Some 3,416 have lost their lives in terror atrocities in the UK since 1970, but as yet there is no focal point for loved ones and survivors to visit and pay their respects. As this May marks eight years since the Manchester arena bombing left 22 dead and thousands more injured, survivors and the bereaved say a memorial is vital to ensure their agony is never forgotten.  Survivors and grieving families of some of the UK's worst terror atrocities have also backed their call for a memorial - including MP Jo Cox' widow Brendan Cox, the co-founder of Survivors Against Terror. He said: "What we remember as a society matters - and the lack of a monument to honour victims of terror attacks has made many survivors feel like they don’t count." In March, security minister Dan Jarvis launched a consultation for a National Day of Remembrance for terror victims - but this does not extend to plans for a physical memorial. Manchester survivor Abi Quinn, who was just 12-years-old when she narrowly missed terrorist Salman Abedi's bomb, said: “As someone directly impacted by terrorism, and knowing how long the effects can last, we need a memorial to recognise the pain and the loss we’re still dealing with eight years on. It’s so important to keep the memory and our voices still alive. “It’s not just about remembering who we’ve lost, but it’s about knowing we’re not forgotten and we’ve not been cast aside and brushed under the carpet." Abi, a criminology student, said marking painful anniversaries should not be the responsibility of survivors and grieving families. “It’s hard enough for us to just come to terms with what happened, so we shouldn’t also be burdened with the pressure of figuring out a way to mark the day. It makes each anniversary that bit more difficult.” 

Energy is the foundation of all economies.  Independent control of energy determines the independence of a nation.  It channels all the political energy sucked out by the political right into a constructive direction to create jobs, cheaper energy and create a widespread base for economy to make the UK's industries more competitive and to reduce the UK' appalling balance of payment's deficit. The UK consumer economy is on a trajectory towards the increasing poverty of its citizens. The balance of work needs to be redirected towards genuinely value added activities rather than consumer, administrative or other non productive employment.  Value added activitities reduce dependence on goods supplied by foreign sources or create goods for export. An expanding economy creates jobs: a declining economy relies on cost cutting including putting people out of work and dependent on the state or their savings. Cost cutting has been the go to policy of private corporations, whereas prosperity relies on work and opportunity being widely spread throughout all classes in the community.   Innovation is needed and innovation requires nurturing rather than being for sale on the world market.  

 I care because youth clubs have been a lifeline for so many young people I know. They’re places to feel safe, have fun, and get support from adults who care. But not all young people are covered by existing funding — and that means some might miss out this summer. That’s not fair. With the cost of living what it is, families are already stretched. If we don’t act, too many young people could end up isolated, anxious, or at risk. I’m supporting this campaign because I want every child to have the same chances: fun, food, friendship — and a safe place to be. 

We strongly object to plans for an office block up to 18 storeys tall which threatens to stamp on Whitechapel High Street.   It would cast the Canon Barnett School into shadow and tower over the playground, harming pupils’ health and wellbeing and invading the school’s privacy.  It would cause a drastic loss of light for nearby residents.  A building of this scale, outside a Tall Building Zone, would tear through the Whitechapel High Street Conservation Area and the valuable character of the historic East End. Only the facades of these characterful Victorian and Edwardian buildings would survive demolition, reducing them to the wallpaper of an overscaled office block.  There has been strong local and national opposition to the plans, with 300 objections including from parents, residents, the Whitechapel Gallery, Toynbee Hall, the East End Preservation Society and national heritage groups. Despite this, Tower Hamlets Strategic Development Committee voted that they are minded to grant permission for the scheme on 15 January 2025.   We call on the Mayor of London to do the right thing and use your statutory powers to direct refusal of this application by the Local Planning Authority, or to take over the application and refuse it yourself, in line with Tower Hamlets’ planning officer’s recommendation.  It’s time to listen to the community, refuse this scheme and find a better way forward for Whitechapel and its conservation area. 

We cannot bear to see and hear the starving children without trying to do something to help. But no amount of money will help right now if none of the aid agencies are allowed in! It is left to those in power to act. Please join me in asking Keir Starmer to use his power and authority as Prime Minister to act for us and for the people of Gaza. 

  Gentrification is driving thousands of families, key workers, and minority communities out of their homes, eroding the fabric of our cities. We demand a new approach that puts people before profit, protects our diverse communities, and guarantees the right to remain for all.  

David Attenborough has during a long career revealed to us many of the wonders of the natural world. In "Ocean" he shows us the devastation resulting from indiscriminate, factory fishing.  Current practices will turn the seas into wet deserts without life. Factory fishing will have cut its own throat and leave much of the world's population gaping. But he also demonstrates why he, at the age of 99 years, still has hope.  The evidence presented makes it clear that the sea-bed if, undisturbed, can regrow its living partners and their full diversity in a few years. These areas spill over beyond their bounds to re-seed wider areas which can be fished. Fishing can become sustainable.  World leaders at The Ocean Conference must collectively agree on action. The UK must argue for this from the basis of having taken steps now to ensure a future for fishing. 

Reducing congestion inside the toilets, supports better hygiene practices, and is a more convenient and accessible solution to washing your hands before and after a climbing session.  

Are you fed up with companies claiming plastic is compostable or biodegradable when there is no way it can be? So are we! TL:DR  Compostable dog poo bags DO NOT break down in the open environment. As they are only sent for incineration or landfill, we do not believe manufacturers should claim they are compostable or biodegradable. Our ask We would like dog poo bag manufacturers and retailers to remove anything that suggests plastic dog poo bags will break down from all marketing; including, the bags themselves, websites and adverts. This includes but is not limited to the words “compostable”, “biodegradable”, and green claims like “eco”, “environmental” or “good for the planet”. Basically, we want all dog poo bag manufacturers and retailers to follow the guidance laid out in the Green Claims Code. Why? For three primary reasons: • Dog poo should not be composted (home or industrial) so suggestions that a dog poo bag will break down or be composted is false • We believe suggesting dog poo bags break down encourages littering as people believe the bag will disappear over time – it won’t • The better material for dog poo bags to be made from is recycled plastic, generating a market for flexible plastic recycling, which will have mandatory household collection from 2027. This will avoid flexible plastic going to incineration, which is the current trajectory, without a clear market for the output. The problem With 13 million dogs in the UK, and around 36 million bags used a day, this is a massive problem. Add into that the estimated 260,000 people who leave the poo bags lying around, according to Keep Britain Tidy who support the petition, and we feel this is a problem we need to sort out.   Aren’t compostables better? Elephant (or should that be dog) in the room, compostables must be better for the planet, right? Well… not quite. Here’s the thing; context matters. When it comes to plastic, how it’s used is just as important as what it’s made from. And in this case, dog poo should never be composted or recycled. So, why do companies claim it will be? Compostable plastic can be useful, it can reduce our reliance on oil-based plastic (although most compostables dog poo bags are not made of plants - see the FAQ on our website for more), and in specific applications could be better than traditional plastic. Examples of uses that could be better than non-compostable plastics include food waste liners, bags for fresh produce and meats, and even tea bags. We are not proposing to ban the use of compostable plastic in dog poo bags, as some companies may feel it is the best plastic to use and we do not want to restrict any innovation. However, we do not believe these products should be marketed to the public as such if there is no way for them to degrade in the UK.  Worse still, the word “compostable” creates confusion. A small but problematic number of dog owners assume that if the bag is compostable, it’s okay to leave it behind. That it, and the poo inside, will magically vanish. Spoiler: it won’t. But wait, aren’t compostable plastics made from plants? Doesn’t that make them better? Not necessarily. Any plastic can technically be made from plants, but making compostable plastics from bio-based sources doesn’t guarantee a lower carbon footprint. In fact, compostables and virgin plastic can have a carbon footprint around 30% - 80% higher than recycled plastic! To make matters worse, according to Pet Impact (another campaign supporter), most compostable poo bags are made with oil-derived plastics, see the FAQ on our website for more. The truth Here’s the bottom line; compostable dog poo bags will never be composted. They end up in landfill or incineration.  There is precedent for this. In 2019, the Advertising Standards Authority ruled that Ancol Pet Products Ltd could not use the line “these thick waste bags are biodegradable to lessen your dog’s impact on the environment” as claiming biodegradability on a bag that had no route to biodegrade was misleading. Despite this, most dog poo bags today are marketed as “compostable” or “biodegradable”, and many contain the word “eco”. This could not be further from the truth, and we believe is nothing more than greenwashing.  That’s why we’re calling for a ban on environmental claims on dog poo bags that don’t adhere to the Green Claims Code. Let’s keep it simple, sustainable, and honest, and save the word “compostable” for products that are actually compostable. The law The Advertising Standards Authority published new advice in April specifically addressing claims surrounding biodegradable and compostable products. The key tenets of this advice state that marketers should: • Ensure claims that products are biodegradable or compostable are genuine • Don’t exaggerate the biodegradeable content of the product • Don’t omit information material to a product’s ability to biodegrade or compost • Ensure absolute environmental claims apply to the product’s full lifecycle We believe that compostable dog poo bags fly in the face of each of these points. Yet the advice is just that - advice. It isn’t legally binding and producers are not compelled to act on it.

Right now, thousands of people seeking asylum in the UK are being housed in unsafe hotels and barges, cut off from communities and support. Some have faced serious harm - including abuse, racism, and even death. These are people fleeing war, violence, and persecution, but instead of safety, they’re met with isolation and fear. The Ministry of Justice is even currently preparing prisons in case of more far-right riots this summer, like we saw in August 2024. Hotels housing asylum seekers faced arson and violence last year, and remain vulnerable targets, yet there has been no update to evacuation or safety plans. In their 2024 manifesto, the Labour Party pledged to end the use of hotels and barges as housing. But since the election, hotel use has actually increased. Ultimately, the Government is spending millions on private contracts for accommodation that fails to meet even basic standards. This system doesn’t work - for people seeking asylum, for local communities, or for public funds. Why should you join us? Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. This campaign is about more than asylum - it’s about fairness, dignity, and the kind of society we want to live in. If we come together, we can demand a better system: one that houses people in our communities, invests in social housing, and treats everyone with respect. Add your name to call for change. Let’s build a future based on compassion, not contracts.

Bridge Park isn’t just part of Brent’s story—it’s part of Britain’s. We, the undersigned residents and supporters of North West London, write to express our collective support for the listing of Bridge Park Community Centre (formerly Stonebridge Bus Depot) as a site of national historic and architectural significance. Bridge Park is far more than a building. It is a powerful living testament to what can be achieved when communities are given the freedom to lead, build, and transform the environment around them. Born out of the Harlesden People’s Community Council (HPCC) in the early 1980s, Bridge Park is Europe’s largest Black-led community enterprise centre, developed in direct response to the 1981 uprisings. At a time of intense racial tension, poverty, and social unrest, a group of young Black Londoners took ownership of a disused bus garage and turned it into a centre for training, sports, cultural activity, and childcare—a model of hope and healing when it was most needed. 1. Historic Significance Bridge Park was a radical, community-led response to structural inequality. It reflects the lived experience of marginalised urban youth and the strength of grassroots leadership. The project stands as a rare example of sustained Black civic enterprise and self-determination, directly recognised by the (then) Prince of Wales in 1988, who called it “one of the most important developments I have seen in this country for a long time.” It offers a vital counternarrative to the dominant histories of decline and disorder. It shows a people-led vision of Britain’s urban and multicultural future. 2. Architectural Significance Bridge Park is a pioneering example of adaptive reuse. A former bus depot reimagined by local people into a multi-purpose civic space. Its design directly reflects the values and needs of the community that shaped it. It is a monument to democratic architecture—where vision was born from lived experience, and the building’s function served real social purpose. 3. Inclusion, Diversity, and Equality Listing Bridge Park would demonstrate Historic England’s commitment to its Strategy for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equality, especially Action 2: recognising more representative and diverse heritage. It would protect not just bricks and mortar, but the memory of a movement that redefined public space, ownership, and community agency—especially for those too often excluded from the official record. 4. A Call to Honour Our Shared Heritage Bridge Park’s story is not only Black history or Brent history—it is British history. A national story of resilience, creativity, and pride. To deny its listing would be to erase a critical chapter in the story of modern Britain. To grant it would be a courageous act of historical justice. We respectfully call on Historic England and the Secretary of State to: • Grant listed status to Bridge Park under application reference 1493686; • Recognise its special historic and architectural interest; • Acknowledge its critical role in shaping inclusive national heritage. Bridge Park must be protected—not just for what it is, but for everything it represents.

These proposed cuts to benefits must be stopped at all costs as they will only cause pain, misery and despair. They will also push people into poverty or worse to an untimely end.