Keep full Post Office services in Fort William town centre – Community Petition Fort William is facing the possible loss of its main Post Office after the TGJones premises at 4 Tweeddale, High Street, were placed on the market. Attempts have been made locally to obtain clear information about the future of the premises and the Post Office service, but no firm answer or replacement plan has yet been provided. Angus MacDonald MP and Andrew Baxter MSP have also approached the chief executives of Post Office Ltd and TGJones, seeking accurate information and asking what action will be taken to secure alternative premises in Fort William. Fort William is the main town serving Lochaber, and its Post Office is much more than somewhere to send letters and parcels. The branch serves people throughout Fort William, including Upper Achintore, Plantation, Inverlochy and Claggan, as well as residents from Caol, Lochyside and the wider Lochaber area. It is also used by local businesses, churches, charities and visitors. Services currently available in Fort William Fort William Post Office currently provides: • Cash withdrawals, cash deposits and cheque deposits  • Royal Mail and Parcelforce services  • Drop & Go and Parcelforce Express 48 Large  • Bill payments and top-ups  • Paper Passport Check & Send for new applications and renewals  • Document Certification Service  • Vehicle tax  • Foreign currency  • Travel insurance  • Travel Money Card  • Western Union  These are important postal, banking, passport, identity, travel and financial services. None of the other Post Office branches in the surrounding area provides the same complete range of services in one location.  Why Corpach is not a replacement Corpach Post Office provides everyday personal and business banking, mail services, Drop & Go, Parcelforce Express 48 Large, bill payments and top-ups, euros, Travel Money Card services, savings application forms and savings account identity verification. However, it does not provide passport application checks, document certification, vehicle tax, general foreign currency, travel insurance or Western Union. The Corpach Post Office counter is also located inside a relatively small Co-op store. Redirecting customers from Fort William would place additional pressure on the premises and staff, and the branch may not have the space or capacity to absorb the extra demand. Travelling between Fort William and Corpach can also be difficult for people without a car. Those relying on public transport may face delays, particularly during the busy summer months when traffic congestion affects bus services. Other Post Offices in the surrounding area Kinlocheil Post Office Kinlocheil provides cash withdrawals, cash deposits, cheque deposits, mail services, Drop & Go and the Travel Money Card. It does not provide bill payments and top-ups, passport services, document certification, vehicle tax, foreign currency, travel insurance or Western Union. Spean Bridge Post Office Spean Bridge provides everyday banking, mail services, Drop & Go, Parcelforce Express 48 Large, bill payments and top-ups, euros and the Travel Money Card. It does not provide passport services, document certification, vehicle tax, general foreign currency, travel insurance or Western Union. Ballachulish Post Office Ballachulish provides everyday banking, mail services, Drop & Go, bill payments and top-ups, vehicle tax, euros, travel insurance and the Travel Money Card. It does not provide passport application checks, document certification, general foreign currency or Western Union. Strontian Post Office Strontian provides everyday banking, mail services, Drop & Go, bill payments and top-ups and the Travel Money Card. It does not provide passport services, document certification, vehicle tax, foreign currency, travel insurance or Western Union. These branches provide valuable services to their own communities, but they are too far away to be practical alternatives for many Fort William residents. They are outside the town, do not offer all the services currently available in Fort William, and may be difficult to reach for people without access to a car. The nearest comparable full-service Post Office          The nearest Post Office offering a comparable full range of services is in Oban, approximately 44 miles from Fort William. Oban Post Office provides banking and mail services, paper and digital Passport Check & Send, SIA licence applications, document certification, in-branch identity verification, DVLA photocard renewal, vehicle tax, foreign currency, travel insurance, Western Union and savings services. Expecting residents to travel approximately 44 miles each way to obtain services currently available in Fort William is not reasonable. It would have a particularly serious effect on older people, disabled residents, people without private transport, local businesses, churches, charities and anyone needing access to passport, identity, banking or financial services. The loss of Fort William Post Office without a suitable replacement would leave a major town and the surrounding communities without reasonable access to essential services. 44 miles is not a local Post Office service. Please note: there is no need to chip in financially.  Signing and sharing the petition is all we are asking you to do.

I cannot believe a recent policy to do something about climate change has been reversed before the new PM takes office. We're in the middle of the worst heatwave in the UK, the new PM couldn't get his timing any worse. He should be thinking of our new generation who have no power to save the planet. 

We ask SEGRO to demonstrate that it can be a responsible neighbour by taking immediate action to reduce the impact of this development on our communities. Residents of Park Street, Frogmore and neighbouring communities are experiencing unacceptable levels of dust and noise arising from the massive earthworks being undertaken as part of SEGRO’s freight warehouse development. During prolonged periods of dry weather, more than 100 items of heavy construction machinery are operating across this enormous site. The resulting orange-yellow dust regularly drifts across nearby homes, covering cars, windows, patios, garden furniture and plants. Residents are spending considerable time and money cleaning their properties, and with windows and doors open during hot weather, dust is entering people’s homes. We recognise that development has been approved and construction will continue. However, we believe that nearby residents should not have to suffer avoidable environmental impact.

We have moved several times and felt the  process was archaic and stressful. It can and should be a streamlined process that protects the buyers and ensures purchasing a house can occur over a shorter period - not take months and months, when potentially the buyers can lose thousands of pounds and have to start all over again. The vendor should prepare via a solicitor and Estate Agent a house sale pack, which the buyers solicitors would review to ensure all is inorder, then the sale would be agreed - simple. It works in Scotland. Please sign this petition to start a review into the current process that is inadequate, does not protect potential buyers and results in a lengthy, stressful procedure to purchase a house.

A person who is found by a court to have knowingly made a false allegation or deliberately fabricated evidence can cause irreversible damage to another person’s reputation, career, mental health, relationships and livelihood. Just as safeguarding measures exist to help protect potential victims in other contexts, there should also be proportionate measures where a court has determined that an individual intentionally made a false allegation or fabricated evidence. This proposal is not intended to discourage genuine victims from reporting crimes. Most reports of serious offences are made in good faith, and victims must continue to feel able to come forward without fear. Instead, this petition seeks accountability only in cases where a court has found beyond reasonable doubt that an allegation was deliberately false or that evidence was intentionally fabricated. Justice depends on protecting both genuine victims and innocent people wrongly accused. Michael’s Law would recognise that both deserve equal protection under the law.

Too many people are falling through the cracks with regards to mental health and the learning disability criteria. There is a huge grey area between the ones that meet the criteria, and the ones that fall just outside. A psychologist explained that in a line of 100 people, 1 & 2 meeting the learning disability criteria to number 100 - being, let's say, of mainstream intellect. If anyone scores outside the 1 & 2 criteria, even if they score a 3 or 4, they are not deemed to have a learning disability. This is where the system needs to be changed.  These people are extremly vulnerable to explotation and manipulation. It's just really not fair. They get caught in a system that fails to provide the necessary support to keep them safe simply because their learning challenges don't fit into the narrow definitions currently in place. By signing this petition, you are helping to bring attention to the need for a change in identifying learning disabilities, ensuring that everyone has the right to the support necessary for a successful and fulfilling life. Please, join me in advocating for a system that meets the needs of all individuals by lending your signature. Natalie Winstanley Petition Starter

This site has been vacant for almost 20 years. Lambeth Council gave generous permission to build flats here some time ago but the landowners have not started work and have left the site derelict. The location attracts graffiti and flytipping and is an eyesore.  The site is privately owned and the Council cannot simply direct work to happen. But it does have influence and enforcement powers.  If discussion with the landowner does not yield results, the Council should consider compulsory purchase to secure and clean up the site and to get homes built as soon as possible.

Thousands of Bearsden and Milngavie residents are currently cut off from Glasgow's growing network of safe, segregated cycle routes because two short sections of missing infrastructure leave the area disconnected from the city. The Glasgow City Region City Deal has delivered high-quality cycle routes across Glasgow. By the end of this summer, it will be possible to cycle safely from George Square to Kessington Road using a combination of segregated Avenues, the Forth & Clyde Canal, the Kelvin Walkway and quiet residential streets. Yet most Bearsden and Milngavie residents still have no safe route to access this network. Key arterial roads such as the A81/Milngavie Road remain significant barriers for anyone who is not a confident cyclist. Cyclists using these roads often report close passes from drivers, speeding and distracted driving - so it's understandable why so many choose to drive short trips instead.  The solution is to complete the remaining sections of the Bearsway cycle route - approximately 900 metres through Hillfoot and a further 600 metres connecting to Milngavie town centre. Watch this excellent video which explains the history and benefits of this route:  https://youtu.be/YtR3YqwKEYc?si=2fRlewe03Ax2gndp&t=180 This could then be linked up with Bearsden Cross, creating a network between homes, schools, workplaces and leisure.  Completing just 1.5 kilometres of missing infrastructure would connect local residents directly to more than 270 kilometres of planned traffic-free and low-traffic routes across Glasgow. It would provide safer transport options for commuting, education, shopping and leisure, while supporting healthier lifestyles and reducing congestion. Where safe cycle lanes have been built, there has been a huge uptick in people cycling: https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/article/13887/Cycling-trips-surge-by-43-as-Glasgow-s-active-travel-network-grows - in spite of our wet climate.  https://oursafestreets.substack.com/p/the-weathers-too-bad-to-cycle-in Funding could be sought through Scottish Government Active Travel programmes, significantly reducing the cost to East Dunbartonshire Council. These funds are ring-fenced for active travel, so can not be spent elsewhere - we're missing out by not bidding on it!  We call on East Dunbartonshire Council to prioritise completion of the remaining sections of Bearsway and deliver a continuous, safe cycle connection between Bearsden, Milngavie and Glasgow's wider active travel network.

Imagine waking up every Monday not knowing if your boss will give you 20, 30 or 40 hours’ work that week, or what your take home pay will be - and having absolutely no say in it. That’s the stressful reality for millions of people on zero or short-hours contracts.  Worse still, the Government is about to break its promise on this: instead of giving all workers the right to guaranteed hours, like it promised, now their protections will only apply to people contracted fewer than 20 hours a week. By leaving everyone else out, our Government is abandoning the vast majority of the workforce. Right now, decision-makers are trying to find out what the public think of this - but it won’t be long until the legislation is locked in and our window of opportunity closes. So we must act now. This is our chance to stand up for all workers and hold the Government accountable for its promises. This law will only work if it works for all of us.  

Our park is very well used. People from the community put time and energy into taking care of it - cutting the grass and maintaining the park.  Other parks nearby are vandalised and not used, but we take pride in our park and want it to be a place children and families use and love. We were promised an upgrade a few years back, but nothing has changed.  Most days the swing park in the community is packed full of children. I am a mother of a child who is  constantly asking to go to a swing park however the one close to home is ‘boring’ for most of the children in the community.  This park is a vital resource for my family and others too - it's worth investing in activities that get our kids outdoors, active and socialising. Please help us secure investment to improve the park.

Yes. As of July 2026, the UK Government has confirmed that a mileage-based tax for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids will begin in April 2028. The scheme is officially called Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED).  The confirmed headline details are: Vehicle type From April 2028 Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) | 3p per mile Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) | 1.5p per mile Standard (non-plug-in) hybrids | No change, existing VED rules apply The mileage charge is in addition to the existing annual Vehicle Excise Duty (road tax) introduced for EVs from April 2025. It is not a replacement.  Other confirmed points include: •  Drivers will normally self-report their annual mileage.  •  Mileage will be checked against MOT records once the vehicle reaches three years old.  •  The Government has dropped its earlier proposal for mandatory annual mileage inspections on vehicles under three years old.  Example annual costs Annual mileageEV (3p/mile)PHEV (1.5p/mile)   5,000 | £150 | £75 10,000 | £300 | £150 15,000 | £450 | £225 20,000 | £600 | £300 This means an owner of a typical electric car registered after April 2025 could, for example, pay: •  Annual VED: £200 •  Plus 10,000 miles of eVED: £300 • Total: £500 per year Luxury EVs that attract the Expensive Car Supplement would continue to pay that where applicable, on top of the above, during the relevant years. 

No barrister in British legal history has ever faced contempt proceedings over the content of a closing speech. Rajiv Menon now faces up to two years in prison for words that barristers have recited in court for centuries. His case has become a test of a far larger principle: do jurors have a right to acquit according to their conscience, even where a judge's directions point toward conviction? Barristers can now be forbidden by judges from mentioning this principle — sometimes called jury equity — even though the independence of juries has been recognised in law since the 1670 case of R v Penn & Mead, and is honoured on a plaque at the Old Bailey itself. In January 2026, when Rajiv Menon KC referred to this history while defending Charlotte Head, one of the Palestine Action defendants charged over the 2024 Filton factory protest. Head was later acquitted, and the trial judge accused Menon of contempt of court — despite later accepting there was nothing improper in citing the 1670 case. Menon now faces a two-day contempt trial on 28 July. If the independence of juries can no longer be spoken of in court without risking prison, every defendant's ability to receive a fearless defence is put at risk. Alex Norris and Ellie Reeves: do you want to be remembered on another plaque in the Old Bailey as those that destroyed Britain’s juries?