In times of austerity, the Queen should not be exempt from the cuts that affect people with far less money than she has. We're constantly being told by the government that we are "all in this together", however it seems that in every reform it's always the poorest who are hit the hardest. This year the queen was given a £5 million "pay rise" after a new system of paying the monarchy came into force.Apparently she owns all of OUR country's sea-shore! Meaning that she gets "royalties" for EVERY type of energy -oil,gas,wind,wave, - that crosses HER shoreline.Her annual tax-free government grant has been set at £36.1 million for 2013/14 and will rise accordingly every year. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/queen-handed-pay-rise-5-1806123 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1323228/Queens-38m-year-offshore-windfarm-windfall--owns-seabed.html The queen is estimated to be worth about £17 Billion - much of it made through wars around the world and the arms trade: in other words, she Profits from Human suffering - as all her ancestors have since 1066 A.D. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm6P5sDXs3k Yet at the same time people across this country are struggling to cope as the bedroom tax makes it harder and harder to make ends meet each month. The queen should pay the bedroom tax on her hundreds and hundreds of ornate and unused bedrooms - as a sign that we really are all in this together. Since I first instigated this Petition, we have had to pay 'William and Kate's decoration Expenses at Kensington Palace and also the increased Security Costs for the ever extending royal family Also, queenie has just been granted £76,000,000 for repairs at 'buck hice' (you and I will have to make do with Ikea and Homebase). I had to pay £120 per hour in order to gain MY pilot's Licence. I wonder how much Wills and Harry and Charlie and Stavros (Philips nickname in aristocratic circles) had to pay to get theirs'

Blood stocks need consistent new donors. Daily there are advertisements on TV, radio and papers. By making donors travel a long way blood stocks will be jeopardised. It must be expensive making all these long term employees redundant so how can this be cost efficient? Sometimes a service like this is not just about money. Unfortunately services in the rural areas are expensive. I do it for my mum who regularly receives blood transfusions. How will you feel if you or a relative needed blood and there was none of the correct type! There is no price tag on life!

In 1913 Emily Davison ran in front of the King's horse and was killed, in what was probably the most historically memorable event of the movement for Women's Suffrage. Emily Davison should be remembered, as should all women who campaigned for women's suffrage in the early 20th Century. The place where she made her stand should carry her name so that her sacrifice will always be remembered

The government has introduced new rules meaning that if there is a ‘spare’ bedroom in your property, you will have some of your housing benefit docked. This is regardless of your personal circumstances, or whether or not you can afford it. And even if there isn’t a smaller property available for you to move into, you will face the bedroom tax. There are over twice as many ‘under-occupied’ two-bedroom homes as there are one bedroom homes. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/mar/08/bedroom-tax-shortage-small-homes The bedroom tax is unfair. It unjustly taxes the most vulnerable people who often have no choice about where they live. It will push many vulnerable people further into debt, and already, housing charities are warning that it will lead directly to more homelessness. But there is a simple solution. Leeds council have reclassified all the spare rooms as ‘non-specific rooms’. This will save tenants from the bedroom tax, and the hardship it will cause. And it will save Leeds taxpayers money, as they won’t be required to re-house thousands of people in expensive temporary accommodation. http://38d.gs/138qjnt We call on Macclesfield council to protect the vulnerable and follow the example of their colleagues in Leeds.

E-petition: Save 1,500 healthy trees in Trafford Trafford Council plans to destroy 1500 healthy, mature trees at a cost of £1500 each. Here is the proof: http://snipurl.com/277kq1q (perhaps predictably, this page no longer exists, but we do have the original document if anyone wishes to see it.) And after local campaigners referred to a page on the Council’s website called The Benefits of Trees, the Council swiftly removed it from their website. We, the undersigned, believe that this is a terrible waste of £2.25 million of public money, destroying trees at a time when the nation’s nature and wildlife is suffering due to our lack of care as a society, and because of short-sighted policies such as this. Trees add value to our homes and neighbourhoods, provide habitat for birds and insects, and it is proven that they increase our health and wellbeing. They also provide valuable protection from pollution - protection that cannot be achieved by tiny saplings. Therefore, we demand that Trafford Council: (1) Urgently reviews its tree policy and pledges to keep healthy trees in place, unless they are demonstrably dangerous. (2) Reinstates the page on their website which outlines The Benefits of Trees. Relevant links: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/may/21/uk-species-struggling-wildlife http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/22609000 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22671186 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/21/trees-linked-with-human-h_n_2505267.html http://www.keeptraffordgreenandclean.co.uk/trafford-council-the-benefits-of-trees/ LATEST NEWS [8th June 2013]: The Council have been asked about this by a reporter from the Stretford & Urmston Advertiser and are denying that they want to chop down 1,500 trees. Here is the link to the document which gives that figure and which also states that it costs £1,500 per destroyed tree: http://snipurl.com/277kq1q Let's see how long THAT document remains in place! We have downloaded a copy just in case... (it's entitled "Trafford Council Tree Management Policy")

Local residents, including senior citizens, those who rely on benefits, less abled people and small business outlets in the area depend on this office for service and trade. Post Office management say that the office is not making a profit for them so it can be sold to someone who can make a profit from it! No crown (main) post office can make a profit as it is a public service and (apart from postal orders) do not sell anything on their own behalf. Every service they provide is on behalf of an outside interest (such as the bank of Ireland) royal mail, or a government agency. Since 1987, one thousand one hundred and twenty four crown post offices have closed (and innumerable sub-post offices). And now there are only 376 crown offices left in the whole of the uk. Post Office management wish to rid themselves of a further 76 crown offices as a means to creating a profit, but past history indicates that this policy is doomed to failure. Previous hosts of former post offices include wh smith (who, it is said, are not renewing the contract on the franchishe's they took on where the lease is now expiring ), chemists, kebab outlets etcetra, now they have indicated that betting shops might be a good venue for a post office. Councillors have indicated that post offices could be located in libraries, this was before councils began to close libraries, then they said that police stations could have a counter in post offices, then the decision was made to close more post offices. Everything that the union has done to accommodate changes in the post office in order to maintain jobs and save offices from closure has not satisfied senior management. They are like turkeys voting for Christmas, their employment will cease along with all the staff they employ. the difference is that they will walk away with a very handsome golden handshake etcetera (as many senior "managers" have in the recent past) whilst the loyal staff end up on the dole.

I am one of the B.E.S.T. petition team. For years, I suffered severe anxiety, poor health and suffered infertility as a result of doctors not diagnosing me with Graves disease. Even after my condition was recognised, I received appalling treatment. I was given unnecessary Radioactive Iodine treatment, which resulted in a range of unpleasant side effects. It took me five years to find an informed GP and Endocrinologist to provide me with the T3 hormone treatment, which now means I can live a normal life in mostly stable health. I consider myself one of the lucky ones. Huge numbers of people are being left to suffer severe, debilitating symptoms because thyroid and related autoimmune and adrenal dysfunctions are not being diagnosed or treated. Not enough of our GPs and endocrinologists are versed in these issues. For example, Eric Pritchard MSc has just recently written a paper that estimates 300,000 UK sufferers are on the wrong medication: http://tpauk.com/news/8639-medical-negligence-within-endocrinology-are-you-a-victim-- Tens of thousands of sufferers are being prescribed anti-depressants and other unnecessary drugs. Many are left unable to work and are forced to exist on state benefits. Medical practitioners are not being correctly trained to deal with these disorders which are affecting a huge number of people and costing the state millions as a result of misdiagnosis and incorrect treatments. There are hundreds of websites and support groups throughout the world dedicated to these conditions, with sufferers pouring out their stories of how long it has taken to be diagnosed, or receive the correct diagnosis, or receive the correct treatment: http://tpauk.com/ and http://www.thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/index.html are UK based. A worldwide organisation is http://www.thyroidchange.org/evidence.html Despite the thousands of daily posts and cries for help on these sites, endocrinology seems to neither listen, nor act. The specific reasons for the petition and particulars of the review we require are here http://tinyurl.com/knh5dpp Ultimately, we are calling for the education and training of medical practitioners to be urgently improved so that diagnosis and treatment of these conditions is effective. A timely and radical review would be welcomed by an increasingly knowledgeable and empowered public, as well as by those doctors currently struggling to provide what they know to be the most appropriate treatment for their patients. WE NEED OUR HEALTH BACK.

A&Es all over the country are under threat - from Hartlepool in the North to Margate in the South. But the full extent of the impact of closing A&E departments is still unknown. Evidence from Newark showed that when their A&E closed, death rates jumped by more than a third. * When NHS chiefs decided to close Newark A&E they promised that more lives would be saved. However, the opposite to this has happened - more lives have been put at risk and death rates have increased. We can’t let these closures happen across the country. We need a proper investigation into the impact of A&E closures before any more are closed or downgraded. Dr Clare Gerada, Chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners agrees. ‘The Newark data revealed by The Mail on Sunday points to a close association between A&E closures and mortality. It is clear the provision of emergency care is in crisis across the whole of the NHS. Before any further closures are contemplated, there must be a full, independent assessment of their impact on patients and on the system as a whole.’ * If the recent ‘backdoor’ privatisation of the NHS wasn’t enough, the unjustified closure of our A&E departments is a step too far. * Shocking proof A&E closures cost lives, Daily Mail http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2323141/Shocking-proof-Accident-Emergency-closures-cost-lives-Death-rate-jumps-THIRD-department-closes.html

Without statutory regulation (SR) of herbalists patient choice and safety are at risk. As a result of recent changes to European Medicines law, herbalists must be authorized health professionals (by being statutorily regulated) to continue supplying a range of herbal medicines that have been in use for decades. Now, because of the delay in granting SR, many patients are now without the herbs that they have come to rely on. This is driving some people to purchase herbal medicines from unsafe internet herbal sites without advice from a qualified practitioner. SR will enable the public to consult properly trained practitioners rather than back-street traders. Without SR well-regulated degree level courses are under threat as the future of herbal medicine is uncertain. The loss of a wide range of herbal medicines means many practitioners are struggling to maintain their livelihoods or have been forced to stop practising. In addition, many herbal suppliers are being driven out of business or are making staff redundant. Why the delay? There is no adequate explanation. A promise is a promise! Grant herbalists SR now!

Ilford police ran co-ordinated raids on homeless people in Redbridge on the night of the 23rd of May. One of the men targeted, Adam Jaskowiak, reported that the police swooped in on the group he was sheltering with, bundling all their belongings into the back of a car: “They were just taking the sleeping bags and chucking out everything. I asked to keep it and the food, but they said ‘no’. I just grabbed as many of my things as possible and put them into a bag and ran.” Ilford chief inspector John Fish has been quoted as follows:- "The public rely on police to reduce the negative impact of rough sleepers.' This strongly suggests that Chief Inspector John Fish sees Rough Sleepers as something other than 'the public', and the actions of the Ilford Metropolitan Police, in confiscating these items, are surely the most despicable form of bullying - taking from those who have nothing. Indeed, Chief Inspector Fish states, with no apparent regret, that:- 'This includes the need for us to assist in the removal of temporary structures, tents, and bedding from public spaces and other inappropriate locations.' It is reported that nine of the men were taking refuge in the former Ilford Baths - do Chief Inspector John Fish and the Metropolitan Police realise that rough sleeping is not a lifestyle choice? Where would they suggest these men sleep? The police claimed they carried out this raid in the name of public. Well, we are the public - so let’s show them this isn’t what they want. Sign the petition now and help make sure nothing like this ever happens again.

Three judges have ruled that the procedure currently used by the Department for Work and Pension ( the Work Capability Assessment) to decide whether people are eligible for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) substantially disadvantages people with mental health problems, learning disabilities and autism. The judgement is the result of a judicial review. The charities Rethink Mental Illness, Mind and The National Autistic Society intervened in the case to provide evidence based on the experiences of their members and supporters. Under the current system, evidence from a professional such as a GP or social worker is expected to be provided by people themselves. There is no obligation for the DWP to collect this evidence, even on behalf of the most vulnerable claimants, apart from in some rare cases. Seeking evidence can be very challenging for people with mental health problems, learning disabilities or autism whose health or condition can make it hard for them to understand or navigate the complex processes involved in being assessed. As a result, those who need support the most are frequently being assessed without this important evidence being taken into account. It was ruled that the Department must do more to ensure this sort of evidence is collected and taken into account. This means the current procedure for the WCA puts some groups at a substantial disadvantage. The Department of Work and Pensions will not I believe willingly abolish or revise the Work Capability Assessment unless enough pressure is brought to bear upon then to do so. By signing this petition you will help three very vulnerable groups of people in our society achieve some fairness in a matter which greatly affects their lives.

Northern Ireland is a region of the United Kingdom that has high unemployment and little or none manufacturing base the industry that is left in Northern Ireland needs to have every chance to succeed but if it has to pay for high manufacturing cost it put the company under mounting pressure Northern Ireland has also got the highest unemployed people that any other part of the United Kingdom and with little hope of getting a full time job and they depend on Benefits and with the high cost of electric it leaves the population with little or no spending power Northern Ireland Electric is charged by the unit a unit works out approx an hour of electric an the cost of a unit is £0.1464per unit this effects everyone both business and residents.