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To: Helen Fairweather, CEO of Headway, Suffolk

Remove Hypocritical MP from Charity Cycle Ride

UPDATE 24/03/16 - Jo Churchill has withdrawn from the sponsored cycle ride for Headway charity following the publicity drawn by this petition! Victory!

Remove Jo Churchill, MP from the list of participants involved in Headway Suffolk's 8th Sponsored Cycle Ride on April 23rd 2016.

Why is this important?

Jo Churchill, MP voted through the cuts to the ESA (Employment Support Allowance) for new claimants in the WRAG (Work-Related Activity Group).
It is hypocritical for Jo Churchill to be gaining positive publicity by participating in this organisation's fundraising event for people who may be left worse off by this bill.
Headway's Chief Executive states: "Making cuts to benefits for disabled people who have been independently assessed as being unfit for work will cause unnecessary hardship, leading to isolation and anxiety, and potentially increase their long-term dependence on state support."

https://www.headway.org.uk/news/national-news/government-forces-through-esa-benefit-cut/
Suffolk

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Updates

2016-03-31 11:27:43 +0100

Petition is successful with 393 signatures

2016-03-24 17:35:58 +0000

Petition is successful with 369 signatures

2016-03-24 12:10:01 +0000

We won!!
Jo Churchill has officially withdrawn from the Headway sponsored cycle ride following the publicity from our petition!
Thank you all so much for your support in this campaign - I am amazed at the response we had and how quickly things progressed.
Please look at the Bury Free Press and the East Anglia Daily Times tomorrow for interviews about the petition, which should include this victory!
Of course, this does nothing to reverse the cuts to ESA/WRAG benefits but it does stop Jo Churchill using a charity for her own positive publicity after voting for the cuts.
People Power!

2016-03-21 11:58:35 +0000

Dear supporters,
Thank you so much for signing and sharing this petition. Your actions are appreciated.

We are already making a difference as Headway have removed the pictures of Jo Churchill from their website. I have so far received no response about my request to remove her from their list of participants.

Here is our first news article from the Bury Mercury about the petition: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/remove-hypocritical-mp-from-charity-cycle-ride
They did not ask for an interview, but two other local newspapers have and I hope to speak with them both today.

There is obviously strong support for this campaign out there and I am confident that we can get our voices heard.

Thank you again,
Laura

2016-03-18 20:22:16 +0000

100 signatures reached

2016-03-18 12:24:44 +0000

50 signatures reached

2016-03-18 11:26:58 +0000

25 signatures reached

2016-03-18 08:34:33 +0000

10 signatures reached