Time Restrictions 🕤 Over half a million disabled people in England live in areas with restrictions on disabled bus passes. Under the statutory minimum, disabled people can only use their bus pass between 09:30 and 23:00. The peak time restriction makes it harder and more costly for disabled people to get to work, education and healthcare appointments. Removing time restrictions on disabled bus passes would remove many barriers and help more people into work, training and education. It would also allow disabled people to be more independent and participate actively in their communities. You do not start and stop being disabled at particular times of day, so we believe that disabled people should be able to travel by bus at all times of day. “Hans Gording, an employment support worker for a disability charity, suffers from Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder which restricts his mobility and vision. Hans said: "Disabled people are issued a bus pass for a reason but cannot use it in North Yorkshire before 9am. This discriminates against those like me who cannot drive but need to commute to work or attend regular morning hospital appointments.” ” Companion Passes 👥 Some disabled people cannot travel alone by bus and require a companion or carer to support them on bus journeys. However, they have to pay a full fare for their companion. This is a cost that can quickly add up and is a deeply unfair barrier for many disabled people, who are already economically disadvantaged. “Patricia Clements, a former staff nurse, lost her sight in 2022. When Hampshire County Council scrapped their Companion Pass in April 2025, it made it harder for her to visit the eye hospital, do voluntary work for charities and stay well by going swimming. “People who help us get on and off buses are volunteering their time and it seems wrong to make them pay to do so,” she said.” How to end the postcode lottery: The system is broken in England. Local authorities can voluntarily offer ‘enhancements’ that extend validity hours or offer free travel for companions. But there is a postcode lottery, with some areas providing a range of enhancements, and others just the statutory minimum. Local and national political leaders then blame each other for the restrictions. Providing 24/7 disabled bus pass validity and a companion pass for those who need one would cost as little as £10.3 million per year for all 870,000 disabled bus pass holders in England. This affordable reform would also boost the economy by helping more disabled people into work. It is an astonishingly low price to pay for enhancing disabled people’s wellbeing and independence! Scotland and Wales already provide 24/7 disabled bus passes and companion passes. It’s only England that has a postcode lottery.  It’s time to fix this broken system. We call on the government to guarantee throughout England 24/7 validity for disabled bus pass holders and free travel for a companion if they cannot travel alone.

I worked in the coal industry throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, and later in the petrochemical and cement sectors for the rest of my working life. I’ve seen how vital these industries were to the UK’s economy, energy security, and working communities — and how their decline was driven not by lack of potential, but by political decisions that favoured outsourcing and foreign control. Today, the UK’s net zero strategy is repeating those mistakes. We rely heavily on foreign investment, imported energy, and outsourced supply chains. That means fewer UK jobs, exported profits, and a loss of control over the infrastructure and materials that will define our future. We still sit on vast reserves of coal and other natural resources that could be repurposed — not for burning, but for extracting rare earth elements and industrial chemicals essential to clean tech and manufacturing. With modern technology, we could build a clean energy strategy rooted in British innovation, British jobs, and British resilience. This petition is about making sure the transition to net zero benefits the UK — not just foreign companies. It’s about rebuilding our industrial strength, protecting our communities, and securing our future.

As a retired primary school teacher, I can see the harm that's increasingly happening with friends' children, and the difference it's made at those schools I know of that have banned them 

Drumbeat Outreach is a highly-valued local service working with autistic young people, families and schools across Lewisham. Earlier this year, over 1,800 people raised their voices to object to an attempt to cut back the small Drumbeat Outreach team. The proposed cuts were paused as a result.    However, the plans have not gone away, and a devastating “restructure” is now underway. Staff are being forced through a consultation that will lead to a third of the team being lost. The reduction in this small team’s capacity will have a major impact on the service they can provide. The crucial changes have not been consulted with the expert Drumbeat Outreach team or the families, young people and schools who will be affected by them. Short-term cuts are being pursued at the expense of our children’s mental health and educational futures - this is neither ethically nor fiscally sound decision-making. If you ask any parent or carer of an autistic child or young person in Lewisham, or school staff or other frontline professionals working with them, which service helps to understand and support their needs you are likely to hear one service singled out: Drumbeat Outreach. Drumbeat Outreach work under Service Level Agreements with mainstream schools in Lewisham. In addition, they work to a Service Level Agreement with the Local Authority that ensures free-at-the-point-of-use groups and services are also delivered. Funding from Lewisham to Drumbeat Outreach has been maintained at the same level since 2012 despite massive increases in costs since this date. Current funding cannot sustain the same level of services. Despite assurances that a 5% increase is being put forward as part of the current consultation, this is entirely inadequate to address the increased costs that have accumulated over the years. Drumbeat Outreach sits under the management of Drumbeat School but have a distinct role and largely autonomous working model. Financial management of the Drumbeat Outreach budget has exposed the problems of this specialised team sitting within a school that has no involvement in its work. Yet instead of putting effort into developing a more appropriate structure and home for the Drumbeat Outreach service to flourish, preserving its expertise and reputation, current efforts are incomprehensibly focussed on cutting it back.  Behind the scenes in Drumbeat Outreach is a highly experienced team with decades of professional and personal experience supporting neurodivergent young people and working with schools. Those who work with them understand that their deep, transformative impact across schools, wider systems and services, is achieved by being constantly on hand for advice and expertise, tuned into professional forums and community networks. They are known for always being one step ahead, identifying new areas and issues where families, young people, schools and others need support and adapting to meet emerging needs. Cutting this service back to the bone will have a deep impact.  There are countless forums for strategising, information-sharing, consultation and co-production around SEND and autism in Lewisham, yet the plans to cut back Drumbeat Outreach’s capacity were never discussed at these before they were put to the team as a formal consultation for job losses. These forums include: the All-Age Autism Strategy and its Partnership Board, the Parent and Carer Forum, the Lewisham Local Area Partnership for Children and Young People’s SEND Strategy “Have Your Say” events. Similarly, despite 1800+ parents, carers and supporters raising their concerns earlier this year, no efforts were made subsequently to consult on, share information about, or even allay fears around the revised restructure. We believe this is because there can in fact be no evidence to justify this cost-saving process. We remind Councillors that while the government makes increasingly clear that the future direction is to ensure children with SEND (of whom around 70% in Lewisham are or come to be diagnosed as autistic) are educated in inclusive mainstream settings, Lewisham Council will be making devastating and irreparable cuts to the one team that know how to make this a reality. Rather than cutting Drumbeat Outreach, Lewisham Council should be proudly proposing it as a model service to be adopted nationally.

Hackney Council is planning huge fee hikes for community nurseries. Some families could face fee increases of over £10,000. Many parents are being forced to consider cutting their hours, leaving their jobs, or pulling their children out of nursery altogether. Some are even thinking about leaving Hackney. That means less income tax for the government — and less council tax for Hackney. It just doesn’t make sense. This comes just as the government and the Mayor promised more support for childcare but instead, parents here are being asked to pay more than ever before. We, the undersigned parents and carers, are asking Hackney Council to pause the hikes, speak to families, and look at the real impact these increases will have.

They save NHS a lot of money providing 24 hour care 7 days a week they should be paid for the care they do irrespective of age when they retire and continue to do care as an OAP.  Age Equality is very important.  The NHS and social services are struggling with low funding these people do excellent care save resources. She be paid a fair amount regardless of age. 

Why You Should Sign: The UK government plans to remove the automatic right to trial by jury for thousands of criminal cases, replacing it with a new “intermediate court” system, where a judge and two magistrates decide guilt without a jury. This would apply to offences like: - Theft - Assault - Criminal damage - Fraud - Protest-related charges These aren’t minor infractions, they’re serious cases with life-altering consequences. Jury trial is a cornerstone of justice. It protects us from: - Biased judges - Political interference - State overreach - Unjust prosecutions It ensures ordinary people, not just the state, have a say in justice. The government claims this is about “clearing the backlog.” But the real reason our courts are overwhelmed is a decade of cuts, closures, and underfunding. Not too many jury trials. And here's the real danger: Once jury trials are removed for one group of offences, nothing stops future governments from expanding that list. Fraud today. Protest tomorrow. Speech next. This reform sets a dangerous precedent. It opens the door to a justice system controlled from the top, with less accountability and no community oversight. This is how civil liberties die. Slowly, bureaucratically, and with no way back. Sign this petition to demand: - No abolition of jury trials - No closed-door “intermediate courts” - Real investment in public justice - Protection for one of our oldest democratic rights Justice must stay in public hands. Sign now. Share everywhere.

Rumours started swirling that Rachel Reeves might slash the tax-free cap on Cash ISAs from £20,000 to £4,000 after meeting with a group of bank executives back in February. [1] Now it looks like those plans could be revived at next month's Autumn Budget. [2] Cash ISAs (individual savings accounts) are the most popular kind of savings account in the UK. Tax-free and low-risk, they help 18 million of us to save billions for a rainy day. But the Chancellor is being lobbied by big city firms to cut the allowance so that savers are pushed into moving their money. Reducing the Cash ISA limit - while keeping the stocks and shares ISA allowance the same - would unfairly push people into making riskier investments. No one should be forced to gamble their savings to help rake in *even more* profit for City bankers. After U-turning on bankers bonuses, we can’t let Labour bend to the will of big banks again. The government should not restrict Cash ISAs. Tell Rachel Reeves to #ProtectCashISAs - add your name to the petition now. [1] The Guardian: Savings providers vow to fight any attempt to cut cash Isa limit to £4,000 [2] The Independent: Martin Lewis warns Rachel Reeves’ cash ISA cut plan will upset millions

He's  a bully and dictator and shows no respect  to others

It no longer feels appropriate for primary aged children to have to wear a shirt and tie for school. There is a growing body of evidence which suggests that wearing comfier clothes has positive impacts on attendance, wellbeing and achievement.  It is old fashioned and not reflected in society so seems unsuitable for young children.

As I have said in my statement above. Do we love our countryside as it is now?  If we want to continue seeing our beautiful ancient trees, then please join our campaign!  This is for our Children and Grandchildren of the future.  Thank you 

In a video shared on a secret WhatsApp group, a child pulls back the elastic of a high-powered hunting catapult, and laughs as the steel ball smashes into the squirrel’s tiny skull. The rise of  "Catapult Killer Influencers" is disturbing. Across the UK, children and teenagers are buying military-grade catapults hunting for "content". [1] They target anything that moves: from nesting swans and foxes, to family pets – filming the torture to share on social media for likes. It’s pure cruelty for "clout". [2] Did you know, it’s illegal for anyone under 16 to buy a kitchen knife. Yet a 9 year old can buy a "tactical" hunting catapult, capable of killing a large dog,  as currently there are no age restrictions in place. [3] But, we have a rare chance to end this. This month the Government is reviewing the laws around offensive weapons, and a massive wave of public outrage could push them to act, and ban the sale of catapults to children – mirroring the laws that already exist for knives. Sign the petition today and then share it with your friends and family so we can help stop the sale of catapults to children? It will only take a few seconds.  A recent investigation uncovered a network of nearly 500 teens and kids in these "kill  groups", some primary school age. [4] They share photos of their "scores" – disturbing images of animals they have injured or killed with their catapults.  Currently, the law is powerless to stop them buying the weapons. Police may catch kids with these catapults, only to have to hand them back because possession isn't illegal, and neither is the sale. [5] The Crime and Policing Bill is the perfect opportunity for the Government to ban sales to under 18s.  We don't need a whole new law; we just need to close this loophole in the current Bill. [6] Let’s shut down the supply chain of these killer influencers. [1] Daily Mail: Rise of the catapult killer 'influencers': Children as young as 8 are brutally killing wildlife with slingshots [2] Guardian: RSPCA urges vigilance as weapon attacks on cats more than double [3] Sky News: Children using catapults to kill and torture animals before sharing 'sick' images on WhatsApp [4] BBC: What are the laws around carrying catapults? [5] Gov.uk (2025): Crime and Policing Bill factsheet.