Veterans’ welfare, armed forces pensions and the handling of casualty notifications are all at risk as the Ministry of Defence (MoD) plans to privatise its shared services organisation – Defence Business Services (DBS). DBS employs over 2,200 people and is responsible for MoD armed forces and civilian pay, pensions and HR, delivering welfare to 900,000 veterans and their dependents, handling casualty notifications and administration 24 hours a day, UK wide security vetting and making payments to all defence suppliers. MoD’s track record with private companies in DBS generates some big concerns. In 2012, Serco and Accenture were brought in as management partners where they were paid for running the organisation but additionally received 40p for every pound saved via ‘efficiency gains’. This led to reckless cuts, asset stripping and manipulating of performance measures in a profit grabbing frenzy. In many areas of DBS, jobs were cut to generate a saving (and profit for Serco and Accenture) but were then reinstated at a later date. When the Serco-Accenture contract was brought to an end this year, it was hoped that common sense had prevailed. Yet now the MoD want to go one step further by fully privatising the running of DBS. The MoD argue that this will bring them savings but history tells another story. Instead, it will result in cuts to services, putting those who rely on DBS, like veterans, MoD staff and army personnel at risk. It could also open the door to offshoring of work and defence sensitive data as companies seek to maximise profits. The alarm bells don’t stop there. A recent National Audit Office report has revealed that privatisations of other shared services across Whitehall has failed to deliver value for money to taxpayers, with long delays and rising costs. DBS is one of the largest and most complex shared services organisations in Europe, carrying out sensitive and critical services to the MoD, its staff, the armed forces and veterans. The MoD should safeguard this by keeping DBS public.

Camden Town is one of London's major tourist attractions and part of its charm is the amount and variety of small business owners who each sell a wide range of food from all around the world. Some were in tears yesterday as the new market management told them the news.The independent traders were also told to keep very quite about this development or they would be turfed out before the month was up ,The new management intend to replace the 200 present food traders with a corporate style concept where every trader is working for them with a till system taken .

Due to his arrogance towards BHS staff and Parliament he has lost the right to keep his title

Sunday 5th June - Sir John Major describes Boris Johnson as a "Court Jester" Boris Johnson replies that Sir John is "mad". This is just one example of the pitiful quality of the debate. Is the electorate better informed to make this life changing decision? My answer to this is No. I'm no clearer now about what the £350 Million is all about, its just a number. Do we get anything in return? What about the faceless bureaucracy in Brussels? What do they do? What do they really cost? And the reason my answer is no is because politicians and commentators have not mustered strong arguments, they haven't informed, they have simply mislead - on both sides of the debate. The people who should be congratulated for integrity are Alisha Dixon and 5ive who when they realised they were being used as political pawns, pulled out of the Brexit Event. We cannot allow this to continue to move forward in our name. Please sign my petition.

There is a complete lack of transparency in local government democracy where individual voting records are not kept nor available for scrutiny.

The UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond landed in Addis Ababa today – just miles from where my partner (a British citizen) Andy is being illegally imprisoned under sentence of death. He could use this visit to demand Andy’s freedom and bring him home to our family in London, and pressure is building on him to do so. Andy made Britain (London) his home in 1979, after fleeing political persecution by the Ethiopian government. He is a prominent opposition activist, working towards a democratic Ethiopia. In 2009, the regime said that they would execute Andy if he ever returned. But he was kidnapped by Ethiopian security forces from an airport in Yemen in June 2014 and rendered to Ethiopia. He is now held in a brutal prison in Ethiopia. We're not able to speak to him, and we have no idea what is going to happen to him. Until now Philip Hammond has refused to demand Andy’s release. If he’s going to change his position, he needs to know that he’s out of step with public opinion – and we need to remind him that he has a duty to Andy’s children to bring their father home. If enough of us sign this petition, we could convince Hammond to follow our lead and make a demand directly to the authorities who are holding Andy. We have to act fast – Hammond’s visit is only for two days.

The DfT's delay is blighting sales of electric bikes. Orders for hundreds of e-bikes have been put on hold while potential customers await the introduction of the incentive. The failure to implement the e-bike grants could cost jobs in the motorcycle industry and undermines the Government's repeated claims to be promoting green transport. Unlike the grants for cars and vans, a plug-in grant for electric motorcycles would also cut congestion.

It is important because: 1: It is very hard to believe that he spent nothing on transport. 2:He is very close to his spending limit and may exceed that if transport costs were even reasonably substantial for such a large constituency as he campaigned within/for. 3:In the interests of democracy, it is important to know whether David Mundell has exceeded this limit. 4:If there is any misrepresentation of the facts, then I consider that a very serious matter for a person of such high office.

High speed broad band is not a luxury. People in small towns and villages need internet just as much as people in big towns and cities. Decent broadband connection is essential for everything from paying bills to running businesses. But for some places in the UK, the internet speed is either painfully slow or non-existent. It's time the government stepped up and fulfilled it's promise of decent broadband for everyone. The government has changed the way it interacts with citizens. The government assumes that the public can access the internet and down load all the information and documents required. But without high speed broad band the download can fail. The government expects the public to use the internet but has not ensured that there is an adequate infrastructure available to everyone. Even where fiber optic cables are available the final section to the property is often elderly cooper cable which can severely limit data transfer speeds. The longer the length of cooper cable the greater the drop off speed. When I was having trouble with my broad band I was able to use the computers at the library, for an hour a day (Not Sundays) provided there was a computer free. A little inconvenient but at least I have a library that I can get to easily. This is not something that is available to everybody in the constituency. The prosperity of the region can only be enhanced when high speed broad band is available throughout the region.

On 25 June, thousands of people will come together in London to celebrate their identity and their values. Celebrating and promoting institutions of war, that profit from the planning and execution of warfare globally, is an affront to the values that LGBTQI+ movements - and Pride itself - have been built on. Pride is being used within a wider public relations strategy that aims to capture the imagination of the public whilst concealing the brutal nature of warfare and the gruesome trade of the arms industry. The Red Arrows serve to promote British arms sales internationally, helping to sell weapons for BAE Systems to countries like Saudi Arabia. BAE Systems is a company that not only profits from war, but also incentivises it. There is No Pride in War. Let’s keep the Red Arrows and the arms industry out of London Pride 2016.

The Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership is being negotiated in strict secrecy. But what is known about the content places the needs of multi-national corporations above the needs of citizens with inherent threat to the environment and to health. Academics have warned the treaty will entrench inequality and lower consumer safety standards. Brighton and Hastings have already declared as TTIP Free Zones. Let Lewes, the County Town of East Sussex, join with them.

The people of Ledbury have lost confidence in their Town Council. They are sickened by the infighting and injustice which has dominated Council life in recent years. Ledbury needs a skilled town council which can demonstrate good governance and is able to seize future opportunities for the town. The Town Council is not fit for purpose as it stands. Councillors are often ill-informed and prejudiced. Democratic reform would include: - Decisions always being made on evidence - Councillors routinely receiving training and specialist advice - The Council using experts from the community to inform its decisions - Reports and proceedings documented in appropriate detail - Providing a responsive service to questions and correspondence from the public. Other award-winning town councils like Frome, Oswestry and Milton Keynes (Campbell Park) have shown the potential rewards that come from active citizen participation in charting an inspiring future for their towns. Ledbury Town Council should aspire to these models of excellence and commit to the Nolan Principles: Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty, Leadership.