Benefit claimants are the largest section in society to be living in, or at risk of, poverty. This group of people are more likely to vote Labour. Calling into question their right to vote undermines democracy and normalises the view held by many that they are separate underclass who simply do not count. This is an outrageous affront to free speech and would set a worryingly dangerous precedent, as other societal groups could then be denied a voice as a result. ---- Further clarity : Same Difference (samedifference1.com) shared a poll from You Gov market research stating the following .. "Please say whether you think each of the following groups should or should not be allowed to vote in General Elections in the UK (Should be allowed to vote / Should NOT be allowed to vote / Don't know) Non-British citizens living in the UK ; British citizens currently serving jail sentences; British citizens aged 16 and 17; British citizens who receive more money from welfare benefits than they pay in taxes". https://files.38degrees.org.uk/items/files/000/001/366/display/benefit-vote.png

With the increasing popularity of the North Coast 500 (NC500), promoted in part by Highland Council, we are seeing ever-growing numbers of visitors to the NW Highlands and these people also require access to facilities in order to avoid more cases of human waste being left by the roadside. As part of its budget proposals for 2018/2019 Highland Council are closing public toilets at the following locations in the county of Sutherland: Achmelvich, Kinlochbervie, Rhiconich, Scourie, Smoo Cave, Lairg, Kylesku, Talmine, and Tarbet. The total estimated savings come to just £67,000 per year yet we consider these to be essential services, both for local people and tourists & others visiting the area. Additionally, these closures will discriminate against the elderly, infirm, disabled, and those with long-term illnesses whose ability to do without a regular rest break is impaired. Highland Council's suggested alternatives, such as making use of facilities in nearby businesses and village halls, are both impractical and presumptuous. Do the decent thing, Highland Council: Scrap your plans to close these public toilets.

This is an important asset to people in the local area and especially in the area north of the River Tees. Patients in the north of Hartlepool for example would be faced with a journey of at least 35 minutes. This is unacceptable in an emergency situation. People could be losing precious, life saving minutes if forced to travel further to recieve treatment.

This library and its staff provide vital services to one of Somerset's most deprived areas where community assets are already scarce. Not only is this an essential information and communication resource but it also contributes significantly to health, wellbeing and social life, in particular for the considerable number of residents with limited mobility, especially older, disabled, and low-income residents.

The Citizens Advice Bureau provides vital benefits advice and support to ill, disabled and vulnerable people in and around Boston and Skegness. Lincolnshire County Council have decided to cut funding for this valuable service. There is no other organisation that provides the same service. Please sign and share.

Over 300 people currently attend one of the day centres facing closure. Most of the users are frail and many suffer from dementia. Being able to meet up with friends means people are less isolated and are able to stay living in the community for much longer. If these services go people may not be able to live independently for as long as they would like to and may be forced into more costly residential care. These centres provide a vital service to the local community and the council should keep them open and fight against government cuts to the council’s budget.

The borough of Camden has one of the highest homeless people in the country. Those living on the streets have difficulty accessing basic services. Those homeless with mental health issues are the most vulnerable and require more not less psychiatric care and follow up.

Because Alistair has profound learning disabilities, epilepsy, schizophrenia and severe autism. He has no awareness of danger and an unstable gait, meaning he is very likely to fall and cause serious injury when not supported. Alistair will also self harm and become aggressive when he feels nervous and doesn’t have someone there to help him and make him feel safe.

The petition I started last year with 38 Degrees to remove all plastic from tea bags succeeded in persuading the UK's largest tea bag manufacturer, Unilever/PG Tips to remove plastics from their teabags. But the other leading UK teabag manufacturers are still using plastics in their teabags. The issue of having these plastics (polypropylene) in teabags is a concern. 20-25% plastic in each teabag is not a small or insignificant amount when multiplied up by the millions and millions of tea bags consumed daily. These plastics do not biodegrade in the environment. There have been many campaigns to keep plastics and microplastics out of our seas, highlighting the harm they do to marine life. But the same is true of plastics on land as they can cause harm to birds and small mammals. We need to keep ALL plastics OUT of our environment. We know that it is possible to use other materials that are biodegradable and I am told by a major European teabag paper manufacturer that there is a “Gold Standard” of cellulose-based bags that will readily compost in your garden compost bin, which, in fact, goes a stage better than the PLA-based bags about to be employed by PG Tips and Coop. With your support, we can make the other UK teabag manufacturers remove plastic from their tea bags.

This would effect 3500 registered patients who will now have to find an alternative Surgrey. Potter Street has the largest elderly population in Harlow. It will not be easy for the elderly and disabled to catch buses to see a doctor. The closure of this surgery will cause more pressure on the surgery’s who will have to take on extra patients, which in tern will cause longer waiting times to see a doctor.

Patients, relatives and visitors have to use the car parks when visiting nhs hospitals across the uk and they are charged for the use to park; to take, visit or see a dying relative or injured family member. We have no alternative to visit, as local community hospitals are being closed and there is no other option but to visit and pay for parking. Nhs are one of the largest UK employers and for the majority of staff, using public transport to get to work because of shifts or for dropping children off at school have no alternative but to take their vehicle. We all know that the Nhs has had the funding cut, but staff, patients and visitors should not have to fund this shortfall. In many hospitals the private sectors run the car parks for profits. Nhs should be free for all Therefore it is important that the public back this petition to demand that the government cease all charges on Nhs car parks.

I grew up on Edgeside, many residents of the valley will know about its difficult history. In 2002 Rossendale Borough Council was ranked as one of the worst in the country for local authority homes after previous administrations had left the properties to decay. Recently, there have been concerns raised about regeneration schemes, empty homes, homelessness, and planning decisions made in the area. However, these have been ongoing issues for the area for decades and have been challenging for parties of all colours. Previous empty homes initiatives haven't worked, including recent attempts and earlier ones, such as the Pathfinder initiative. Several changes of Council haven't lead to these issues being fully addressed either, but I believe that a change of how the council structures their work would make a real difference. A scrutiny committee is a missing constant and there are many issues around housing which need to be looked into in depth. Over the past year, 5 out of 10 of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meetings have considered housing issues. This takes away from the chance to discuss non-housing matters, without giving housing the focus that it warrants. I believe these challenges deserve a scrutiny committee of their own which brings together a range of services. The Government have cut funding to councils over the past few years. This leaves many councils under-funded and over-stretched. Ours is no different. While initiatives in Edgeside have seen the area transformed, this has only been possible by working in partnership with the local community (including community groups like the White Horse Project). Yet, several challenges continue in other areas of the valley and policy. A scrutiny committee, which is open to the public, would allow the council to work more closely with its residents. Together we could glean some insight into what might be the most effective changes, focus our efforts on bringing them into fruition, and solve some of the issues facing our friends and neighbors.