Many timeshare contracts are for 54 years without exit clauses. The contacts pass on to children and grandchildren irrespective of ability to pay or ability to use the holidays even in cases of ill health. An example of a 80 year old lady having to pay almost a £1,000, pa for holidays which she could not physically use nor afford. Timeshare providers are now offering vacations to the general public at rates which are less than members pay, and at all times of the year using exactly the same facilities. Initially timeshares were sold as exclusive deals. However, it is still not possible to exit timeshare contracts. Timeshare clubs use the excuse, 'by letting it to non members use the facilities it keeps the maintenance charges down'. Latest scams/deals request exiting timeshare holders to pay in excess of £10,000 to change their current contracts to 15 year contracts again unrealistic if elderly, ill or with no ability to pay crippling costs

The fur trade is so sick and cruel that it has now been made illegal to produce fur in the UK. Unfortunately, there are still a few shops, such as Coco Blush in Pontypridd, who place 'fashion' above ethics. I've attempted to contact the manager to ask her in person, but she refuses to return my calls or answer my messages. I intend to gather as many signatures as I can, in a bid to show Coco Blush just how many people think they should change their ways. I'm hoping that this will show them how we feel, without having to launch full scale protests... Please sign and share, if you ,too, think that Coco Blush should stop selling Fur in their Pontypridd branch, as well as in the rest of their stores.

Vodafone customers are unable to limit cellular data usage. When contracted limits are reached Vodafone sends a helpful text to advise that it will charge you for exceeding the limit. Fair enough - BUT - customers cannot opt out and self-limit until the following months allowance kicks in. Most smartphone apps and operating systems are very data hungry, even when operating in the background and not in actual use, so data allowances can be consumed without realising. Parents who fund a child's phone for safety and security reasons find this particularly stressful and difficult. Commercially it's obvious why Vodafone apply this policy - to make additional profit - but it is morally questionable if one party to the contract agreement has no power to limit charges beyond what was contractually agreed under circumstances often beyond their control. Other mobile operators have recognised this and allow limits to be self enforced, Tesco Mobile is one such responsible operator. So should Vodafone. "Always here for you?" is their service strap line "Always here to fleece you" would be more accurate.

Fairness in society, safeguarding small companies and the jobs they provide.

TTIP will have a major impact on the lives of the people of Haringey. * It represents a dangerous new step in the process of opening public services - including health and social welfare, housing, education and the environment - to unaccountable, private, corporations. * It undermines the ability of local authorities to impose minimum standards of employment, training, quality, environmental protection, energy conservation, or health and safety. * It ‘locks-in’ the current privatization programme and makes it extremely difficult for future local authorities to take back, ‘in house’, contracted out services.

The ongoing discoveries of links to so many illnesses and diseases; Autism, Gut disruption, allergies, asthma, breast cancer, endocrine disruption and so many more... We can all make our own choices to avoid it, but it's everywhere! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zOlGf_MWsg http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/07/30/glyphosate-toxicity.aspx

Not only will TTIP effect our NHS and democracy nationally, TTIP will have significant implications for local public services. It will open up access to central and local government services to be bought up by big corporations. Measures by Lewisham Council which are designed to promote local employment, foster environmental protection or protect public health could be challenged in the extra-judicial trade tribunals, whose decisions are unchallengeable and made by trade lawyers, not judges. Lewisham is opposed to the TTIP, defending basic public services for solidarity and social redistribution.

On Friday 9th January 2015, the disastrous Circle franchising experiment finally came to an end after they walked away from Hinchingbrooke Hospital just before a CQC report announced that their running of the hospital was inadequate and highlighted serious concerns over patient safety, staffing and financial difficulties. Campaigners have called for Circle to be sacked however take no pleasure in being vindicated in every criticism and concern that was raised. This was a disaster waiting to happen and Circle lurched from disaster to disaster from day one. Losing key figures such as Circle Chief Exec Ali Parsa who quit merely 6 months into the 10 year deal with a £400,000 payout followed swiftly by the Chief Exec of the hospital who took 'early retirement' at the age of 50 hinted at serious underlying problems. Staff cuts including nearly 50 nursing posts and axing cleaning staff have contributed to the issues highlighted in the CQC report, along with the closure of an elderly trauma ward in 2013. Circle were held up as a flagship for NHS privatisation however the knight in shining armour never materialised, Now it is up to us to fight to save Hinchingbrooke. Sign the petition and join us in calling for Hinchingbrooke to remain within the NHS and say no to private sector experiments or further franchising deals

Sky news reported, "UK wholesale gas prices have hit a record low, piling more pressure on energy firms to explain why household bills have not been slashed." Wholesale energy prices fell by around 25% in 2014 yet household bills have not seen any significant reduction. People are suffering fuel poverty while the energy companies make even bigger profits.

Virgin Trains propose a reduction in staff numbers, replacing people with increased ticket machines. Maintaining existing staff numbers will protect jobs for local people. Ticket machines can not deliver the current level of customer service such as reserving seats for frequent travellers with season tickets or identifying the lowest cost ticket for customers.

Possible benefits to consumers are the trump card for those supporting TTIP. Despite the organisation's good work in other areas on behalf of UK consumers, 'Which?' is currently giving key support to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The narrow possible consumer benefits of lower prices are minimal compared with the potential broad consumer damage from this so-called 'trade' agreement. The dangers of lowered standards in chemical and food health and safety, the provision for corporations to sue our government for any regulatory changes that hit their future profits, the blocking of any renationalising of public services like the NHS plus expected job losses, are ways that TTIP will profoundly affect consumers beyond a few possible price reductions. 'Which?' is allowing itself to be used to justify this bill of corporate rights. A shift in the position of consumer organisations will potentially kill this deal and 'Which?' is our UK responsibility. We call for a boycott of 'Which?' until it changes its position and ceases to support TTIP.

Why are they needed? Gender is more complex than a simple male/female binary. For trans or androgynous people the simple everyday activity of using the toilet may be stressful. If their physical appearance doesn’t fit gender norms they may be challenged when using gendered toilet facilities, which can be very distressing. Obliging someone to use a designated accessible toilet isn’t acceptable, since it is sends the message that they are not a ‘Genuine’ male or female. It is also best to leave accessible toilets available for use by people with disabilities, some of whom may have an unpredictable and urgent need to use the toilet. .