The energy companies have a virtual monopoly in providing the energy to heat our homes, transport us and everything else we need and use. They have no incentive to research and provide cleaner energy to reduce greenhouse gases/slow global warming as they make billions and billions of pounds for their corporate shareholders every year. If the green taxes/surcharges etc were aimed at the polluter not the consumer they would soon clean up their act!

Without this clarity our rights to opinions and free speech will be at the behest of a regulator who may classify some as illegal financial promotions. Our regulator (the FCA) and their equivalent in the USA (the SEC) are currently the only regulators in the western world who are seeking to limit the free speech and flow of opinions of citizens on social media. So this matters to us all. Opinions & Free Speech Regulated = Censorship What it proposes is far from clear. The result of this lack of clarity is it places rights to monitor and regulate the expression of opinions and free speech, by both innovators and innocent members of the public, initially in this small but very significant area, into the hands of unelected and unaccountable regulators. Historical precedents are clear where this can, and usually does, lead. Clarity This unclarity is simply not necessary. One of the UK's leading legal minds, Chris Moss,of JMW solicitors, who continues to guide The Bank of Dave, has looked with us at the legislation, which was created before social media existed, and identified the small but crucial and uncontroversial changes needed to bring exactly this clarity. He has identified that these are changes that can be made by the Chancellor and his Treasury ministers. In under a week the UK's Financial Regulator close their consultation as they tighten their grip on Social Media and what messages from the trade and public will be outlawed. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE ACT NOW Please sign the petition and also respond now to the FCA to ensure ordinary citizens are not placed in legal jeopardy for using social media to express an opinion, or talk about a crowdfund. This only need takes a few moments. The full details are at http://www.fca.org.uk/your-fca/documents/guidance-consultations/gc14-06 and it closes 6th Nov 2014. If you care about free speech or the freedom of social media please read the summary and express your opinion, below. One way or another it's important you express your opinion about free speech. We need clarity and unless there's a change of direction that won't happen. PLEASE NOTE Sample/Template Text is provided below and you can skip to it below and send it if you're familiar with this issue and short of time. As requested by the FCA please email : [email protected] or use the response form at http://www.fca.org.uk/your-fca/documents/guidance-consultations/gc14-06 ------ Sample Template Response (for you to adapt and send) ----- I/we do not believe that the FCA should have the right to monitor and classify ordinary citizens use of social media as illegal. Paid financial promotions (adverts) are different from citizens use of such media, and measures to ensure they are policed to be 'clear, fair and not misleading' must not remove the rights of citizens to free speech and free expression, or place citizens in jeopardy. This is paramount and we call on the FCA to ensure that this clear distinction is maintained in the handling of social media, and to make the necessary changes to these proposals to ensure that they are, and citizens and entrepreneurs use of social media for crowdfunding or other purposes is not restricted. To also, if necessary, directly raise these matters with government to ensure such clarity. We need clarity. Please play your part by taking just a few moments to respond to the FCAs consultation and express your opinion.

It denies true fans the opportunity to attend a unique event in this country and creates opportunities for unscrupulous touts to cash in at the fans expense.

Most milk production and milk products stay within the UK, so the price of milk should reflect the cost of production within the uk. And in doing so ensure the viability of the dairy industries which are hugely important for the long term success of the UK economy and the countryside.

uSwitch is accused of systemically hiding the best deals from consumers. Instead, the price comparison giant steers people towards deals that earn the website a kickback from suppliers. The cost of these kickbacks, or commissions, are ultimately passed back to all of us. What makes uSwitch’s shady dealings worse is that they are part-owned by the UK government. We the taxpayers bailed out bankers, bankers backed big business, and now one of these businesses is fleecing the billpayer. That's not right. So openness around this issue is vital as hard-pressed families look to save money. Yet uSwitch refuse to disclose how much cost they are putting onto our bills. uSwitch are one of the biggest price comparison sites in the UK. Over the last few years, they have taken a particular hold on the energy switching market — a service used by millions of trusting British families to save money. --------------------------------- Taxpayers bailed out Lloyds in 2008, and the bankers’ private equity arm, LDC, took a significant shareholding in uSwitch in 2012. In 2012, Lloyds’ investment helped uSwitch to revenues of £24m. By 2013, those revenues had leapt to £34m. The first step to making it stop is openness about commission levels in price comparison. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B0VuQFEIIAA3_Bx.jpg:large

Paying a living wage to those supplying the company will make a massive difference to the lives of workers all over the world. For example on average, cocoa farmers earn less than $2 per day, an income below the poverty line. As a result, they often resort to the use of child labour to keep their prices competitive.3 By committing to paying a living wage not only will they drive up the pay of workers it will also mean that suppliers will not have to resort to exploiting child labour. In 2012 Nestlé UK used cocoa farmer Kouame Fasseri, from the Cote d’Ivoire to promote its Fairtrade Kit Kat. He spoke about the difference the Fairtrade premiums had made to his community going towards a new health centre, health insurance and a new school.4 Two years on it is time that Nestle started to pay a living wage to all its workers. 1 http://www.nestle.com/asset-library/documents/library/documents/suppliers/supplier-code-english.pdf 2 http://www.utzcertified-trainingcenter.com/home/images/stories/library_files/EN_UTZ_Core_Code_for_Individual_Certification_2014.pdf 3 http://www.foodispower.org/slavery-chocolate/ 4 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/Bvfr7qXS4gmWz3ptXVymT7/does-the-fairtrade-label-on-your-chocolate-bar-mean-100-fairtrade-cocoa-beans

The planning officer originally made a mistake in allowing the amendment through without having the authority. He then over-turned it but was over-ruled by the Chief Executive. This has opened the door to TESCO to open a TESCO Express 100 yards from an existing local CO-OP without any public say on the matter. Over 500 people have signed a petition already and we want to recruit more supporters. Many have said they would like to sign a petition online, hence this campaign. If you have signed the paper copy you don't need to sign this one as both will be presented to the Council in due course. Please spread the word via social media.

I fell off my bike two weeks ago, fracturing my shoulder and giving myself a severe concussion. The NHS treated me amazingly, especially given it was a Friday night in A&E. The bang I received to my head meant I was in no fit state to properly understand everything they told me about my injuries, so the nurses put all the information in my bag to ensure I had everything I needed when I got home to help me deal with my recovery. I woke up the next day and was perplexed when I found a load of literature about injury lawyers and compensation claims in my bag. Currently, adverts for injury lawyers are on the back of information given to patients after treatment. Informative pamphlets are designed to notify patients of their condition and to explain what they need to do and why. These adverts encourage a 'blame' culture, do nothing to assist a patients recovery and propagate the idea that you can put a price on everything. Ironically, the NHS are likely to be one of the main targets of these law firms, thus tax payers' money is spend on litigation and compensation rather than improvements to the health care system. The NHS paid £1.2 billion in legal fees for clinical negligence. I am sure that much of this compensation is justified, however we need an autonomous health service which can operate for the good of the whole society without being blamed and forced to cough up for every worse-than-expected outcome. It is imperative that these adverts are removed from all NHS literature that is distributed to the public.

This is important for not only the economy, but also when people or companies are doing well (especially big corporations) then everyone should have equal amount of bonus shared between the cleaner, tea makers, to the receptionists, marketeers, chefs, waiters, bar staff , supervisor, manager, CEO. This should be split evenly with everyone. That's why everyone is employed in the first place. To make it run smoothly.

It is important to stop further privatisation of the NHS. Read more here: http://news.sky.com/story/1356686/nhs-sale-plan-controversy-risk-for-ministers

It is important to me because I'm disabled and do my best to be independent. I feel it's difficult enough to plan going out independently without trying to scrape up enough shopping bags in case I should decide to buy something which in itself can eek away my enjoyment and energy for going out.

The GMB is concerned that despite more than two years of economic growth, working people across the country are still suffering the longest real wage squeeze in over a century. Recently official earnings growth reached its lowest level since records began. GMB is also concerned given the biggest proportion of low-paid, part time workers in Dunnes is women. Official figures shows that earning less than the Living Wage is the norm for women in many parts of the country. With women accounting for almost three-quarters of the country’s six-million part-time workforce, the lack of skilled, decently –paid part-time jobs affects women’s pay and their career prospects far more than it does men. The idea behind the Living Wage is that a person is paid enough to live decently and to adequately provide for their family. Please sign the petition and pass on to others to sign, keep following the facebook page for an update on are attempts to gain recognition for Dunnes workers, in the coming weeks GMB will be launching a Public campaign outside all Dunnes stores for members of the Public to sign all above petition. If you would like some petition sheets sent out to you please contact me on 07808101359. Remember our strength is in our numbers if you have not already join please do so by joining online at www.gmb.org.uk.