Up until the 1980s buses in England were mainly run by local councils and transport authorities. Then deregulation meant that buses had to be sold off to private companies. In London Transport for London were allowed to move to a franchised system where routes, fares and standards for vehicles were set and private companies bid to run each route. Users need not care who runs their bus as their tickets will work on any bus but can expect a constant experience. However in the rest of England we have a patchwork of private operators. They get to decide what routes to run and their frequency. They set the prices and usually won't accept tickets from other operators. While in London Bus usage has gone up in the rest of the country it has declined. We want West Yorkshire Combined Authority to take control of our buses for the benefit of everyone in West Yorkshire. Creating a proper network of reliable buses built around the needs of the region. More profitable routes can be used to cross fund less profitable but vital routes. Currently bus companies can make profits from busy routes and then get additional public money to run the vital services subsidised by councils. There is now legislation to let this happen, the Bus Services Act 2017 [5] finally allows Combined Authorities to move to a franchised system like London's. Only last week Greater Manchester CA announced their plans to proceed with these new powers [6]. WYCA can't currently do this as we have no elected mayor because of a dispute with central government around how devolution should work in Yorkshire. Once this is sorted out we want WYCA (or any Yorkshire-wide Authority that replaces it) to move to a franchised system as soon as possible. However before then there is an opportunity. FirstBus and Arriva's parent companies are about to put their West Yorkshire operations up for sale. Together they represent more than 80% of bus services in West Yorkshire [4]. We are calling on the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to take action to buy these operations. This will make it much easier to move to franchising in the future but will allow some of the benefits of this to be realised now. There will be a cost to this now but this money should be recouped when the buses are sold to companies biding for the franchises in the future. We are also calling for action to be taken to prevent FirstBus splitting up their operations to make them more attractive to potential buyers. This has happened in Greater Manchester and has resulted in route between areas being cut back and less profitable routes cut. This has had an immediate impact on people who rely on these services but also could make it harder for GM to implement its franchising plans. The current system of multiple operators is fragmented enough. Please share this petition if you care about our bus services; if you are a passenger, a potential passenger or see the congestion-reduction, environmental and social benefits of more people using them. References and further reading: 1 - https://www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/all-news-and-blogs/west-yorkshire-combined-authority-to-consider-role-in-sale-of-bus-services/ 2 - https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/politics/bus-services-could-be-brought-back-under-public-control-combined-authority-claims-1-9866367 3 - https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/politics/bus-privatisation-attacked-as-transport-chief-hints-at-changes-for-first-and-arriva-bus-networks-1-9851619 4 - https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/local-news/first-bus-yorkshire-sale-could-17027301 5 - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/558349/the-bus-services-bill-an-overview.pdf 6 - https://tfgm.com/future-travel/bus-reform Image credits: Licensed under Creative Commons from Stefan Baguette. For license and image information see https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Volvo_B7TL_First_West_Yorkshire.jpg

Please sign this petition, and share everywhere. You can donate to our charity for our future via paypal: https://www.paypal.me/usurpartcharity Our charity started the first gallery and affordable studios in the borough 10 years ago led by diverse local residents and volunteers. We are an arts hub for learning, meeting and organising, and the only secular, artist-led space in the area. We work locally, nationally and internationally, bringing in knowledge, skills and resources to help communities thrive. 100s of artists, writers, performers and musicians have been supported. Tens of 1000s of people have participated in our contemporary arts and cultural activities, and over 200 people have found work / gone on to study thanks to our award winning learning and mentoring programmes. Unique to Harrow, we support LGBTQ+ people in shared creativity and introduced Arts Award to the borough, training 12 Arts Award Advisers. We are applying for funds to find another space and need your help. You can donate to our charity for our future via paypal: https://www.paypal.me/usurpartcharity #isupportUSURP www.usurp.org.uk Charity no: 1183720

Fracking pollutes the water, destroys our countryside, and can cause earthquakes big enough to damage homes. The emissions from dirty energy pollute the air and cause climate change, endangering our precious environment. Country after country has banned fracking, but our government still supports the fracking industry. Sign the petition now, and call on the government to ban fracking to protect our communities and the environment from this dangerous form of energy extraction.

Physically harming children in any way has no place in 21st century Britain. The Scottish Government are banning violence against children in any forms, but in England it’s still legal to harm a child so long as you don’t leave a trace. Experts have made crystal clear how dangerous and damaging any kind of violent, abusive treatment of children is to their mental health and development. There’s never an excuse, and it’s time the law made that clear. If you think children in England deserve the same protections as children in Scotland, will you add your name to the petition today?

It’s hard to imagine just how traumatising walking through an anti-abortion picket must be. Women have holy water thrown on them, leaflets on drug addiction stuffed into their hands and are followed by shouts of “mummy, mummy don’t kill me”. That's not peaceful protest, that's intimidation. Right now, Britain is being increasingly influenced by US-style tactics, where women are harassed and intimidated as they enter clinics. It’s time for the government to make sure that women making the private decision to visit a family planning clinic are treated with dignity and respect, not bullying and abuse.

Last year, London Overground planned to close 51 ticket offices on the network. When thousands of London Overground passengers opposed the closures the Mayor said he would keep the ticket offices open. However, London Overground is now planning to cut hours at 45 stations and close the ticket offices altogether at Brondesbury, White Hart Lane and West Hampstead. In addition to the three proposed closures, the following ticket offices are facing cuts to hours: Acton Central, Anerley, Brondesbury Park, Bruce Grove, Bush Hill Park, Caledonian Road & Barnsbury, Camden Road, Canonbury, Carpenders Park, Clapton, Dalston Junction, Dalston Kingsland, Finchley Road & Frognal, Gospel Oak, Hackney Central, Hackney Downs, Hackney Wick, Haggerston, Hampstead Heath, Hatch End, Headstone Lane, Homerton, Honor Oak Park, Hoxton, Imperial Wharf, Kensal Rise, Kensington Olympia, Kentish Town West, Kilburn High Road, Penge West, Rectory Road, Rotherhithe, Shadwell, Shepherd's Bush, Shoreditch High Street, Silver Street, South Acton, South Hampstead, Southbury, St James Street, Stoke Newington, Turkey Street, Wapping, Watford High Street, Wood Street. Under the proposals many stations would only be open 0730 – 1000am Monday – Friday. Many stations are facing cuts in hours of over 80%. If these cuts and closures are allowed to go ahead, and many ticket offices are closed for large parts of the day, the RMT is concerned that: - Stations will become less safe, secure and accessible - Passengers will not be able to access all ticket types and services at a machine - Many people, including some elderly and disabled passengers, would struggle to purchase tickets and get advice - It will be easier for London Overground to close more ticket offices and reduce staffing even further in the future The RMT is urging the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to use his powers to intervene and halt the cuts and closures. A model letter to send to the Mayor, is available on the RMT website here - http://bit.ly/2oSasjk Please sign this petition and share it widely as part of the campaign to save London Overground ticket offices.

The BBC programme Wales Investigates has highlighted the cruelty and unacceptable squalid conditions at dogs farms in Wales. They operate with no care for the animals and concentrate purely on profits (most of which is not declared). By signing this petition you are petitioning the Welsh Government to put a total ban on dog farming in Wales. Which will prevent uncared for dogs with disease and other health issues being sold to new owners who then have to pay, in some cases, thousands of pounds in vet bills.

This will create a new night-time light that may be bright and impact the current "quietly-lit" residential street. The applicant claims this is "consistent with the current visual amenity" and is "not materially different than the existing position". However there is every reason to believe that this electronic billboard will be a detriment the aesthetics of our neighbourhood, will be distracting to drivers as they go up Elm Grove and will adversely affect our property values and quality of life.

BBC Breakfast host, Naga Munchetty, was found to have broken the corporation’s editorial rules following her criticism of Donald Trump for telling politicians of colour to “go home”. Racism is not a valid opinion which you can have an “impartial” stance on. For communities and people who experience racist abuse – including Munchetty – being expected to treat racist ideas as somehow valid can have a devastating effect on their dignity. Along with many other celebrities and campaigners, we believe that the BBC’s decision to uphold the complaint made against Munchetty is deeply flawed, potentially illegal and goes against the spirit and purpose of public broadcasting. The BBC’s current position will also have a huge effect on future diversity within the BBC, to suggest that future BAME broadcasters will be hired at the BBC, providing that they remain “impartial” about how they feel about their experiences of racism is ludicrous.

Migraine is a common health condition affecting 1 every 5 women and 1 every 15 men according to NHS. Based on my own experience and according to the Migraine Trust, Migraine is more than just a headache. As a migraine sufferer myself it really affects my personal and working life. As a mother of two young boys I have to cope with the amount of pain and discomfort in each migraine attack that I have to face regularly. Since migraine is a debilitating condition , it severely affects sufferers ability to work while having migraine attack which can be regular and long lasting.

Brown's Lane has the biggest concentration of murals in Paisley (eg. the Gerry Rafferty, Paolo Nutini & St Mirrren murals) and has a unique, quaint character, to which the cobblestone street surface is pivotal. The lane receives many visitors from far and wide who come to experience the authentic atmosphere and the lane frequently serves as location for photo shoots. Instead of relaying the cobbles smoothly, Renfrewshire Council is proposing to replace the bulk of them with slabs, yet keeping and relaying the cobbles in adjoining George Place. Removing the cobbles will ruin the character and appearance of the lane and irrevocably destroy a part of our heritage that has remain virtually unchanged for hundreds of years. With the cobbles, festoon lighting and colourful buildings, Brown's Lane is Paisley's own 'hidden gem' and forms a cohesive visitor experience with the cobbled Shuttle Street, George Place and Sma' Shot Cottages, celebrating Paisley's rich local heritage. We implore the Council to keep and fix the cobbles in Brown's Lane in order to improve access and preserve our valuable built heritage.

Some GPs are turning away patients who can’t produce ID or proof of address. It means vulnerable people can’t see the doctor when they need to. This is against the rules. The NHS is clear - you don’t need to produce ID to see a doctor. But the rules aren’t being enforced. We need Health Secretary Matt Hancock to make sure they are. And together, hundreds of thousands of us can convince him. There are many reasons you might not have ID on you. You might be homeless, or fleeing an abusive partner, you might have moved here recently and not have a permanent address yet. It doesn’t matter - turning people away from seeing the doctor is wrong. Not only that - it could end up costing our NHS more down the track when people get sicker and show up at A&E. Please sign the petition today. Together we can convince Matt Hancock to crack down on GPs who are turning people away.