I realise that during Covid 19 it is only fair to accept that to a certain degree a governments focus can only be on the one thing. but it feels to me, that while this has been happening, the Scottish Oil Industry has crashed with very little news coverage or government intervention. 1000's of people have lost their jobs, 1000's of people are now in the position of having to sell their homes. the stamp duty must be reduced to encourage buyers which in turn assists the many in dire situations to sell their homes quicker before facing repossession or bankruptcy.

Evidence has been produced that the Post Office engaged in a mass cover up which led to the wrongful prosecution of 550 Post Office Staff many of whom were subsequently jailed, bankrupted and in some cases, sadly took their own lives. The initial Post Office investigation in 2012 failed to find any issues and as a result in 2012, Second Sight, an independent investigative firm were brought in to investigate complaints that the Horizon system used in post offices was inaccurate, buggy and could 'lose money'. Despite pledging full co-operation initially, Post Office subsequently withheld documents from the investigation and Paula Vennells later failed to answer a select committee when challenged on why this documents had not been produced as requested. The damning report, marked as 'confidential' stated that the Horizon system was 'not fit for purpose' and among their discoveries were 12,000 communication failures every year, software defects at 76 branches and that the system was failing to track money from lottery terminal, tax disc sales and cash machines properly. It concluded that rather than investigate the cause of such errors, Post Office instead accused sub-postmasters of theft. The Post Office dismissed the report which was subsequently leaked to the BBC in 2014. Despite Paula Vennells assertion that Post Office "have been working with Second Sight over the last few weeks on what we agreed at the outset. We have been provided the information" to Parliament at her select committee appearance in 2015, the lead investigator for Second Sight, Adrian Bailey, when asked if this was the case said categorically, "No, it is not" which meant that he could not access files to back up his suspicions that Post Office Ltd had brought cases against sub-postmasters with 'inadequate investigation and inadequate evidence'. The requested files had still not been handed over to Second Sight 18 months later. In March 2015, on the eve of the Second Sight report publication, Private Eye reported that the Post Office had instructed Second Sight to end their investigation, destroy all paperwork and scrapped the independent committee that had been convened. In 2019, a class action case, Bates & Ors v Post Office Ltd, was settled by the Post Office in favour of the 550 sub-postmasters for over £58 million. Mr Justice Fraser, the judge in the case concluded that the approach of the Post Office: "amounted, in reality, to bare assertions and denials that ignore what has actually occurred, at least so far as the witnesses called before me in the Horizon Issues trial are concerned. It amounts to the 21st century equivalent of maintaining that the earth is flat." Mr Justice Fraser, so concerned by what he had seen in the case, has passed a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions. In the Lords, Baron Arbuthnot of Edrom said in November 2019: "My own suggestion is that the government should clear out the entirety of the board and senior management of the Post Office and start again, perhaps with the assistance of consultancy services from Second Sight, who know where the bodies are buried.". Having been handed a CBE for services to the Post Office, and moved out into other senior positions in government and healthcare, it is only right that this award is now withdrawn through the process of forfeiture. Paula Vennells has subsequently refused to answer questions from these staff as well as the media and has refused to apologise for the cover-up, misery and trauma caused which has brought not only herself but the Post Office, the honours system and government into disrepute.

This is a path that allows residents to commute and walk or cycle to Maidstone, it is used by hundreds of residents every week and provides a safe route away from the main roads used by HGV lorries.

Since its foundation in 1934, the British Council has worked effectively to develop cultural relations with other countries and to support international mobility. The British Council now works with more than 100 countries worldwide, creating benefits that have fundamentally changed the lives of millions of people. This work is of enormous significance in the way we are able to understand and appreciate other cultures in often turbulent times and of course, in the ways that we are able to promote understanding of our own. The British Council has been a major disseminator of knowledge about the United Kingdom and the English language through its work in Education, Society, Arts and development projects, which benefit the partner countries and the UK. Although it is a public body under the auspices of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the government response to the British Council’s financial situation has been slow, and the British Council’s future is now significantly under threat. Unlike most public bodies, the majority of the British Council’s income, 85% of it, comes from commercial activity in teaching English and delivering UK examinations abroad, along with other projects. There are over 11,000 British Council employees worldwide who promote a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language; encouraging cultural, scientific, technological and educational co-operation with the United Kingdom. Approximately 203 of 221 British Council teaching centres and schools abroad were closed and 26 out of 41 test centres were also closed due to Coronavirus pandemic measures. This cut off the major source of income. Some teaching and exams services have moved online, where possible, and there is limited activity in some countries where the pandemic restrictions are easing. However, this is not enough to generate the income required. These closures are having a devastating impact on the cash flow and financial reserves of the organisation with money likely to run out in the coming weeks unless vital and urgent additional government funds are secured So far, there has been a small amount of additional money allocated to the British Council. The FCO are reviewing the operations of the British Council, and if emergency funding is offered it is likely to come with conditions which could be detrimental to the future of the organisation. British Council employees could face wage reductions and redundancies. The organisation could be cut back or brought back under a tighter control by government ministers, losing its arm’s length and independent status which is an important factor in its global success. Any government review of this valuable national asset should not be behind closed doors, any recommendations should be public and open to scrutiny. We need to act now, to ensure the UK government provides the financial support to save and preserve the British Council, before it is too late.

Robert Milligan (1746-1809) was a leading figure in building the east London docks, in part, to trade in slave-harvested goods from the Caribbean. Milligan owned 526 slaves who worked at his sugar plantation and much of his wealth was acquired through the trade and exploitation of slaves. While we as East Enders and Londoners express our solidarity chanting Black Lives Matter, it is painful to walk past a proud statue of Robert Milligan which was erected to commemorate and celebrate his life. Milligan has no place in London, and he does not deserve the honour of a statue. This should be reserved for those who have fought for equality and social justice this world is desperately crying for. Following the events in Bristol and to express our solidarity to our black brothers and sisters throughout the world it is only right that we remove the proud statue of Robert Milligan from West India Quay in Canary Wharf, Tower Hamlets. As much as we appreciate the value of history, we should not glorify the enslavement of individuals by displaying a statue of a slave trader. The East End has a proud history of fighting against injustice and inequality. Today it is our duty to remove this symbol which only resonates pain, suffering and inhuman treatments of fellow human beings for profit. https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/public38/images/councillor.gif

Some street names glorify the people who profited from slavery. These same people were paid to give up their slaves and made a vast profit from this vile industry. Henry Dundas who was a powerful politician in the 1790s who delayed the abolition of the slave trade by fifteen years. His family were slave owners. In the fifteen year delay, some 63000 slaves were not given their freedom. Also, there should be a review of all streets in Scotland bearing the names of known slavers. Change the name so that we do not to glorify the name of any known slaver. Any statue plaques should have a modern interpretation and a full history detailed to educate the public.

Edward Colston does not deserve to be associated with Bristols Music and Arts scene. Thankfully the venue acknowledges that and has decided to change the name. "We want to look to the future and ensure the whole city is proud of its transformed Hall. The name Colston, and its associations with the slave trade, does not reflect our values as a progressive, forward-thinking and open arts organisation. We want everyone to feel like they can come to the Hall and enjoy amazing music.” I believe we should honour local legend 'Big Jeff' and name the venue after him, he's the heart of the local music scene and a true Bristol icon.

Horses are strong and powerful animals that take years of training or “breaking in” to tame. Like any animal they are never 100% under control and nor should they be. The use of horses within the police force as a means of “crowd control” has and never will be acceptable. The unpredictability of an animal so large amidst crowds is reckless at best. For the safety of the animal and the general public we advocate for the liberation of all animals from public service and demand the Scottish Government start by reviewing the use of horses within the police force.

On 2nd October Cumbria County Council voted once again to approve the first deep coal mine in the UK in 30 years. We assume that this vote will require ratification given that the Secretary of State had delivered a holding direction asking you not to approve the decision until his say so. We urge you not to ratify the decision. Nowhere in the UK has there been deep mining in over 30 years. The good news is that there is now a renewed opportunity for the County Council to overturn their previous terrible decision. Granting permission for a new coking coal mine under the Irish Sea would fly in the face of the Council's own climate, environment and health commitments. What are people saying? Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk This coal mine would be situated at the beginning of the world famous Coast to Coast walk at St Bees Head "I have the pleasure of enjoying the first small section of Wainwright’s coast to coast on my doorstep. A tourist asset that you should protect. I am appalled that Cumbria County Council (CCC) has allowed this green space in Pow Beck to come under threat with a large coal yard." Martin Kendall- Local Resident High Costs of Production "I was astonished to see a proposal to open a deep coal mine in a coalfield which had high costs of production and at a time when the climate emergency demands the phasing out of coal". Robert Wharton. Operational Research Scientist with National Coal Board 1967 to 73. Former consultant with KPMG often advising clients on the viability of investment projects. Sellafield is just 5 miles away. "Jem Bendell, the author of the widely read paper Deep Adaptation points to the very real danger of human extinction from nuclear catastrophes, due to societal collapse as a result of climate chaos. However, to date, nuclear catastrophes have all taken place in highly organised societies which have made bad decisions. This proposed new coal mine so near Sellafield must rate as the worst decision yet". Marianne Birkby - Radiation Free Lakeland Impacts of Climate Change "Extinction Rebellion West Cumbria is appalled at the recent decision by Cumbria County Council to ratify their decision to open a new deep coal mine. The impacts of climate change are being felt by communities across the planet. Decisions such as this can no longer be seen in isolation and must be challenged." XR West Cumbria Ecological and Economic Damage, Human Suffering and Loss of Life “If it proceeds, the mine is likely to result over its lifetime in greenhouse gas emissions amounting to something of the order of one year of UK national emissions. The impacts of these emissions could include considerable ecological and economic damage, as well as human suffering and loss of life.” Laurence Michaelis Expert Reviewer for the IPCC Adverse Effect on Nesting Seabirds "Disturbance of nesting seabirds during construction and operation... The development has the potential to have an adverse effect upon the St Bees Head SSSI through disturbance to both breeding and wintering birds during construction and operation." RSPB “Offshore Subsidence – resuspension and dispersal of radioactive contaminants. The documentation has confirmed to NWIFCA that a risk of subsidence exists and therefore there remains an overwhelming concern over the potential for disturbance and resuspension of radioactive contaminants and sediments.” North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority

As an older single dad (59) I am at significant risk if I contract Covid 19. I am my son's only living relative and as such if I contract the virus and either become very ill due to my age or even worse die, my son will be placed into care. I currently have 10 weeks worth of FSM vouchers I have been unable to redeem as the only way to do so is to visit the store, risking contamination and the threat of my son being placed in care as a consequence. I have a really low income and I feel it is grossly unfair that my son should go without the £15 p/w towards buying food because Morrison's won't offer this service online.

A man, known only as Elvis, who had lived in the UK for 10 years and worked as a cleaner, died at home of coronavirus, after having severe symptoms for two weeks. He did not seek help from the NHS because he was scared he’d be landed with a huge, unaffordable bill for his treatment, or that he would be reported to immigration authorities. The Government’s hostile immigration policies mean that many migrants are too afraid to access the NHS, even if they have coronavirus symptoms. The NHS was founded on the principle of universal healthcare, that everyone could access for free, regardless of background, nationality, or ability to pay. The Hostile Environment means this is no longer the case. No one should avoid healthcare because they are scared of the debt they’ll incur, or that they’ll be deported, especially not during a public health crisis like Covid-19. The nature of coronavirus means that we are only as protected as the least protected amongst us. A recent report published by Migrants Organise, Medact, and the New Economics Foundation, told stories of many migrants avoiding accessing healthcare services during coronavirus because they fear being charged, or facing immigration enforcement. It clearly shows that adding Covid-19 to the list of conditions exempt from charging is not enough to ensure people can access care. There is widespread and growing outrage over the policy. Seven health institutions in the UK, including the British Medical Association, 100 civil society organisations and community associations, and 60 MPs, have all demanded that the government ends NHS charging for migrants and data sharing with the Home Office. It’s time for everyone to join this call for the Government to take emergency action to end NHS charging and data sharing during the coronavirus crisis. To defeat coronavirus we must stand together, support everyone in our communities, and ensure the NHS is free and safe for all who need it. It is our NHS. It should treat #PatientsNotPassports.

Research has shown that uncut grass supports higher numbers of insects and invertebrates, which are a food source for birds and small mammals, therefore increasing biodiversity. Furthermore, wild areas full of flowers also support emotional well-being and can reduce stress levels.