Since July 2013, the EU and the USA have been negotiating on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment partnership (TTIP). These negotiations are to determine which goods and services TTIP will apply to. These negotiations are in secret. MEPS, and MPs are not allowed to see the documentation. As tariffs between the EU and the US are low anyway, the main focus is on increasing trade through the harmonisation of standards as this will supposedly stimulate the economy.. What this actually means could well be a lowering of environmental standards and standards regarding hazardous chemicals and food safety, and labour rights, to the detriment of the majority of the population. TTIP also includes usage of the Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). This allows corporations to sue Governments if a government passes a law which could infringe on the profit that that corporation expects to make. In the past, with other Trade agreements, the ISDS has been used to overturn democratic decisions by all levels of governments at significant public cost. ISDS provides for the usage of secret private arbitration tribunals which are held in secret, and there is no possibility of appeal against decisions. One case where a government has been dragged before an ISDS tribunal as a result of a decision by a local authority has already happened: In 1997, the US waste management company Metalclad sued the Mexican government as the municipality of Guadalcazar , in San Luis Potosi State , had rejected their application to run a hazardous waste depot. In spite of San Luis Potosi declaring the area a nature reserve, Metaclad sued Mexico , who had to pay a fine of $15.6 millions. This was possible under the Investor State dispute settlement, part of NAFTA, and also in TTIP.* Fines have been up to billions of dollars and the cost of an ISDS case averages $ 8,000,000. If governments start passing laws and making decisions out of fear of being sued by corporations then this will have a devastating effect on democracy, especially in times of austerity. Sourcing of supplies and employment by local governments is badly needed to local economies and TTIP could prevent this happening. Although local authorities would be bound by whatever will be in the final TTIP treaty, there has been no impact assessment of the effects of TTIP on local authorities, neither has there been any consultation of local governments or organisations representing local governments. They have not been allowed to scrutinise negotiation documents. What is especially important for local authorities is that under TTIP procurements for goods and services would have to be tendered across the entire EU and US area. Very likely is that the winners would be multi-national corporations. Local firms simply would not get a look-in and money otherwise supporting the local ecnomy and providing local jobs would go elsewhere. And besides, under the ISDS clause in TTIP any attempt by a local authority to reverse this could result in the UK being sued before a secret ISDS tribunal. This has already happened I other countries (see Metaclad suing Mexico because Guadalcazar council turned down a hazardous waste dump). We would like Barnet to join the hundreds of local authorities across Europe have declared themselves TTIP-free zones including over 26 local authorities in the UK including Conservative-run North Somerset,, 64 in Spain 450 in France and 300 in Germany, including Barnet's twin town Siegen-Wittgenstein.

We have occupied the former West Hampstead Council Housing Advice office , that is still owned by Camden Council. It has been left empty for three years, while they were trying to sell the land to property developers. It will lay empty for another 1-2 years unless Camden Council agrees to our interim meanwhile lease use of this incredible 5 floor community resource. There are nearly 1.5 million empty buildings in the UK and we feel strongly that they should be used to create homes,community and environment projects. We are a collective of groups who have come together, to benefit the residents of Camden and London,who desperately need community space.We aim to help highlight solutions to the housing crisis.

It is important to the economy and confidence in Sierra Leone that British Airways reinstates flights to Sierra Leone. When the Ebola crisis hit Sierra Leone major airlines stopped flights. This led to the loss of thousands of jobs. It is now 10 days since Sierra Leone was declared Ebola free but British Airways have yet to re start flight http://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/destinations/freetown/flights-to-freetown?clickpage=destinations-en--africa--index&kmtag=c&ban=||ACC|1|LNK15|||||CampID||||L2||||||| S/Leone in talks over London-Freetown flights Par KC/as/APACréé le 2015-11-23 16:22:17 The authorities in Sierra Leone are reportedly in talks for a new flight linking their capital Freetown and London as repeated requests for British Airways (BA) to resumes its services remain fruitless. BA first suspended its flights to Freetown on August 2014, claiming fears of a possible transmission of the Ebola virus. That followed reports of cases where the disease was reported in foreign countries through air travel. However, over two weeks after Sierra Leone was declared free of the virus, the airline is reluctant to resume flights to the country. The new flight in the pipeline, according to the pro-government Torchlight newspaper in Freetown, which on Monday criticized the British government over BA`s continued reluctance, will be provided by Kevin McPhilips Travels. About seven airlines subsequently suspended flights to Freetown during the peak of the epidemic, but almost all of them, with the exception of BA, have since resumed flying to Freetown. BA has been a major concern because it was the only one linking directly the two cities. “Sierra Leoneans felt abandoned by the former colonial masters when even an attempt by Gambia Bird Airlines to resume direct flights was met with stiff rejection from the British government,” the Torchlight said in its Monday editorial. The paper said if all goes as planned, the new airline is scheduled to commence flight between Lungi International Airport in Freetown and Gatwick in London in December. But, Tony Rogers, who in February 2015 worked at the British-built Kerry Town Ebola Treatment Center in Freetown, finds the suspension of the flights as an “unjust” attempt at isolating the country. Rogers therefore set up an online petition on the site 38 Degrees. “I understand that there has been an enormous economic impact of loss of tourism and commercial trade by the airlines such as British Airways. “I understand that some airlines have returned but British Airways remains sadly reticent regarding reinstating flights,” the UK nurse told APA in an emailed statement. KC/as/APA - APANEWS

At present, there is no recognised method for nil tax disabled vehicles displaying the Blue Badge, to be easily identified by Traffic Wardens or Parking Attendants. Since tax discs are no longer displayed, it is necessary to send individual Councils proof of tax exemption, for the entire journey and hope that they pass the information on to the relevant officials, to avoid the vehicle being subject to a parking fine.

Numbers have been depleated to unsafe levels

On 12th November HMRC announced plans to close 160 offices across the UK and move to 13 regional centres which will put thousands of members jobs at risk. As part of that decision HMRC announced that Barbara Ritchie House in Livingston & Bathgate Contact Centre are to be closed by 2020 with staff wishing to remain in employment expected to travel to the Edinburgh regional centre. The Closure of Barbara Ritchie House and Bathgate Contact Centre by 2020 will result in approximately 1200 jobs being withdrawn from West Lothian which will have an impact on both the local economies and employment in the area. We believe HMRC's plans to close Barbara Ritchie House & Bathgate Contact Centre are completely unnecessary and based on a political agenda without giving consideration to staff or local communities.

We now know that all of the offices in Bootle and Netherton – The Triad, Litherland House, St John’s House and Comben House – are set to close by or before 2020. This means that around 3,000 staff face a move to Liverpool. This will result in job losses, as they are among around 6,000 staff facing the move to Liverpool in the North West while the new Regional Centre will only hold between 2,800 and 3,100 staff. It will also devastate the local economy, putting many businesses particularly along Stanley Road who rely on HMRC staff custom to survive at risk of closure. We believe the plans in their entirety represent the simplistic vision of a senior civil service who like the way things look on paper, and don’t care in the slightest how their organisational pipe dream impacts on people. The reality is these plans hurt, both members and the Bootle community as a whole.

Scarlet is a loving pet fox belonging to David Robinson. Scarlet isn't like any wild fox as she was bred in captivity and is just as much of a pet as anyone's cat or dog. Scarlet was living a happy healthy life until the RSPCA decided they don't agree morally with a pet fox, this itself wasn't an issue as not everyone can always see eye to eye. The problem occurred when they ILLEGALLY seized Scarlet for no reason other than she was a fox. Their reasoning; apparently a vet thought it would be in her best interest to live as a wild fox despite not being even slight wild, a vet who hadn't even seen Scarlet previous to making this ridiculous decision. Not only this but the RSPCA used bully boy tactics to get David to hand over Scarlet with threats of coming back with a warrant and leaving him with huge legal bills if he refused. It was only afterwards David learnt his rights and pointed out he had not signed her over to the RSPCA! They are now refusing the reunite the pair based on nothing more than personal opinion.

Patient choice is important; homeopathy works, it's widely used by doctors in Europe, and patients who are treated by homeopathy are really convinced of its benefits, as am I.

At the end of last year the much loved University Settlement building in Splott was acquired by local property developer John Smart. His aim is to demolish the building and erect an inappropriate high block of flats. The University Settlement building was built in 1904 to house a movement that provided an education for all at the beginning of the 20th century in an age where this would have been unattainable and unaffordable for most working class people. Latterly it was the first St Illtyd’s Catholic Grammar School for Boys. The building, designed by renowned Arts and Crafts architect Robert Weir Schultz is the only remaining example of a University Settlement in Wales. Please join our eleventh hour petition in an appeal to John Smart not to demolish and the planning department of Cardiff City Council and Llywodraeth Cymru not to allow the destruction of this unique building. Mae adeiladau hanesyddol Anheddfan y Brifysgol wedi dod i feddiant y datblygwr eiddo lleol John Smart. Ei fwriad yw dymchwel yr adeilad ac adeiladu twr anaddas o fflatiau. Adeiladwyd adeilad Anheddfan y Brifysgol yn 1904 i roi cartre i fudiad oedd yn gyfrifrol am ddarparu addysg i bawb ar ddechrau’r 20fed Ganrif mewn oes lle na fyddai hynny o fewn cyrraedd trwch y boblogaeth. Dylunwyd yr adeilad gan y pensaer nodedig Robert Weir Schultz a dyma’r unig enghraifft o Anheddfan Prifysgol sydd wedi goroesi yng Nghymru. Ar yr unfed awr ar ddeg, a fyddech mor garedig ag arwyddo ein deiseb sy’n apelio at John Smart i beidio dymchwel, ac adran gynllunio Cyngor Caerdydd a Llywodraeth Cymru i beidio caniatau dinistr yr adeilad unigryw yma.

We want to make sure our children can get to Bowes Southgate Green safely. We have been approached by an increasing number of parents concerned about the lack of a natural crossing point on Wilmer Way. This is a main route onto the A406 North Circular and before and after school there is a high level of traffic. This makes crossing the road difficult and dangerous for parents and children and we have been told about a number of near misses in recent months. We are calling on Enfield Council to put in place a controlled crossing on Wilmer Way to help stop traffic and allow our children to cross safely to Bowes Southgate Green.

FoDDC need to reconsider the lease agreement on the Triangle to continue to allow Cinderford Town Council to maintain it as a community resource at the heart of the town. The original development was funded by Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) money for the community of Cinderford, not as a money making asset for the District Council. Cinderford Town Council have maintained the area and buildings ever since and the area is used by many community groups, local businesses and for weekly markets. The Town Council fears that FoDDC will raise rents to generate income but price out businesses leaving prime retail locations empty in the town. Without income, sale or redevelopment would be options for FoDDC and the community could lose the resource for ever. This could cripple local trade and threaten community events like the Remembrance Day Parade.