• Nigel Mills should stand down from the Work and Pensions Committee
    Nigel Mills admitted to having "probably had a game or two" of Candy Crush during a Commons committee hearing on pensions, but still claims he was "fully focused" on the meeting. The Work and Pensions committee help to make decisions that will effect the lives and futures of millions of people across Britain and Nigel Mills's actions, and flippant attitude in response to the allegations, demonstrate a huge lack of respect for the people he represents and how trivially he views his work as an MP, whilst perhaps underscoring a wider issue of accountability in the commons. It's time politicians took our future seriously! This is not a game!
    82 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Matthew Crowley
  • KILL DIESEL FUMES
    Diesel fumes are a dangerous hidden killer in major cities of the UK. Tons of diesel particulates are breathed in by British people every year, unseen and causing untold illness and early death through their inhalation. Cars, lorries, diesel trains at stations, chocking us with this stuff every day of the year. Paris has a strategy to eliminate diesel pollution by 2020. But in the UK, their is no strategy. No serious and thorough monitoring of diesel vehicle emissions in our cities accompanied by restriction of traffic if dangerous levels are reached. No long term strategy to reduce the usage of diesel cars and trucks overall. No strategy to eliminate highly polluting diesel trains by speeding up the electrification of the rail network and replacing ancient rolling stock. Why not? Because the government couldn't care less. The government are happy to allow pollution of our cities with these noxious fumes, little caring about the appalling health effects, and making no attempt to restrict them. Cyclists, pedestrians, babies in prams, open food displays, everybody using our city streets and railway stations, are breathing in the dangerous, and unseen diesel particulates, slowly but surely damaging their health. Something must be done. Starting now. Sign this the petition to demand that the government take immediate and effective measures, and implement a strategy to drastically restrict diesel fumes from wrecking the health of many British people, setting targets for drastically reduced limits of measurable diesel particulates.
    134 of 200 Signatures
    Created by david evans
  • Reduce the cost of landline rentals.
    How many of you with a landline actually use it? Ofcom proposed an upto 8% cost reduction, yet the costs have just gone up by 6%+!! Ofcom produced a report that proposed the reduction in the costs of landline rentals over a number of years. At the time of the Ofcom report, 11th July 2013, the wholesale cost of a landline was £93.27 per annum or £7.77 per month. These are phone lines rented from BT by the likes of Sky, and then re-sold to Sky subscribers at a cost of £196.80 per annum or £16.40 Ex VAT per month (current price after latest price rise). The current landline rental price from Sky Is £16.40 Ex VAT per month and that's a rise of 6.49% on last years cost - yet Ofcom proposed a reduction in these rental costs! Ofcom stated in its published article 11th July 2013, and I quote: "Wholesale line rental: the regulated wholesale price today is £93.27 per year. Under Ofcom's proposals the prices will fall in real terms by between CPI - 2% and CPI - 8% every year" and if the proposal was successful the reduction in charges would come into effect on 1 April 2014 and run until 31 March 2017. CPI = Consumer Price Index. See full details of Ofcom's proposals here:http://media.ofcom.org.uk/news/2013/new-prices-for-landline-and-broadband-services/ What happened to Ofcom's proposals as monthly costs for landlines are still rising? Perhaps this text below explains the price rises?! According to a BBC article; Latest figures from the regulator, Ofcom, show that consumers spent three billion minutes fewer on their landlines in the year to June 2014, a reduction of 12.7% in one year alone. As a result, operators lost out on £85m of revenue compared with the previous year. "Call volumes are declining," said James Barford of Enders Analysis. "People are using Facebook or WhatsApp, or even email if they're a little old-fashioned, so operators are having to recover their costs from increased line rental," he added. see full article here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30251029 The landline price increases: Sky: up by 6.49% to £16.40 a month BT: up 6.25% to £16.99 Virgin Media: up 6.25% to £16.99 Talk Talk: up 4.7% to £16.70 Why are the costs of landlines still rising and what happened to Ofcom's proposals to reduce the costs of landlines? We all understand that companies have to make money but making a margin of £103.53 per year, per landline, per customer is scandalous, especially when the likes of Sky do not have to do any work or maintain the landline, as they pass this job back to BT. We do understand there are processing costs associated with these charges though!! Let's put this into context:- SKY have 5.3 million subscribers who need a landline to receive the full TV service from Sky and use their broadband services. So, all the subscribers have a phone line, thats 5,300,000 x £103.53 (Sky's margin on landlines) = £548,709,000.00 income from landlines per year! That's over HALF A BILLION plus revenue, per year from landline charges! BT, Virgin and Talk Talk are making vast amounts of money as well from landline rentals per month. There where as of December 2013 - 22.6 Million residential and SME broadband connections - do the maths at £103.53 margin per connection! See full details here: http://media.ofcom.org.uk/facts/ 'Margin' is the amount of money made by Sky when charging for a landline:£16.40 x 12 = £196.80 less the £93.27 quoted by Ofcom = £103.53 Margin. What about the elderly that don't have SKY TV or Talk Talk TV or BT TV/Sports? These are people that need a landline to stay in contact with family and the outside world? The fact that it costs them £16.99 + VAT per month or £203.88 +VAT per annum for a landline from BT is outrageous. Is it any wonder some elderly people will not put the heating on? They probably can't afford it when they are paying £16.99 + VAT a month NOT TO TALK! In 1995 BT ran an advertising campaign with the late great Bob Hoskins and the strap line was "It's good to talk". Their next advert should use No Doubt's song 'Don't Speak' as the backing track and they should have a Dick Turpin character holding a sign with the strap line "It's great for us!" or they could pay Bork to use her version of the song 'It's Oh So Quiet" with an elderly person in a cold house, staring at the landline telephone!! The more people that sign the petition the better. "Come on BT, Sky, Talk Talk and Virgin, show some community spirit and immediately reduce the costs for landlines for the elderly and for those who need landlines to communicate with the outside world because they are house bound. Individually we can moan about the costs of landlines, sign the petition and collectively we could get cost reductions as proposed by Ofcom. Please sign. Thank You Philip Smith-Lawrence
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    Created by Philip Smith-Lawrence Picture
  • Keep the Eurostar
    The small amount we receive in profit is apart of our Welfare State and should go back to the few public services we have left. Our Government seems to be trying very hard to privatise our NHS and ALL of our transport services and the ten million pound yearly profit from the Eurostar should play a small part in financing what our nation needs the most. The money made from selling it will disappear very quickly and we will never know how that money was spent. Every time we have privatised a public service, such as the Royal Mail, the estimated profit was never reached and it just so happens that George Osborn's close friend, Peter Davies bought the most shares. Interestingly, very few other share holders made any profit where Davie's is said to have made £18 million. It is important that our politicians realise that if they sell everything the State owns, then there will be nothing left to help the Nation in benefits, health and education. These are fundamental issues that are not being looked at enough by our Government and the Eurostar is just one example of how, little by little, our Welfare State is being shredded to pieces. Please sign this petition in the hope that this will play a role in saving our services. We shouldn't sell business's that generate any kind of profit which could be put back into our system.
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    Created by Michelle Klein
  • Excise Licence Duty misappropriation by Government
    It's important that the Inland Revenue are fair to the tax payer. Collecting for days you didn't use the car on the road feels like theft. I got caught twice because I have a private number plate. I had to pay road tax for the vehicle I was buying on 14th November. By the time all the documents were returned & I took delivery of the new car on 2nd December, I lost the whole month. I correctly sent off the sale part of the V5 for my old car on 2nd December but won't get a refund for any of December, it's unfair.
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    Created by Stuart Walker
  • Stop the Casualties and Deaths on Rural Roads
    Our rural roads are becoming lethal to everyone . Many have no pavements.Both drivers, horseriders, cyclists, horses, pedestrians are being killed or injured on a regular basis. Animals are also getting slaughtered on the road such as horses, donkeys, dogs. Outside some stables many rural roads are 60mph and horses have to get across the road. Some rural roads have become residential after farms are becoming family homes and yet the road can be 60mph. Many parents do not allow their children to walk along the country roads as the roads are so fast., and there is an obesity epidemic. Elderly and disabled people struggle to walk on the roads to get to their letterbox. Commuters risk their lives every time they walk to the station or bus stop. Massive HGVS and coaches now use narrow country lanes adding to the hazard. It is time for change.
    27 of 100 Signatures
    Created by E Charrington
  • Don't force Andrew Lansley on the UN
    Lord Malloch Brown, the former UN deputy secretary-general and a crossbench peer, said if Lansley got the job it would be a sign Cameron had used the global organisation for a “political dumping”. He told Channel 4: “This is one of the most difficult, important jobs in the world. There are millions of people in desperate situations from Ebola victims to victims of war in Syria who are highly dependent on the humanitarian activities of the UN. It’s an act of great cynicism to allow someone who does not have background and qualification in this area to be put forward.”
    16 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Alastair Barber
  • Find a new landing spot near Basildon Hospital for Essex Air Ambulance
    Having a site near Basildon Hospital will save vital minutes between onset of illness to the patient receiving specialist medical care in hospital. Therefore it is paramount that in the case of cardiac arrests and other heart problems; there is a dedicated landing site allowing these patients the best chance of survival. It would be a tragedy if this crucial and life-saving service lost its ability to serve our community. The Essex Air Ambulance team are attending an increasing number of cardiac arrest cases and for them to lose their ability to do their work is something we should all make a stand against.
    23 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Richard Gregory
  • Andrew Lansley should not be appointed as UN Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs
    The role of this UN secretary is vitally important in saving lives and livelihoods in emergencies that arise as a result of man-made and natural disasters. It is a post that requires experience, and knowledge of international relief efforts and diplomatic skills to permit the co-ordination of relief efforts by various nations at a time of great need. Lansley does not have such experience or knowledge and he is not a trained diplomat.
    84 of 100 Signatures
    Created by ian manners
  • 'None of the Above' ballot option
    At present voters in the UK do not have an option to indicate their lack of confidence in any of the candidates (or their parties). If they write their concerns on a ballot paper it is treated as a spoilt paper. I believe we should have the right to express our views if we feel that none of the candidates are suitable to become members of parliament.
    82 of 100 Signatures
    Created by john hodgett
  • Harvey Nichols are still selling items made with real fur
    I've just watched PETA's shocking video about fur farms in "Origin Assured" countries (http://petauk.org/originassured) and I can't understand why Harvey Nichols continues to support animal cruelty. Video footage shows how on fur farms in Finland, Sweden, the US and other Origin Approved countries, animals such as raccoons, rabbits and minks are kept in filthy wire cages, sometimes alongside the rotting corpses of other animals, and are often left to suffer from open, untreated wounds and even missing limbs. Please support this campaign and share it via soical media Thanks Tom
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    Created by Tom Moore Picture
  • protect our natural world form further harm
    John Swinney promised his would be the 'greenest government ever'. Yet he's come out in clear support of fracking, a new way of extracting yet more dirty fossil fuels, just when the UK should be leading the world in moving to clean renewable power. I call on John Swinney to focus on clean, safe and renewable energy solutions instead. I call on you all to reconsider your position on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, immediately and instead champion energy sources which do not risk our global climate, local environment or our health. in the parish of Airth ( Letham) 7 people i know have bowel cancer i lady aged 86 ( my mother in law) died of it in 2010 my ex husband + 1 living in Letham have skin cancer , an have both had 3 opeartiontoremove living tissue numerous people living and working in Letham have kidney cancer and other ailments the govt insisted at Aorth Castle last week that they could issues CPOs to the local farmers this is not a greener Scotland this is a death sentence Signed, Sonia McLay
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    Created by Sonia McLay