People are not claiming benefits that they are entitled to for fear of finding themselves in debt, or because it can take so long to get through on the telephone. Also because once it has been deemed that tax credits have been overpaid people are powerless to appeal against the decision

To prevent unnecessary suffering to slaughtered animals, chickens etc.

During the recent referendum in Scotland all 16 and 17 year olds were given the vote . They were very enthusiastic taking part in the campaign .As well as voting in large numbers. We have a general election next year.It is wrong to tell people that you were old enough to help decide the future of Scotland but you are to young to decide who should represent you at Westminster.I believe that the vote should be extended to ALL 16 year olds.

Alex Salmond has chosen to step down as the First Minister of Scotland announcing this hours after Scotland's Independence Referendum. Regardless of whether you voted "yes" or "no", this is the man who fought and won us the chance to decide our future and Scotland's future. Scotland needs a leader like him for the future to keep making sure we get to choose how our country is run so please sign the petition and ask him to stay!

Bus services remain of vital importance to many people living in rural areas, people who are no longer able to drive, children going to school, people travelling to work. The maintenance of good public transport networks is important in reducing carbon admissions and relieving congestion on the roads. The County Council's proposals would radically impact on people's lives, eliminating evening services in all but the larger towns and cutting services in some rural areas from daily to twice weekly.

For more than 800 years Glasgow’s St Mungo’s Cathedral has been serving its parish, city and country, and has been freely open to all who wish to enter. Historic Scotland (who have the care of its fabric and maintenance) intend to bring in admission charges at Glasgow Cathedral from the 1st April. The reason for such a move has been stated to be due to financial pressures on Historic Scotland and the need to make ‘its properties’ pay. If you agree with the principal that access should be free of charge to a building of such historic and religious significance, please sign this petition If Glasgow Cathedral’ belongs’ to anyone it is to the people of Glasgow. It belongs to the congregation who regularly worships there and to the thousands of Scottish people from the city and the region who come with their organisations and families every year to their special services. Glasgow people come at other times too, either simply to enjoy their heritage or because their personal history intersects with that of the families named in the Cathedral’s monuments, war memorials and stained glass windows. Hundreds of thousands of international visitors also come every year. When they enter Glasgow Cathedral, the welcome they receive through access freely given reflects the humanity and warmth of a great city and country. Are they now to be made to pay to enter this building of national and international historic and religious significance? All museums in Glasgow are free. If Historic Scotland has its way the cathedral would become the only treasure house of art, architecture and history in the city for which admission would be charged. The Cathedral belongs to all those who need somewhere for private thought when life is challenging, who seek solace, or to leave their heart-breaking requests for help through prayer. Will Historic Scotland turn them away if they cannot pay? As a concession, I believe it has been intimated that admission might be free on Sundays. This would have the result of making the management of the experience of the expected even larger numbers of visitors and the pursuance of morning worship and evensong mutually difficult and uncomfortable. Please, if you agree with the principal that access should be free of charge, sign this petition.

I think it is important to many people in GB who like a small flutter once or twice a week.

Advantages: Would reduce... north/south divide City influence SE housing pressure SE transport congestion & need for new runway The need for HS2? Housing benefits/high London rents and make parliament physically less distant, more accessible boost the economy outside London Drawbacks? cost (probably neutral) reduce SE housing price bubbles upheaval for MP's and civil servants London no longer the capital (but still tourist attraction)

Public transport is an essential public service. It facilitates the smooth running of our local and national economies, it helps cut the carbon emissions caused by car travel, and it enables everyone to participate in our society – to visit friends and family, to attend appointments, events or go shopping – without need or aspiration to own a car. Improving our public transport is the answer to many of the huge problems our country faces: the climate emergency, persistent poverty and social isolation and toxic air pollution. Yet for more than thirty years, the privatisation of public transport has seen services deteriorate and fares continue to rise above inflation so that it is now unaffordable and impractical for many. Public subsidy has increased, yet the inefficiencies caused by privatisation (profit extraction, admin duplication and increased legal and borrowing costs) mean passengers are also having to pay more. Money which should have be spent on expanding and improving the network has been allowed to leak out. Communities have been left isolated, car ownership has risen and it’s the poorest in our society who have suffered the most. This campaign was first launched in the wake of the Referendum on Independence in September 2014 to demand new powers over the Public Ownership of Scotland’s Railway, as the backbone to a fully-integrated, efficient and affordable public transport system fit for the 21st century. These powers were then granted in the Scotland Act 2016, allowing a public sector operator to take over the ScotRail franchise for the first time since the Railways Act 1993 came into effect in 1994. Meanwhile on 1 April 2015, the Scottish Government awarded the contract to run ScotRail to Abellio, the Dutch state-owned company run by Nederlandse Spoorwegen, which has continued to perform poorly over the last five years. After voting against breaking Abellio’s contract on two occasions (November 2018 and October 2019) on 18 December 2019, the Minister for Transport Michael Matheson MSP, finally announced that he would end Abellio’s contract three years’ early (on 31 March 2022). On 1 April 2020, we re-launched this campaign to demand that a public sector operator is ready to take over running ScotRail by 2022. Working alongside the new publicly-owned or publicly-controlled buses permitted in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, a publicly-owned ScotRail will finally give us the opportunity to create the fully-integrated, efficient and affordable public transport system we need to provide a real green alternative to car travel for us all. This petition is supported by: https://www.bringbackbritishrail.org/images/MakeScotRailPublic_supporters.png To add your organisation to this list, please use the 'Contact User' button above.

Privatised energy has failed citizens. For evidence please see: www.weownit.org.uk/evidence/energy Meanwhile, the Referendum on Independence has created an inspiring re-engagement in politics across Scotland and some brilliant ideas about what sort of society we should work together to create. Now that all the drama is finally over, it is essential we keep the pressure up and utilise the 'new powers' to make these ideas a reality. New books such as 'Common Weal' (2014) and 'Yes: The Radical Case for Scottish Independence' (2014) both foreground the need for the Democratic Public Ownership of our essential services and infrastructure, in order to move towards a green economy and a more just society. Therefore, this petition has been created alongside another to the Minister for Transport demanding the Public Ownership of Scotland’s Railway. Please sign both and share the links below to help spread the word: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/p/publicrailwayscotland https://you.38degrees.org.uk/p/publicenergyscotland This petition is supported by: http://www.bringbackbritishrail.org/images/pftp_supporters.png To add your organisation to this list, please use the 'Contact User' button above.

The Peak District National Park is reputed to be the 2nd most visited national park in the world and when you visit this area it’s not hard to understand why, the area is truly breath-taking and living in the Peak District is a real privilege. Sadly not everyone who comes to the Peak District wants to enjoy the peace and serenity that the area offers. The area is under continuous assault by off road enthusiasts who come in significant numbers to rally up and down lanes and bridal ways for recreational sport, these off roaders have learned that if a footpath has ever been used by a horse and cart since the early 18oos they can apply to have the use changed from a footpath to a byway or even worse a Byway Open to All Traffic. To upgrade existing footpaths to byways of any designation blurs the distinction of what is permissible. Even the description of a route which allows for ‘limited use’ by motorised vehicles clouds the issue and implies some right of vehicular access. As we have seen in many cases across the national park – abuse of restricted byways by those seeking out green lanes to drive across, is a common fact. There is no meaningful policing of these routes as the police do not view such transgressions as a priority. This is detrimental to the fabric and essence of the national park and as the authorities have no power to overrule these decisions the applications virtually always get approval as the law is on the side of the applicant. It is an antiquated law that needs to change as a matter of urgency. At the very least - any national park should have special provisions to overrule decisions which will affect these beautiful areas, currently they do not have this power. We must make sure that these areas are left as we found them for future generations to enjoy in the same way, but once these paths are opened up to broader definitions of traffic, the effects and devastation are substantial. I will list a few below: 1. Erosion rapidly sets in and the ground is constantly churned up by powerful motorbikes, 4x4s, – causing once minimal footpaths to become broad lanes 2. The native wildlife and flora habitats are destroyed (some of these are rare or protected species) 3. Peat bog lands are reduced to slurry 4. Some off roaders not content with the path they have, widen their riding area in search of greater challenges, creating more damage 5. Local residents and tourists suffer as a result of the noise these machines bring to the area 6. Green lane traffic poses a danger to walkers and visitors due to the speed and aggression that some apply whilst in the area 7. Once the area is sufficiently churned up, the ground becomes unstable and when the heavy rains of winter start, the degrading effect happens much faster and the lands begins to wash away 8. Neither environmental impact nor local opposition are taken into consideration on decisions to redefine footpaths within the national park because the authorities are simply complying with the letter of the law 9. The number of routes designated as simple, peaceful footpaths within the national park reduces as the definitions are upgraded to encourage more forms of transport. The argument against this is huge and a book could be written about the devastating impact to the area, obviously we can’t do this here and indeed the applicants for this will have their own arguments about why they should have access to the land. Our decision to fight this is not because we don’t like the people who carry out this sport it’s because we value our countryside as it should be. We will add that a large number of disused quarries and certain farmlands charge a small fee for riders to enjoy the ultimate off road experience in purpose-made environments so why on earth would you want to ruin nature at its very best Please support and share with your friends

The people of Teesside and the surrounding area have a higher than average incidence of complex blood disorders. This is almost certainly due to the history of chemical manufacturing in the area. The Haematology Ward has eight beds and caters for those patients with the most complex needs, usually when they are at crisis point. The current staff are all totally dedicated to improving the well-being of these patients and are devastated by the news of the planned closure. Although there are currently no plans to close the Haematology Day Unit at North Tees, the loss of the Haematology Ward will mean that patients will not receive the vital continuity of care that they must have when their condition requires a stay in hospital. Instead it is planned to send them to either South Tees or Sunderland. It is unbelievable that the Trust plans to throw in the towel. What next? The NHS faces death by a thousand cuts. Please help to stop this being one of them! Link to the article on http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/haematology-unit-university-hospital-north-7774622?ref=BreakingNewsTeesside&utm_medium=facebook