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

In Whinfield Cemetery it has been common practise for many years for the relatives to decorate the last resting place of their loved ones with very small wire fences, pretty gravel and rose bushes or other shrubs. There are dozens of plots that have been decorated to make a special place for the families to visit. This is very important especially for young children who have lost a parent and find comfort in their graves looking as beautiful as they can. It has never been a problem in the past but now suddenly we have been told to remove it or have it removed which is extremely upsetting and stressful for everyone involved. What harm is it doing?. Despite many people complaining and pleading with Rainsbrook Burial Services they refuse to compromise. We are respectfully requesting that the decision to remove our ornamental embellishments be reverse and our loved ones be allowed to rest in peace

This is important as Coventry is the city of peace and reconciliation and will soon be city of culture

Lord Kilclooney has not apologised or accepted that his reference to Kamala Harris was racist. The House of Lords appears to have no powers to compel him to do so. 1000 racist incidents were reported in Northern Ireland (2018-19) and it is the only part of the United Kingdom to be prosecuting Black Lives Matters protestors, under legislation designed to tackle organised crime. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-politics-44486135

The residents of Green Tree Brae need your help to prevent any future flooding to their properties. We have a simple solution to alleviate the threat of flooding to our homes. We are proposing to remove the foot bridge and build a wall to block the gap between our properties and the burn. We will also require to divert the right of way which runs across our land from Dyke side to the Main Street (an addition of 40m). The flood prevention measures which were put in place in 2008 have failed and are not fit for purpose. We are now living with the constant threat of flooding. We want to make you aware of the devastating situation we are in and we need to know how residents within the village feel about the difficult decision to request the diversion of the right of way. It has come down to a choice between keeping a short cut accessible or protecting our homes and families from the threat of flooding. We have been given the advice from Fife Council that we need community support if we want to divert the right of way with a wall to prevent the flood water. Unfortunately some of our friends and neighbours who have also been affected by the flooding do not have such an easy solution. We are hopeful that local residents will help us by supporting the only option that makes sense. Can you please pledge your support by signing our petition? To read the full story of the flooding situation at Green Tree Brae, please continue reading below. Thank you for your support - the residents of Green Tree Brae. ************************** Green Tree Brae has been hit by flooding a number of times, causing financial, emotional and physical distress. The homeowners were forced out of their homes for 6 months due to significant flood damage in 2008. Flooding occurred again in Aug 2020, when the Fire Brigade told the homeowners to evacuate due to safety concerns. The flooding in 2020 was extremely dangerous, flood waters carry a risk to life from the speed and depth of water as well as from the contamination carried by it. It is devastating that our 5 young children have been traumatised by the threat of the flooding and that two OAP's had to wade through two feet of flood water carrying wet and heavy sandbags in an effort to protect their homes, when there is an easy and quick way to ensure flooding does not happen again. Freuchie Burn flows within a 1 meter of the nearest dwelling, flowing directly from moorland near the summit of East Lomond Hill. The flow is straight downhill with only one bend where the burn flows under the A912. The last Kilometre before reaching Freuchie is across farmland where new field drains, new extra- large culverts and extensive water channel ground works have replaced the old drainage resulting in a much greater volume of flood water travelling at an increased velocity into the village. The footbridge is built at the narrowest point in the burn, where water is forced between two banks going from 8m wide to a little over 1m at the bridge. Water flowing through this choke point is forced upwards to a height of approximately 3m and the speed of the water is accelerated substantially at this point. The flood water passes over and under the footbridge which then becomes an obstruction attracting all sorts of debris which is driven at speed by the flood. A barrier attached to the footbridge which was installed after the flood of 2008 failed to retain the water as the speed, depth and volume of water were simply too much for it. The barrier has at times required to be physically closed by the residents on occasions when it failed to close properly. There has been no engineering maintenance carried out on the bridge/ barrier in over 12 years. This barrier is not accredited by any standards organisation as being fit to function as a flood barrier. All of the natural flood planes have been eradicated by the construction of new housing and field drainage. The remaining burns walls which contain these vast volumes of water within the watercourse are under considerable strain and should a garden wall collapse under this weight of water it would most likely destroy the two properties nearest the burn, which is why the residents were instructed by the emergency services to evacuate their property. At the same time as Freuchie Burn was breeching the barrier on the footbridge, secondary flooding was taking place. This happened when floodwater ran down the brae and across the gardens. Rainwater under normal circumstances would drain through the rainwater drains located front and rear of the properties, however as previously mentioned these were blocked with sandbags and impossible to use because of the high water level and the velocity of the water in the burn. By using boards, buckets and brushes over a protracted period of time the water was eventually driven from the property’s front doors by the homeowners. To be flooded once is unfortunate, to be flooded twice is negligent, to be flooded three times is a disgrace. We, as the homeowners are just asking for support to protect our homes, at no cost to the village, Council or community.

The "CHIS" Bill would allow state spies to commit crimes in the UK and overseas with impunity - without even exempting crimes like murder, torture and sexual offences. These extreme powers would be handed to a broad range of agencies - from police and MI5, to the Department of Health and even the Food Standards Agency. This is being rushed through Parliament at breakneck speed with insufficient scrutiny. Just this week, environmental campaigner Kate Wilson was in court fighting for justice. She was manipulated into a romantic relationship for two years by Mark "Stone" - who she later found out was Mark Kennedy, an undercover police spy. But this Bill would prevent victims of state spies from seeking redress, by protecting those who commit authorised crimes from civil liability forever. Police spies have abused innocent campaigners in the UK for decades - from environmental activists to trade unions and race equality campaigners. Undercover police even infiltrated the grieving family of the murdered black teenager, Stephen Lawrence, during their quest for justice. Undercover state agents have been involved in conflict too. Former Prime Minister David Cameron found they were responsible for “shocking levels of state collusion” in the murder of lawyer Pat Finucane in Northern Ireland. Currently, prosecutors decide whether it's in the public interest to trial undercover police crimes. But the SpyCops Bill would bypass prosecutors entirely, allowing state agencies the unprecedented power to declare serious breaches of UK law ‘lawful’, as long as agents had an internal authorisation. This Bill is unnecessary, unconstitutional and unconscionable - it must be stopped.

I'm asking the people of the United Kingdom to support me and demand the Home Office and Priti Patel allow my family and I to remain in the country we've called home for 17 years. Just months ago, Priti Patel said she was “incredibly grateful” to our frontline workers from abroad. But now I'm being hung out to dry by a cruel system with confusing rules. In the last few months I've been working as a Covid support engineer in Covid wards, dealing with 20 odd people a day - doctors, engineers - putting my and my family's life at risk. I wanted to serve at this time during the pandemic. I felt it was my responsibility to help and do my part for society, to support the doctors and specialists setting up their equipment and the Covid wards. When I’m then treated like this, it’s really disheartening.” The UK is my home, and I've worked hard to give back to this country. Now I'm at risk of being sent back to Pakistan - a place my children, born here in the UK, have never lived in. I believe with your support, Home Office, Priti Patel and Boris Johnson can look into this case favourably and award me and my family permanent residence in the UK. Please sign and share today. You can read more about my story and challenges here: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/home-office-immigration-status-uk-grant-nhs-worker-coronavirus-a9698796.html

The Home Office is planning to deport dozens of asylum seekers on charter flights on the 26th and 27th of August, and on the 3rd of September. They will be forcibly removed to France and Spain, where they face onward deportation to unsafe countries, including a war zone and humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Up to 40 asylum seekers are currently detained in Brook House IRC, where self-harm and suicide attempts are widespread. Many of them are protesting their deportation through a hunger strike that began on the 13th of August. In the words of one protester: "We left Yemen to escape persecution and war and to avoid death. And to come to a country that is safe, where we can live safely and healthily without fear of persecution." Many of the people who fled countries such Iran, Iraq and Kuwait are traumatised and vulnerable. The Home Office's attempt to deport them during a pandemic is appalling and must be prevented. Sign this petition and join campaigners across the UK who are calling for the immediate cancellation of these charter flights.

Robert Milligan (1746-1809) was a leading figure in building the east London docks, in part, to trade in slave-harvested goods from the Caribbean. Milligan owned 526 slaves who worked at his sugar plantation and much of his wealth was acquired through the trade and exploitation of slaves. While we as East Enders and Londoners express our solidarity chanting Black Lives Matter, it is painful to walk past a proud statue of Robert Milligan which was erected to commemorate and celebrate his life. Milligan has no place in London, and he does not deserve the honour of a statue. This should be reserved for those who have fought for equality and social justice this world is desperately crying for. Following the events in Bristol and to express our solidarity to our black brothers and sisters throughout the world it is only right that we remove the proud statue of Robert Milligan from West India Quay in Canary Wharf, Tower Hamlets. As much as we appreciate the value of history, we should not glorify the enslavement of individuals by displaying a statue of a slave trader. The East End has a proud history of fighting against injustice and inequality. Today it is our duty to remove this symbol which only resonates pain, suffering and inhuman treatments of fellow human beings for profit. https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/public38/images/councillor.gif

With social institutions likely being closed for the remainder of the year we should be able to drink in public areas, such as parks, which allow for individuals to socialise while still adhering to distancing rules.

NHS Inform states that we must never be denied access to NHS resources due to age, sex, race, religion or belief, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership and pregnancy or maternity. Disabled people, those with chronic health conditions and the elderly are being contacted by GP practices with checklists. Within these checklists are two questions which must be stopped: 1. Are you happy for us to put a DNR on your file?* 2. Are you happy for us to put on your file that you won't be admitted to hospital should you become unwell? ** *A DNR is a Do Not Resuscitate order. **Note, this does not say 'get Covid-19', but 'become unwell'. This is an act of prejudice. These questions are coming out of the blue. Notice the use of the word 'happy'. They are leading questions; the answer is implied in the question and this makes it is very hard to say 'no'. These questions also imply that our lives are worth less, that we can be 'cannon fodder' and should happily give up our rights to medical care. It implies that we are a burden. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have heard 'but it is only sick people who die from this', this has devalued us and made us feel more vulnerable. Now, we are being asked to give up their right to medical care and therefore, potentially our lives. End of Life conversations should be undertaken in a respectful, dignified and sensitive way. During this pandemic, it should be everybody or nobody. We are all at risk and may all need to consider how we would like to be treated in our final hours. It is not ok to ask those who may require medical care to forgo hospital admission and stay at home. Resuscitation is only performed where it is safe to do so. Perhaps more dangerous, is being asked to give up the right to hospital admission, thus hugely increasing the risk of death. Forget fighting over toilet rolls, we need to fight to keep our human rights upheld! (https://www.nhsinform.scot/care-support-and-rights/health-rights/access/accessing-and-using-the-nhs-in-scotland)

Society's most vulnerable people live in care homes across the land. These people are of all ages and suffer from numerous conditions. They are there because they are unable to take care of themselves, oftentimes not even being able to ascertain what might dangers might befall them and rely on their families and care workers to keep them safe; to keep them alive. This decision (taken on April 2nd) is obviously an extremely dangerous one and is very likely to end in deaths of people who cannot save themselves, that could be and must be avoided. The responsibility is on us - otherwise what kind of a society are we? My mother is only 75. She developed sepsis in her 60s which affected her memory. Mum lives in a care home where she is happy, healthy, strong and extremely intelligent. She wants to live and has many more quality years available to her. Her life might easily be cut short because of this irresponsible decision by the government to house Covid-19 positive patients in her care home. Even with precautions would you want someone with the virus in the bedroom next to yours and sharing the same carers? No, neither does my Mum. Edited to add: The Government Guidelines: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/878099/Admission_and_Care_of_Residents_during_COVID-19_Incident_in_a_Care_Home.pdf Sky News: https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-whats-happening-in-uk-care-homes-right-now-is-a-scandal-our-grandchildren-will-ask-about-11971795