The Ospreys have produced 17 British and Irish Lions players over the last twenty years. So even if you're not Welsh remember this will affect the future quality of the British Lions. 

• The most recent report by the Resolution Foundation, has hit out at the alleged stagnation in living standards across the country, claiming that the UK is “'languishing' 15 per cent behind the likes of Germany, France and Canada in GDP per head.’  • Food poverty is increasing: individual households are paying exorbitant rates for elecricity and gas. • Everyone has heard of the plight of the Food and Entertainment (particularly Pubs) - post Brexit and Covid.  • Music venues suffering from lack of support. • The UK chemical industry is facing a significant decline, marked by sharp output contractions (around 20% in recent years), driven mainly by uncompetitive, high energy/gas prices post-Ukraine war. A common factor in all these cases is the high cost of energy.  • Prof Michael Grubb of the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources said in a recent research paper that, although fossil fuels used to be cheaper than renewable energy sources, “that has turned on its head as gas prices shot up and the cost to produce renewables such as wind and solar power has plummeted”. He said: “If we actually paid the average price of what our electricity now costs to produce, our bills would be substantially cheaper.” • However, gas-fired power plants in effect set the market price for electricity – meaning costs are substantially higher than they could be. In simple terms: the price in the electricity market on any given day is dictated by the most expensive source of generation available, which in the UK would be its gas-fired power plants.” Energy Giants have been making outrageous profits. • The corollary of this daylight robbery is that Energy giants made over £125 billion in profits from UK operations since the energy crisis started, with £40 billion in the last two years (as of late 2025).  • The energy regulator, Ofgem, states it regulates to ensure fair costs, but is clearly protecting producers and Network owners at the expense of consumers. • Energy and utility bosses are paying themselves outrageous salaries.

Functional Neurological Disorder affects movement, speech, vision, pain, bladder control, seizures, and daily function. Symptoms are real and disabling, comparable to conditions such as stroke, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis. People with FND often wait years for a diagnosis. Many are told their symptoms are psychological, dismissed, or passed between services without a plan. After diagnosis, support often stops. No clear pathway. No follow-up. No specialist care. Care depends on postcode. Some areas offer specialist teams. Many offer nothing. People manage seizures, paralysis, chronic pain, and loss of independence alone. Families often step in without training or support. The science exists. Clinical guidance exists. Multidisciplinary treatment improves outcomes, yet access remains inconsistent. Across the UK, people report gaps between diagnosis and access to meaningful support. This highlights the need for properly delivered, consistent care rather than guidance that exists only on paper. This gap causes harm. People lose jobs. Relationships break down. Mental health declines. Trust in healthcare erodes. A national NHS care pathway would change this. Earlier diagnosis. Joined-up care. Clear responsibility. Equal access. Dignity. People with FND deserve the same seriousness, care, and respect as anyone with a neurological condition.

Dartmoor Prison has been empty for over 18 months after toxic gas made it unsafe. Yet, with no prisoners inside, taxpayers are still forking out around £4 million every year in rent to Prince William’s Duchy of Cornwall.  It gets worse. The cost for repairing the prison could be as much as £68 million, and we'll be expected to foot the bill. This is an unacceptable waste of public money while our prison system is overcrowded and underfunded.  That’s why we are calling on our future monarch, Prince William, to do the right thing: stop charging the taxpayer rent for this empty building and help fix the mess at Dartmoor. Doing so could save millions of pounds in public money, which could instead be invested in improving our prison system, supporting rehabilitation, and easing overcrowding.

1. Harm to Residential Amenity (Privacy, Noise and Disturbance)   The siting and scale of the proposed dwellings would result in unacceptable overlooking, loss of privacy, and increased noise and disturbance to existing residents. The development would fundamentally change the quiet enjoyment of neighbouring homes and gardens.   No adequate assessment has been provided to demonstrate that noise from increased residential activity, refuse movements, and deliveries—particularly given the site’s enclosed, ravine-like topography—would be properly mitigated.  2. Loss of Biodiversity and Harm to the Conservation Area Setting   The site performs an important ecological role as a green buffer adjacent to Plumstead Common Nature Reserve, a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation. The proposal would result in significant biodiversity loss, including the removal of mature trees and habitat.   In addition, the scale and engineered nature of the development would harm the setting and landscape character of the adjacent Plumstead Common Conservation Area, eroding its semi-natural character.  3. Fire Safety and Emergency Access Concerns   The site is landlocked and lacks suitable vehicular access for fire and emergency services. The application relies on internal fire suppression systems and pedestrian access routes, which do not provide a safe or reliable alternative to proper emergency vehicle access. This presents an unacceptable risk to future occupants and neighbouring residents.   4. Parking, Traffic and Construction Impacts   The absence of on-site parking would worsen existing parking pressures on surrounding narrow residential streets, harming highway safety and residential amenity. The application also fails to demonstrate how construction traffic, heavy machinery, materials, and excavation works could be safely managed without causing disruption or damage to neighbouring properties.  Furthermore, the application has incorrectly counted parking spaces on Manthorpe Road which is permit parking only. 5. Planning Consistencies and Precedent The proposal design and appearance are not in keeping with current locality and any decision must be consistent with established officer judgement and as it stands is incompatible with Local Plan DH1 and DH(a). Case Ref 21/3156/DP (2021) was refused because a dormer was judged over dominant and congruous, harmful to character and appearance, and out of keeping with the locality.   Case Ref 132/471F was refused due to out of keeping with the host property and fail to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Plumstead Common Conservation Area, contrary to Policies 7.4, 7.8 of the London Plan, Policies SD1, D1 and D16 of the Unitary Development Plan, Policies DH1, DH3 and DH(h) of the Draft Core Strategy and the Plumstead Common Conservation Area.   Case ref 90_0184P was refused due to the proposed development having an adverse effect on the local environment and on the amenities of adjoining occupiers  by reason of noise and other disturbance contrary to Policy ENV15 of the Borough Plan.  

Make it mandatory to have a licence before using the public roads. I think if all road users had to know the highway code they and the road would be a much safer place. They would understand the roads and be less reckless if they had a licence to lose. The roads have changed so much since the highway code began. There are too many cars and large vehicles on the road now for the average cyclist to not HAVE to know the highway code before they use the road. Most public roads are a minimum of 30mph which will easily kill a cyclist. It will save lives and make the roads a safer place for all road users.

The United States benefits enormously from the global use of the English language, which originated in England and underpins American business, diplomacy, technology, and culture worldwide. At the same time, the US has chosen to impose trade tariffs on the UK and other European partners, despite long-standing political and economic ties. This campaign is not about hostility, but about fairness and reciprocity. When traditional trade measures are used aggressively, it is reasonable for the UK to respond with creative, symbolic pressure that highlights the imbalance in the relationship. By supporting this petition, people can call for a more confident and imaginative UK response that defends British interests and challenges unfair trade practices in a peaceful, proportionate way.

There is mounting concern over the award to Donald Trump after he has invaded Venezuela, capturing their president with a missile attack; attacking his own citizens with his ICE troops; threatening to take Greenland the easy way or by force; and now threatening his closest allies with tariffs if he doesn't get his own way. He is not a man of peace, he is a warmonger. Tell FIFA to strip him of their PEACE PRIZE!

These professionals are being employed more and more, many working beyond their scope, eg. in GP, seeing undifferentiated patients (against the Leng recommendations). Patients have died due to PAs working above their competencies.  Trusts are still advertising for PAs/AAs when the role should be taken by a doctor, many of whom face unemployment. Patients are confused by these various 'consultants' who are not medically qualified. They think they're seeing a doctor. Doctors are being replaced! There is no way this should be the future for our NHS!

These were initially used only when teams came onto the pitch but are increasingly used every time points are scored.  Every use pollutes the air, adding to climate change, and can't be good for fans - and especially players - breathing in the smoke. We should be doing all we can to reduce the use of fossil fuels, and this is just one example where they are needlessly escalating, damaging health and the climate. 

Cats are beloved family pets, yet unlike dogs and farm animals, drivers are not legally required to stop or report it if they hit a cat. This leaves injured animals to suffer and families devastated. Ziggy was our much-loved, sweet natured family cat. When we bought her home as a kitten, my then 5 year old daughter fell in love and they have adored eachother since.  When she was knocked down, the driver didn’t stop 💔 In that awful moment, the only help I received came from the kindness of strangers - a neighbour who helped direct traffic and a veterinary nurse who happened to be passing by and gently helped move Ziggy to safety. Sadly she had passed, but I honestly don’t know what I would have done without them in that moment. A cat hit by a car doesn’t always die instantly. They can be injured, frightened, and crawl away to suffer alone. If a driver stops, that animal has a chance. If they don’t, that chance is gone. Since sharing Ziggy’s story, there has been an overwhelming outpouring of support and so many others have shared their own heartbreaking experiences of cats hit by cars where drivers didn’t stop. It has made one thing heartbreakingly clear: this is not rare, and it must change. A government response to a previous petition on 8th December 2025 stated "The Government has no current plans to mandate that motorists report a collision involving a cat, or to grant Police powers to prosecute motorists who fail to report a collision involving a cat." Common decency clearly isn’t enough. The law must change! We are calling on the UK Government to reconsider their decision and update road traffic legislation so drivers are legally required to stop and report it to the nearest vet if they hit a cat, bringing cats in line with dogs and farm animals 🐈 This change would: - Reduce unnecessary animal suffering - Give injured cats a chance to receive help - Spare families the trauma of not knowing what happened Ziggy's death was a tragedy and we are all heartbroken. However, she will not have died in vain if we can help change the law in her memory. Please sign and share widely 🙏🐾💕 Written by Cllr Laura Edie, Green Party member for Newtown, Dartford 

Childminders provide essential childcare for families across the UK, often working long hours from their own homes. Unlike larger childcare settings, childminders absorb the full cost of increased household use — including heating, electricity, water, cleaning, repairs, and general wear and tear caused by running a childcare business from home. HMRC’s decision to remove the 10% wear-and-tear allowance and prevent childminders from claiming a fair percentage of household bills will significantly reduce already low earnings. These costs do not disappear simply because they are no longer recognised for tax purposes. At a time when the childcare sector is already facing a staffing crisis, rising costs, and increasing pressure to offer funded places, this change risks forcing many experienced childminders to leave the profession. Fewer childminders means fewer childcare places for working parents and increased pressure on nurseries and local authorities. Childminders are small, home-based businesses. Treating us as though household costs are not a legitimate business expense is unfair and out of touch with the reality of our work.