Soho with that industry going back many decades. Damage has already been done to the now unoccupied building on the south side of Soho Square with Royal London failing to protect this historic building and allowing it to fall into disrepair so that it can pursue its plans for demolition.

Greater safety for Primary School Children in Horncastle has been a stated priority for parents, school heads, and the Town Council for a considerable time. Responses from the County Council to these requests in the past have indicated that there is no money for these changes, and/or there is no 'suitable location' for the crossing on this 'A' road. We believe that this is wrong, and that no price can be put on the safety of Horncastle's school children. We demand that Horncastle residents are listened to, and the changes are implemented immediately.

Unlike England, Scotland and Wales, NI still does not have a budget or scheme in place for free period products in all school toilets. Yet again, we have been left behind. Schools already provide free toilet roll, hand soap, hand towels and sanitary waste disposal bins in toilets. What makes period products any different? We firmly believe that any toilet that requires toilet roll, requires period products in exactly the same way. In June 2020, a Plan international UK study showed how 3 in 10 UK girls have struggled to afford or access sanitary wear during lockdown, with over half (54%) of these girls having used toilet paper as an alternative. There is no doubt that period poverty has been exacerbated as a result of the current pandemic and the need to maintain good hygiene has never been more important. Due to extensive job losses, an increase in people using food banks, and many other local support services being cut, families have been hard hit and are under more financial pressure than ever. At the Homeless Period Belfast, we have seen an exponential increase in demand and requests for our own period packs. In April – June 2020 we received 3 times the demand than previous years. Now, more than ever, a free period products scheme in schools across NI will relieve the financial pressure on parents and students purchasing these items. It will also alleviate the pressure of school students having to remember to carry period products in their bags when there are many other things to worry about and remember to bring (exams, books, homework, hand sanitiser/masks, bus passes etc.), meaning students can go about their daily lives without getting caught out. Free period products in schools will ensure that every young person can learn and be their very best, without the worry of their next pad or tampon holding them back. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/northern-ireland-behind-as-rest-of-uk-signs-up-for-free-sanitary-products-in-schools-38022610.html

Local people tell us the library is poorly placed for many of the potential users - we support a move to the Broadway where it could be a true library for the community and provide much needed support to that local centre. After a successful campaign involving thousands of Essex residents, Essex County Council (ECC) U-turned on its plans to close a third of its libraries, including Debden Library. However, in its place ECC proposed establishing so-called 'community libraries', where libraries would not just be run by volunteers who would even need to supply the building, with little financial support. This is a closure plan by stealth. (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RJgKuJocWd9h6ylE72C0inYmGBLOgM43/view?fbclid=IwAR3mBwFszgO-PDcYWPMPqydTqsDYoRw29arF_bQA8_2CxsZGd8K07wdmoEM). Debden Library was the first confirmed takeover bid for an Essex library - the good news is that this plan was withdrawn with no agreement between the New City College and Essex County Council. Essex County Council are setting up "community libraries" to fail. The lack of groups coming forward reflects this - people are unwilling to take on costs when Essex have a statutory obligation to deliver the service. Communities all contribute towards the universal provision - why should some have to pay again through volunteering and fund raising? Essex County Council should be led by what the local community wants and continue with its statutory duty to provide a professionally staffed library service on an accessible site. You can still please sign and share this petition to say we have a more positive vision - a library on the Broadway remaining in the accountable control of the Council.

Access to Hatfield Park is a privilege that’s been granted to local residents for more than 400 years. The new 'Friends' scheme is the first time in history the Gascoyne-Cecil estate will charge local residents for access*. At £50 per person (or £75 for two) payable upfront, by every over-16, with no concessions, the charges will be out of reach to many in our community. It means Hatfield Park will effectively be out of bounds to everyone except the wealthy. That's not fair. We all know how important access to greenspace is for our health and wellbeing. The beautiful grounds of Hatfield Park are an asset the whole community treasures. They must continue to be an asset the whole community can use. We would like the Estate Director, Anthony Downs, and Lord Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, the Marquess of Salisbury, to - postpone the launch of the scheme until we can agree on something that's fair - revise the price structure so no-one in Hatfield will be excluded because of cost - guarantee that the fees will not rise year on year *Up until now, residents have had to pay a small admin charge, which was to cover the costs of the ID cards and key fobs. Recently, that charge was £15 for a 2-year pass. As it says on the passes themselves, ‘this pass must be produced on request to ensure that free access to the park is reserved for the people of the Parish of Bishop’s Hatfield’. Free. Access. It says it right there!

PLEASE ALSO READ A SERIES OF UPDATES HEREUNDER WHICH HAVE OCCURRED SINCE THE LAUNCH OF THIS PETITION. It has recently been reported nationwide that the Hunting Office held a series of 3 webinar Zoom meetings back in August last year with over 100 Hunt Masters in attendance. From this meeting evidence was leaked that there was indeed conspiracy by hunters to commit perjury and actively flout the 2005 ban on hunting with hounds. Throughout the three hours of talks, hunts were clearly and repeatedly incited to engage in mass criminality and shown how to present a smokescreen to anyone watching. Further to the publicised leak there is now a police and CPS investigation going ahead to ascertain all the facts from these meetings. Given the recent media coverage focusing on the admission of senior representatives of The Hunting Office and Hunt Masters, that they use trail hunting as a 'smokescreen'. We expect that local police forces across the country will be policing hunting activities more diligently and no longer turning a blind eye to illegal activities. The police, along with the other large organisations are now keen to distance themselves from hunt groups. In addition, Hunt Saboteurs Association, have seen an increase in their membership, fuelled by public awareness that these leaked webinars have brought. The National Trust, The Forestry Commission and now United Utilities have announced that they will be suspending all ‘trail’ hunt licences for the rest of the entire season. Also the law states that under the Hunting Act of 2004 Section 3 (i) A person commits an offence if he knowingly permits land which belongs to him to be entered or used in the course of the commission of an offence under section 1 – Section 1 being hunting wild mammals with dogs. Whilst the investigations are going on I call to the trustees of the Hurtwood Control that they see fit to suspend all trail hunt licences which have been issued for this current season and/or perhaps the next until the outcome of the investigation is finalised. In view of the above we really hope now that the Trustees of The Hurtwood Control finally make the right decision and revoke any licences with haste.

The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, announced that he would cut around £4 billion from the UK aid budget from 2021. This money represents just 0.2% of UK’s Gross National Income (GNI), but tens of thousands of lives could be lost, and countless more livelihoods impacted, because of these cuts. UK aid saves lives. Every year, UK aid ensures an estimated 5.6 million women and girls can access clean water and better sanitation. It means an estimated 18.6 million children are immunised against serious diseases and helps over a million girls go to school. [1] UK aid is linked to UK income. So when times are tough and the UK’s gross national income falls, so too does the amount of aid we give. This means UK aid has already been cut by nearly £3 billion in 2020 due to the economic impact of Covid-19. This extra £4 billion marks a double blow for the world’s most marginalised people, at the worst possible time. Boris Johnson needs to know that the British public won’t stand for a cut in UK aid. This is not building a “Global Britain”. This is turning our backs on millions of people, particularly women and girls in marginalised communities, who are struggling to survive. Will you sign the petition urging Boris Johnson not to cut UK aid? [1] UK Parliament: Departmental Update 28 October 2019: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2019-10-28/HCWS44 *Photo: Jenifer uses a handwashing station provided by ActionAid at her school in Burundi. Credit: Salvator Cubwa/ActionAid

Muskham Wood is an Ancient Woodland and Heritage Parkland under Natural England's definitions. While this Wood is our focus, we are making a case for the fundamental protection of Ancient Woodland to save the Planet. Ancient Woodland is unrivalled as a Carbon Sink and Biodiversity Bank. Ancient Woodland is key to our survival as a species. Every village has a right to its own Ancient Woodland for this purpose. We are calling on Nottinghamshire County Council, the home of Sherwood Forest, to spearhead a National Campaign to protect Ancient Woodland and to call a halt to invasive and damaging planning decisions, like this one, which cuts through a long-standing Area Tree Preservation Order without due diligence. In the middle of the village of North Muskham stands an Ancient Woodland, a Bluebell Wood with Veteran and Ancient English Hardwood Trees, nationally rare Liesler's Bats, red data list Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers and Tawny Owls. It hosts one of the tallest Oak Trees in the County complete with a 40-bird, 20-nest Rookery. Dormice and Great Crested Newts live in and around Muskham Wood, which adjoins a Biodiverse Ancient Pasture and is part of a Nature corridor running East-West for many miles on both sides of the River Trent. Yet today the Woodland is threatened with planning permission granted by Newark+Sherwood District Council to fell some trees and severely prune many others. This will result in a reduction and retrograde change to the appearance and nature of the Woodland and will severely impact the existing local habitats of rare species. This Woodland is protected by an Area Tree Preservation Order, yet planning permission 20/01325/TPO was granted in October 2020 to alter the nature of the woodland without any impact survey, biodiversity survey or bat survey, and without any public notice being posted, in contravention of case law under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981, the Conservation(Natural Habitats,etc) Regulations 1994, the European Habitats Directive and Natural England's Standing Advice on Licensing to move protected species and the Council's own consultation procedures. This legislation relates to all European Protected Species and makes it illegal to intentionally or recklessly kill injure or disturb them. In this case no-one has considered or even looked for them, although the trees are all between 150 and 400 years old, between 35 and 70 feet high, and we have collected evidence of species' roosts and habitat over the last 30 years. The council has not even involved its own locum tree officer. No surveys have been done. The felling and pruning were applied for to "increase aesthetics, make grass cutting easier to maintain and prevent trees taking over the area." This is a protected Woodland with a Bluebell floor, for Heaven's sake. It has also been adversely affected this year by dumping heaps of waste soil, removing the underwood and burning it in situ, burning building waste, spraying herbicide, driving and parking commercial vehicles on the protected tree roots, bluebells and ground-dwelling bats, building a workshop and running a construction/vehicle maintenance business in the woodland. Please revoke this Planning Permission. It isn't the first attempt at warfare on the Wood. Since 2007, various parts of the Woodland TPO has been attacked by tree fellers acting for developers. We are sure the present case is no different. The Woodland has fallen into different hands, although it was meant to be an amenity for the housing estate built on its central pasture in the 1980s and was a condition of that planning. We fought the felling of ten trees at the west end by a developer in 2007-9. We fought the felling of ancient Yew Trees, Holly Trees, Ash Trees in 2007 at the north end by the County Council's maintenance team. Here we are again, with the Tree Preservation Order being flouted at the east end of the Wood. Yet we also bought part of the Woodland in 2001. It came with substantial clauses against development. So what exactly is going on in the rest of the Woodland, apart from profiteering? Honour the Woodland TPO, reinstate this valuable ancient wooded area, retain its existing Veteran and Ancient Trees. We would like to return the whole Woodland to its rightful state as a Remembrance Wood for the men who preserved it in the 1970s. Geoff Chadd went through World War 2 as a Lancaster Navigator in RAF 613 Squadron. His air crew went down in the North Sea and only he and one other of the six crew survived. Although his health was badly affected for the rest of his life, Geoff Chadd took solace from the great trees and the peace of this ancient place, remembering his friends and the many brave men who didn't return. We are looking to our County Council to remember them by: 1) Saving Muskham Wood and its ancient trees and all the other Woods in our County from damage by inappropriate management 2) Saving other species by preserving their woodland habitat and obeying the Spirit of the Law on Nature, not looking for loopholes into profit 3) Renaming Muskham Wood as Muskham Remembrance Wood to help our Servicemen and other people experience Peace in Nature. Please remember them, honour their familiar woodlands and save their trees 4)Taking the lead on the preservation of Remembrance Woods across Britain as great habitat for other species. Biodiversity is important to Nottinghamshire County Council and to all of us. Please help us to keep it that way