There is a suggestion that the BBC may be being used to promulgate propaganda in this affair, may not be unbiased or may be being coerced or influenced to serve one particular agenda. This suggestion should be investigated and BBC conduct explored in the light of their charter.

Sure Start Children's Centre services in Newcastle are facing a two thirds cut in funding over the next three years. This will mean closure of services, buildings, parents groups, activity for young children across the city. It will mean at least 100 jobs will be lost across the council and the voluntary sector. It will mean the opportunities for children and parents will continue to be worsened, following significant cuts already 2010, and the axing of the councils play and youth services last year. SSCCs in Newcastle are all rated Good and Outstanding by Ofsted, reach the vast majority of children under 5 and their families offering universal as well as targeted services. The council proposals:  For the three year budget cycle (2013 – 2016) - the cuts proposed equate to over £5 milllion (or approx. 65% of the total budget) The first £1 million savings have already been agreed, with a proposal for a further £1 million this year and then £3 million for the year 2015-16.   Overall the cuts since 2011 will equate to over 70% with the budget being reduced to less than £3 million from approximately £10 million in 2010-11.   The review of Sure Start and Early Years Services has now been incorporated with the Family Services Review which is being asked to cut £670,000 over the next two years out of budget of £2.3 million which is a 34% cut in services to the most vulnerable families, children and young people.   50% of these services are delivered by the council and 50% by the Community and Voluntary Sector. The city council have estimated that for the work they directly deliver this would equate to the lost of 63 full time equivalent posts (i.e. this will actually be more than 63 people losing their jobs as many jobs are part-time or may be job share) we can only estimate that the equivalent level of job cuts would be made by the Community and Voluntary sector meaning the job cuts proposed would be at least 126 full time posts (probably between 130 and 180 people losing their jobs)   The review has not identified which Sure Start Children’s Centres, Services, Buildings or staff will face cuts.   The councils review timetable includes: ·         April 2014 onwards: Options appraisal (looking with partners at what the cuts could like and coming up with proposals) ·         July 2014: Consultation on the proposed cuts and closures ·         August 2014: Partners agree which options are to be implemented ·         September 2014: Implementation of the cuts for both 2014-15 and 2015-16. ·         March 2015: All cuts implemented.   The councils proposals for 2014 – 2016: http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/sites/drupalncc.newcastle.gov.uk/files/wwwfileroot/your-council-and-democracy/budget_2014-15_-_pc_-_2_-_family_services_review_0-25_incorporating_early_years.pdf   Previous year budgets: http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/your-council-and-democracy/budget-annual-report-and-spending/budget   Unison’s campaign page: http://unison-newcastle.org.uk/sure-start.html   Motion passed at Unison Newcastle City AGM: http://www.unison-newcastle.org.uk/assets/files/AGM2014/140210_18%20Motion%20-%20Save%20Sure%20Start.pdf

In February of 2011, after more than a year of investigation, the Chilcot Inquiry into Britain's role in the invasion of Iraq concluded. It is outrageous that today, more than three years after the end of the inquiry, the public has still not been given the conclusion. What is equally reprehensible is, apart from the occasional meek entreatment to Chilcot by some politicians to get on with it, hardly any body of influence seems to be pressing for the results to be finalised and published. The day Britain began its attack on Iraq was one of the blackest days in the history of our nation because, despite massive public opposition, our Government, with the full support of the parliamentary opposition, went ahead with the invasion, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent men women and children and a major increase in terrorism. To their eternal disgrace, there are many in the 'establishment' and in political circles who supported the attack and in whose interest it is to keep kicking the report into the long grass. Consequently, the only group who can try and bring about publication of the report is us. I would therefore like 38 Degrees, through its members, to campaign and pressurise Chilcot into releasing the report immediately. We must show that we will not be treated as inconsequential bystanders and be ignored and humoured as though we are simply an annoyance. We must force those we elect and nominate, to do the job we pay them to do and not simply make up their own forever changing timetable. The British public were treated with contempt when the Government and the parliamentary opposition chose to ignore us and take us into an unprovoked war of aggression, the worst type of war crime. We must not let the Inquiry into that disgraceful episode also treat us with contempt. *************************************************************** We now have the answer to the reason for the delay:- 12th Nov. 2013 "Cabinet boss must not decide on Iraq papers", says Owen: David Owen, former Foreign Secretary demands Sir Jeremy Heywood is stripped of responsibility because he worked closely with Tony Blair Inquiry chairman Sir John Chilcot said last week that his probe has stalled indefinitely because Sir Jeremy is blocking the release of correspondence Sir Jeremy was Principal Private Secretary to Tony Blair between 1999-2003 ******************************************** 29th May 2014 CHILCOT WILL RELEASE THE ‘GIST’ It’s just another way of saying “we will withhold important information” It would obviously be much better for us to see all of the documentation between Blair and Bush in the run-up to the invasion but the most important document we need, if it exists, is the one where Blair agreed to assist Bush in the attack come what may. That information is absolutely no threat to security but of course if it is a threat to Blair we may never see it. If an 'independent' committee has sight of documents that clearly show that a Prime Minister or any minister for that matter, for their own reasons, committed our country to a course of action that had not been fully approved or discussed and which resulted in a massive loss of life for hundreds of thousands of innocent people, without question that information should be released. Why should those documents be for the eyes of the committee only and not for the rest of us when in that situation the minister in question has clearly acted incorrectly?. It means that they are above the law and can transgress with impunity, we are supposed to be a democracy! The excuse that the documents cannot be released for either security or confidentiality reasons is totally spurious. The conversations between Blair and Bush are about a specific and unique situation. They were not conversations about the price of fish, they were conversations that resulted in Britain engaging in and waging a war of aggression against a country that was absolutely no imminent threat to us - a war crime. Many believe the British people were lied to over the reasons for taking the country to war and those in power at the time know it and so do the families here and in Iraq whose relatives were killed as a result. We must have a full and complete report describing how and why our Government decided to invade another sovereign country in our name. It has been deliberately stalled for far too long, we need it NOW

We need to change the unjust laws that are causing us so much suffering. We are an advantage to the UK, but we have to wait too many years for an answer to our asylum claims. We are not allowed to work in the meantime and have to survive on £5 a day. Many of us become ill, physically and mentally.

At a time when Government cutbacks are affecting vital public services and most people's pay rises have not kept pace with rising prices, it is important that the Government is fair and even handed. We all have to pay the full cost of issuing passports and driving licenses, so gun owners should do the same. Subsidies to wealthy grouse moor owners should be stopped and the money used for wider benefit. See http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/22/cameron-blasted-battle-shotgun-licence-fees or http://www.monbiot.com/2014/04/28/the-shooting-party/ for more information.

In 2014 and 2013 the reported cost of policing this group was £1million in Brighton alone. There were 27 arrests during the 2014 march, and several violent clashes bringing injury to bystanders and destruction to property. The Marchers and EDL members often stay in town once the march is over and create an atmosphere of intimidation, often resulting in further violence. It is clear that the people of Brighton do not want the March to take place, and make their presence known along the route. Free speech is important in our country, nobody wants to deny peaceful protest no matter how abhorrent the opinions of the protesters are to us. But when a protest consistently brings violence, stands for racism, hatred of minorities and scapegoating, AND costs the tax payer hundreds of thousands of pounds to police, it's time to put an end to it. They are disturbing the peace and inciting hatred, and we want to stop them marching through our town. To show how serious this cause is, I include a link to a short video. This shows one of the mass street fights which occurred during the march, which police were powerless to prevent. WARNING contains violent scenes. http://youtu.be/uU8TnvCgBqQ

In a time of austerity a few are profiting nicely at the tax payers expense. MP's expenses need to be rigourously scrutineed in order to restore public confidence in our leaders. For Osbourne to declare that 'we are all in it together' is rank hypocrisy in the extreme. More background: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/georgeosborne/9729139/George-Osborne-bought-paddock-with-taxpayers-money.html

Rather than discussing the horrendous economic situation that has forced many people to use food banks, the article focused on the warped idea that food banks are merely an easy means of obtaining free food. This is not true, and suggesting this is an insult to the thousands of decent people who are living in poverty because of the cavalier attitude to unemployment and enormous welfare cuts that have been imposed by the government, which is supported by the Mail on Sunday. While we need a strong media to bring the ills in society to our attention, it is also important that the media should be honest and should not misrepresent issues for political gain or out of mere hatred. When the media uses inaccurate reporting to mislead the public, we must take action to stop them.

He said in a meeting with regard to people living with disabilities "Are we still letting these mongols have sex with each other?" This remark comes from this man's MIND and someone who thinks that way should not be allowed to hold any public office. When I saw this on Facebook I was shocked to the core. I'm concerned about the people living with disabilities who this man is supposed to serve. How can he serve them as a Mayor or Councillor when he thinks like this, surely he'll put them right at the bottom of the pile. You can read more about the story here: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/swindon-mayor-says-sorry-for-calling-disabled-people-mongols--but-charities-dismiss-forced-apology-9258603.html

Ms Hopkins' refreshing and blunt honesty about how the poor and disabled people of our great country is an eye opener, all she has done is speak the truth, and honesty is sorely lacking in the House of Commons. Labour needs people of this calibre who will fight tooth and nail for what they believe in, who hold issues passionately close to their heart and are not afraid to voice them as loudly as possible. We need more people like Deborah in Parliament, Representatives who place the needs and suffering of their constituents before personal ambition and greed. Backstory - http://www.cornishguardian.co.uk/Labour-axes-St-Austell-Newquay-MP-candidate/story-20953255-detail/story.html

Barbara Driver’s comments, which came during the meeting about plans to build 30,000 homes in Tewkesbury, Cheltenham and Gloucester, prompted outrage on Wednesday and were described as “repulsive” and “atrocious” by Cheltenham Borough Council Peter Jeffries. The Conservative councillor later apologised for the remark, which compared the "inevitability" of the building of new houses in the area with rape, “There is a saying and I am going to say it: When rape is inevitable, lie back and enjoy it,” she told the meeting. In an open letter to Cheltenham Borough Council, addressed to the Mayor, Councillor Wendy Flynn, Ms Driver said she realised her remark was “completely inappropriate and thoughtless and should not have been said”.The letter read: “I am therefore writing an open letter to the council to offer my sincere apologies for the comment I made.“As an elected member of the council I believe that on this occasion I have fallen short of the high standards expected of a councillor and for that I am deeply sorry and I wish to place my apology on record through this letter.” Her remark was criticised by Karen Clarke, from the Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (GRASAC), who described it as “quite shocking”."Rape has a devastating impact and there's no possibility that anyone could ever lie back and enjoy it,” she told the BBC."When people in positions of power make throw away and flippant comments like this it perpetuates the myths around rape."Someone in a position of authority should know better. Apologies are not enough."

If this boycott goes ahead, it will mean that many third year students will suffer delays to their graduations, as well the very real possibility that they could miss out on places in graduate schemes, Masters etc. Previous attempts at striking about pay have failed. They are willing to go without pay as they have done before in order to prove their seriousness. Our lecturers do not wish to hinder our advancements but it is something that they feel is necessary in order to achieve their goal of fair pay, and students support them in this. However it's the students that will suffer the most if this goes ahead. You and this University have the ability to end that suffering. Please try and negotiate. Thank You.