Reekieleaks calls for Transparency, Accountability and Honesty in our Public Institutions. The remit of this petition is more finite, but the clarion call is for accountability to start somewhere, here ... as a 1st step. This is important because the very fabric of local democracy is being cynically abused by those at the top of institutions that are set up to protect citizens. Dame Sue Bruce, the 5 Directors of Edinburgh Council, 58 Councillors, MSPS and Nicola Sturgeon are all refusing to collectively answer legitimate concerns, preferring to hide behind the flawed 'independent' Deloitte Reports which cost taxpayers Millions on top of irrecoverable losses due to the fraud. These are 'Reports' that Deloitte themselves referred to as 'at best patchy' due to the lack of information they received from the Council to allow them to investigate the scandal fully. Many Millions have been wasted that should have gone to good causes, thousands of residents have been and are still being caused undue stress. In the region of 3000 to 3500 Statutory Notices were issued per year on Edinburgh properties, that equates to approximately 20,000+ individual notices! The Scandal is known to have been going on for at least 10 years. Those on the inside say more. These figures are staggering, yet as Councillor Rose stated recently to the BBC “The implications are that what we saw at court [22/06/2015] was the tip of the iceberg. For the sake of the council and the people of Edinburgh this needs to be out in the open, otherwise suspicions will 
continue”. We at reekieleaks.org.uk could not agree more. As yet most of the perpetrators go free (only 4 have been jailed), and the systems that allowed it to happen go unchallenged by the public. If we do not challenge them, they will occur again. Do not believe Councillor Alasdair Rankin's protestations that investigations have been 'robust' and 'independent'. CEC has tried to contain the problem in the ill-advised belief that it is for the greater good if the true extent of corruption and malpractice is not known. What is for the greater good, is the rooting out of corruption and maladministration so that ever penny of taxpayers' income is put to good use in the future. And that those manifestly not fit for office are never again allowed into office ... not simply conveniently moved into other positions. The Police launched an investigation in 2011 which was dropped by the Crown reportedly due to lack of evidence. According to the few Councillors within City of Edinburgh who are prepared to fight against institutional stone-walling: there are wide-spread allegations from within and outside the Council that this was because staff had been ordered to shred damning documentation en masse. This is borne out by the fact that Deloitte confirmed that so much crucial documentation, in hundreds of cases is indeed missing. There are only two plausible possibilities as to why the documents are not there: the first is institutional incompetence, and the second is that they were systematically destroyed. Given this did not happen elsewhere in the Council and that there must be rules about sound data management, the latter is the more likely. Detective Inspector Arron Clinkscales, of the Organised Crime Unit at Police Scotland, has promised that officers would liaise with prosecutors if further allegations surfaced (Edinburgh Evening News, 22/06/2015): “It could mushroom, it could escalate. With public sector corruption, there are more and more people willing to come forward to speak out. I think [the recent convictions] will prompt people to come forward.” Let us hope he is correct. Who was in charge at the time? What was the chain of command? What orders were given to staff? What is known within CEC that would prove wide-spread fraud? Why have staff been sacked or moved by CEC with no disciplinary or legal charges brought against them? Why is Dame Sue Bruce not engaging in open and transparent conversation about this scandal with Constituents who are writing to her directly? Why are countless Freedom of Information requests being refused and information willfully withheld? We the Public deserve to know how much was wasted by corrupt officials and contractors through the years of the Statutory Notice Scandal, how much has been spent on external consultants in the attempt to draw a line under the fiasco, who was to blame, and what concrete implementations have been made to ensure that this never, ever happens again. Now is the time for conscientious citizens (inside and outside the Council) to come forward and fight for a truly democratic, honest and accountable local government in Scotland's Capital. Please support this campaign, and reekieleaks.org.uk in the fight for an honest and competent Council.

Recently my daughter had to spend 7 weeks in hospital, just before taking her AS level exams. When she went into hospital she was in the paediatric ward and had access to their excellent full time school, 5 days a week. Due to her age she was transferred to the adult ward, in the same hospital, and she went from full time educational support to a 45 minute once a week session with a teacher, funded on a charitable basis. We had no idea that education is not funded for children aged 16 to 19 in full time education whilst they are in hospital. The government funds education for under 16 year olds in hospital, but once they turn 16 there is no funding. It is hard enough studying for A levels when you are well, even more difficult when you are ill in hospital and impossible when you are offered next to no support. The government encourage children to stay in full time education or training, but discriminate against those unfortunate enough to be hospitalised whilst in education, by not funding this essential service. Please support my petition to get the government to fund post 16 education in hospital.

We all now how important Human Rights are in the 21st century. We fight for the equal employment rights for women, we fight for the equality in regards to different races and cultures, however we sometimes forget to fight for ourselves. Yes, I am aiming this at you: young generation living in the United Kingdom. Car insurance companies in the UK are claiming that young drivers are a much higher risk to other road users, thus they deserve to pay premiums, which 90% of us can not pay. Did they test your driving skills? Do they know how well aware and careful you are when driving on the road? No! I believe this means that we - younger generation are being discriminated against based on our age, despite the fact that the majority of young drivers are much more careful on the road than perhaps the older generation. I, my self have been driving in this country for 5 years now - I am 23 years old, which means that I have 5 years of No Claim Bonus's. However, I still somehow end up paying over 3.000 pounds per year for my car insurance. And no - I do not drive a BMW or a Mercedes; it is a Toyota. The Government, despite knowing about the situation does not seem to be doing much about it, so I believe it is time for us to stand up and fight for our rights - just like the others do. We just simply want to drive! Just like the others. It is our right, given by the Government to be able to own and function a vehicle, and the only forces that stop us from doing so are the insurance companies.

Castlefields Park is habitat for buzzards, owls, squirrels, songbirds, turtle doves, bats, and insect life, and mass tree removal will disturb them greatly. The birds require high trees in which to perch; the trees are a precious asset to the park and the community. Please sign the petition and also email your concerns to [email protected]. Thanks.

There are many people forced into renting in the private sector by local councils because they don't have enough social housing to provide them with a secure, affordable home, now Mr Cameron wants to cut housing benefit which is sure to hit these people the hardest, force them back into the homeless system which then again puts pressure on local councils to provide social housing which there just simply isn't enough of! So what then? Local slums? Stuck in B & B's? Ot back into tge unaffordable private sector? Its a un thought through situation and utterly rediculous

Imagine being asked to lay your life on the line for your Country, now imagine being given no option to do otherwise, this was the case for many of our National Servicemen. Imagine further being forced to stand and watch Nuclear explosions, without the knowledge it would cause you and your families serious medical issues and often death. Imagine you and your family running the risk of being shot or blown up every day, not in a war zone but here in the UK by PIRA just for wanting to defend our fellow countrymen. I’ll not ask you to imagine dozens of other scenarios our armed forces were asked to perform as part of their ‘normal duties’. You haven’t been asked to because others before us have done so for generations. They have previously asked for nothing in return, but we think they deserve an official symbol of this country’s gratitude. This sounds like something any government would want to do doesn’t it? After all Her Majesty has already authorised similar recognition for our Kin in Australia and New Zealand. But Hang on, this governments says absolutely not!! This doesn’t sound like something that could possibly happen in Britain in 2015. But for our Veterans reaching the twilight of their life see a Country that has forgotten these selfless acts of loyalty and duty in maintaining the freedoms we enjoy today. The scandal of a recent medal review has been swept under a carpet and kept out of the public domain with Freedom of Information acts being rejected in order to protect a Government which openly sneers at our brave Veterans. Official documents will not be released, why? Sign the petition now to make sure that the Cabinet Office and MOD hears our message: stop ignoring our veterans contribution and issue an NDM. Please click here to add your name: Wherever you stand on our Armed Forces, treating our veterans in such a shabby and disrespectful way is not the decency mark of a civilised society. 38 Degrees members stand for fairness, and we work together to make Britain a more compassionate place. Fighting for recognition for our forgotten Veterans and against the appalling treatment of those most willing to protect our freedoms will help create the kind of Britain we want to see. This is an issue of great National importance as it reflects the way in which our country values and recognises the commitment of those young men and women who keep our country safe and free. It takes into account the unique circumstances of serving in the armed forces, the loss of a high level of personal freedom, the inherent risk of being a member of the armed forces, being subject to Military law and the commitment of the individual to put country before self. It recognised and honours both those who serve now and will serve in the future and those who have served, been injured, maimed and killed in the line of duty regardless of when or where that duty took place. Can you sign the petition now to give our veterans the recognition they deserve.

It is invisible then turns yellow after 4-5 days You can sit in parks and unknowingly become ill. The World health Organisation and Breast Cancer Research now belief it is probably carcinogenic.It is believed its causing Breast cancer and 32 other diseases.

Carers save the nation billions of pounds every year by looking after friends and relatives. They give up jobs, money and their personal lives to do this for no pay. The disabled cannot always work. No-one wants to employ people who may have to take a lot of time off sick or for hospital appointments. The poorest people in our country are getting poorer. Why? Because this Government wants to cut their supply line, along with the disabled and carers. We need to stand up for ourselves and each other. We need to stay alive. As an unemployable disabled carer, this latest round of cuts announced impacts on me in all three directions. Where will I be this time next year? Who knows?

These crops are a known potential major health hazard to all living organisms, hence why they have been banned in many countries across the globe. They will also affect non GM foods, the soil, water and more, causing contamination via winds carrying seeds. This is a major issue that will result in major health issues from now and years to come affecting you, your children and the future of our food industry.

On 18th June Fife Cultural Trust, who run Fife's libraries on behalf of Fife Council, announced the proposal to close 16 libraries across the county: Glenwood (Glenrothes), Thornton, Markinch, Pitteuchar (Glenrothes), Kinghorn, Crail, Lundin Links, Pittenweem, Colinsburgh, Falkland, Freuchie, East Wemyss, Bowhill, Crossgates, Abbeyview (Dunfermline) and Townhill. These libraries provide many people with vital internet services and access to books that they would otherwise not get. Many unemployed people or those on low income cannot afford internet contracts and therefore use the libraries for this: closing them means far more restricted access to things like online banking, bill payments and job searching. Some of the areas affected are rural and by closing these internet access points they will have to use public transport to travel further afield; this is money they do not have, and may lead to benefit sanctions if they cannot apply for jobs. Update (23/6/15): Local councillors have managed to stall the closures by demanding Fife Council give a public consultation. While this is great news we still need to continue having our voices heard.

Petitioning for regulated training and better monitoring of unqualified sales reps and 'wellness coaches' ** Edited ** Please note this petition is not aimed dorectly at Herbalife and juice plus, there are others, arbonne shakes, forever living, aloe cleanse. It is also not about banning the products. I am petitioning for regulated, standardised training for and better monitoring of sales reps** Have you ever looked at the ingredient listed in Herbalife and juice plus shakes? Do you even know what the ingredients are? To pick two; microcrystalline cellulose is a term for refined wood pulp. Calcium citrate is the calcium salt of citric acid, a food additive usually used as a preservative. Processed chemicals with added sweeteners that is turned into a powder! 30-40grams of sugar per 100grams? (Then there’s the whole Soy debate.) Of course you will lose weight using these shakes, but this is because you are consuming a dangerously low amount of calories. But using these shakes will have a long term detrimental effect on your health. You will severely damage your metabolism. The weight being lost is not fat, it is mainly water, however being in a calorie deficit for any length of time will put you into a catabolic state, this means you start to eat into your muscle. So although you may look smaller, you are storing just as much dangerous fat. The high sugar levels will also affect your blood pressure and cholesterol. These shakes are not sustainable, so when you start to eat 'normally' again, your new slowed down metabolism won't be able to cope. After using the shakes you may be lighter initially, but you haven't learnt any new healthy habits or received any guidance from properly trained nutritional specialists, which is why weight gain and YoYo dieting occurs. These Products are unhealthy, long term, they are dangerous! While I would like them banned completely, I’m afraid that is unrealistic! At present anybody can sell these products, anybody! This should be enough to scare you off! I am a fully qualified personal trainer and nutritional advisor with specialised qualifications in Pre and post-natal exercise as well as numerous Group exercise classes. Myself and a lot of my ‘Fitness Industry Friends’ spend time and money learning and educating ourselves about how the body works. We are regulated, we have to pass assessments, complete refresher courses, and we are insured; and so we should be! People’s health is kind of important! The people selling these products however, the ‘wellness coaches’ or ‘health experts’ that work in offices, sell cars, own hair salons; they preach about these products and how the body works without spending a single day on a nutritional course or doing any research (Outside of the 20minute power point they get sent). I call for these companies, the FDA and Jeremy Hunt MP to better monitor and control unqualified sales reps; Customers should be informed of the long term risk. Sales reps need to be given adequate nutritional training before being allowed to advise others on their health! Sales Reps should not be allowed to make ludicrous statements about curing arthritis or post-natal depression with these products as I have seen locally. Sales reps should not be able to target venerable overweight or post-natal ladies. Unqualified, uninsured sales peoples should not be able to run boot camp or buggy burn sessions as a sales technique (which is happening in my local area). Please do not be fooled by these friendly Sales Reps; you will lose weight, but this is not a health product! Shouldn’t be marketed as one and certainly shouldn’t be sold by the local postman!

Whilst the original scheme was for one of the most beautiful structures ever proposed – and had already affectionately earned the nickname ‘the helter-skelter’ – the new tower is incredibly mundane at best. Not only is the new design entirely uninspiring but it is completely out of scale with its surroundings. Over the last decade a collection of iconic towers each in proportion to the other has arisen in the city. The new tower’s boxy form is not only boring but the way it hulks over its surroundings completely detracts from them. Now the developers maintain that the redesign was necessary as the curved panels which formed the beautiful summit of the original design were too expensive. Given the fact that rental rates in the city are soaring and the fact that there are significant costs associated with redesigning the scheme, demolishing the current works and delaying completion by several years, it would hardly seem worth it even if the focus is solely on the bottom line. However, whatever the scale of the impact on the bottom line, its absolute minimization cannot be the sole focus regardless of any aesthetic costs when it comes to a structure of this size that will completely dominate views across London for well over a century. Obviously I am against the current design and will sound like an anti-development campaigner. However, nothing could be further from the truth. I am a skyscraper enthusiast as I believe high density design is environmentally friendly and can create an exciting skyline. I just fear that the scheme will turn public opinion in the city against the development of further high-rises. While I argue that bad designs should not be approved, I believe the government should use all resources available to actively encourage good developments. When presented with a scheme of such high quality design as the original Pinnacle proposal, the government should do everything within its power to ensure that it comes to fruition. If, as the developers claim, the original design was too expensive, the government in its capacity to both encourage business and beautification of the cityscape, should have found ways in which to increase the financial return on the structure. For instance, permission could have been given to extend the tower by another forty meters or so. Not only would this have provided another ten stories of rentable space, but it would have, at 328 meters, secured the title of tallest building in the European Union and maintained it in 2020 when the Hermitage Plaza towers open in Paris. I know that some will say that chasing records is a wasteful egotistical exercise, but I am sure the majority of Londoner’s would rather host the tallest structure on the continent than play second-best to Paris. I do believe there is an inherent benefit in pursuing beautiful, record breaking projects. If an attitude of always settling for the mundane – such as this new proposal – is allowed to propagate, it eventually feeds through into the psyche of the surroundings. Meanwhile, an environment where the boundaries are forever being pushed has an invigorating atmosphere that stimulates achievement and aspiration throughout the population. I do not believe that when Britain produced the fastest locomotives at the end of the 19th century, when America launched its moon missions and the Classical world constructed its glorious monuments that each of these was merely a product of its countries technological leadership at the time. Rather, I believe pushing to develop world beating structures is inspiring to the population and drives further progress back into society. I therefore think government must encourage good design, not only by denying permission to ugly buildings but by doing everything possible to encourage the development of great ones. Now I know that one or two people may complain that slightly extending the height of a tower would make it overbearing. But I do not think it would be more than two as I do not think there are many people who would be perfectly content for a building of 288 meters to be constructed by their property but not one of 328 – hardly anyone would be able to tell any difference at all. In fact the vastly more noticeable impact of increasing the height of a skyscraper is that the extra capacity it would yield would allow for the demolition of an entire crumbling tower block somewhere else and its replacement with a park. I am aware that the very earliest proposal for the Pinnacle was for a tower of 307 meters and this was vetoed by the Civil Aviation Authority. However, I really do not think that we should be allowing poor airport planning to spill over into poor city planning – especially in the heart of the United Kingdom’s economy. Rather than stunting the development of this city, the CAA should be looking to address the utter inadequacies of its infrastructure with a new hub airport that would eliminate flights over central London.