a) EXTEND CLAUSE 12 TO COVER GROUPS AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALS When Sun columnist Katie Hopkins referred to asylum seekers and migrants as ‘cockroaches’, ‘a swarm’, ‘a plague’ a ‘virus’ ; ‘vagrants’ ‘feral humans’ - who if they did reach our shores turned our towns into ‘festering sores’”, she did not in any way breach Press Organisation standards, according to the IPSO ruling, which was again defended by its chief executive Matt Tee a few days ago. “In terms of the Editors’ Code, there wasn’t anything that could lead to a successful complaint against that column.” he said in his statement. And that’s because the Code is inadequate. In its ruling, this Press self-regulatory body said it could not even CONSIDER the complaints under the element of its Editors' Code of Practice dealing with discrimination, (Clause 12) as, although this “specifically prohibits prejudicial or pejorative reference to individuals” its terms “do not restrict publications’ commentary on GROUPS OR CATEGORIES OF people”. (Emphasis mine) But on those terms therefore, the IPSO Code of Practice would allow publications to use similarly vile language, about the disabled, about any racial or religious group, about people of a particular sexual orientation or gender identity, just so long as the comment referred to the group as a whole, and not to any specific individual. At present, under the section headed Discrimination, the IPSO Code states : i) The press must avoid prejudicial or pejorative reference to an individual's race, colour, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or to any physical or mental illness or disability. We suggest that the words “or group’s” simply be added, between the words “individual’s” and “race” --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Following publication of Hopkins' column, other newspaper columnists expressed their horror at her remarks, more than 300,000 people signed a petition calling for her to be fired, and the High Commissioner of the United Nations expressed his deep concern. GENEVA “. . . in the wake of a recent article in the Sun newspaper calling migrants “cockroaches,” the UN Human Rights Chief . . urged the U.K. authorities, media and regulatory bodies to take steps to curb incitement to hatred by British tabloid newspapers” UK LAWS dealing with hate crimes and hate speech, DO outlaw expressions of hatred against ‘groups’ of people (see below). And they state that a person is guilty of an offence if by his/her actions “(s)he intends to stir up . . . hatred, or . . hatred is likely to be stirred up. “ The Public Order Act 1986, the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 and the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 all say “ . . hatred means hatred against a group of persons . . . (defined by reference to race, religion, or sexual orientation.) Under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 a crime is considered to be ‘aggravated’ if the offence is motivated by [general] “hostility towards persons . . “ (plural) - who have a disability. Surely the wording of the IPSO Editors’ Code of Practice, with reference to discrimination, should at the very least then, reflect the current standard of UK law. _______________________________________________________ Concern about free speech Of course there could be and should be concern, and continuous debate, about free speech, but the Code already insists that it must not be interpreted in such a way as to “infringe the fundamental right to freedom of expression – such as to inform, to be partisan, to challenge, shock, be satirical and to entertain – or prevent publications in the public interest. “ Nevertheless, it also says that this should be balanced with respect for the rights of the individual. ______________________________________________________________________ b) Urging IPSO to better ENFORCE its “Editors’ Code of Practise” Even as it stands, in HAVING a clause about discrimination, IPSO presumably intends to promote an atmosphere of treating with respect and dignity, (even if not making them immune to criticism), individuals belonging to those groups which the law deems to be in need of particular protection in this area. And its Code of Practice states “it is essential that an agreed Code be honoured not only to the letter, but in the full spirit “ Even if migrants and asylum seekers do not constitute an identifiable racial or religious group, (part of Matt Tee’s defence about IPSO’s ruling ) it is difficult to see how they would not be included within the SPIRIT OF a Code which says “The press must avoid prejudicial or pejorative reference to an individual's race, colour, religion . . “ , within the spirit of a Code which seeks to protect children and vulnerable adults, and which affords particular consideration for those experiencing personal grief or shock. It may be too late to get a better ruling on The Sun/Katie Hopkins case, but the Press must regulate itself against allowing a proliferation of such hateful language about human beings in its publications, by extending its Editors’ Code of Practice in the way suggested, and by better enforcing the Code. That is, if its claim that it “sets the framework for the highest professional standards that members of the press . . .have undertaken to maintain” – is to mean anything at all.

Imagine the nuclear bombs in our country went off, leaving our nation a wasteland and we had to flee to mainland Europe or Africa, should they turn us away because we're refugees? Because we're of another faith or skin colour? Would other nations letting us die be okay? Chances are you said, no, so how is it okay for us to let thousands of people die every day trying to escape war. War that we created. They're trying to escape the IS, they're trying to escape the bombs that France, America and We drop on them. We need to do more. These are human beings and we are letting them die.

As parents are being made to support 2 schools and face logistical nightmares up and down the country.

Restricting the times when alchohol can be purchased, does not deter the alchohol dependent from binge drinking in our streets or at home. It does however, discriminate against those of us who work long shifts and are unable to purchase their shopping during "normal" hours.

A speed awareness can modify and change driving behaviours, fines /points are less effective. Might save more lives on the road!

Darryl could be any one of hundreds of people in this city. He has clearly fallen through the cracks and is caught up in some Kafkaesque bureaucratic nightmare. He needs a home. He is not alone.

There is a huge vegan and vegetarian community in Cambridge who would love to have more options for quick and easy meals. There are 1373 people in the vegan and vegetarian Facebook group, and many more people who eat veggie diets for health or environmental reasons. The Cambridge Vegan Fair 2016 is taking over the Cambridge Guildhall, one of the biggest venues in the city. The United Nations recommended a global move to a vegan diet in 2010, explaining its potential to reduce environmental degradation and chronic diseases. Many people are choosing to do this, and it is slowly becoming a mainstream choice. Pret a Manger can help to bring about this positive change in society at a faster rate by opening more veggie Pret stores. http://www.eater.com/2015/2/16/8048069/un-says-veganism-can-save-the-world-from-destruction

Small companies are already under massive strains with various levies/taxes/regulations compliance costs and often only make a small profit. When thieves steal goods from them they will struggle to replace those goods, which are often essential to trade and may force them to become unemployed through no fault of their own. Small businesses need support!

We are fighting for the monies that both Labour and Tory Government have taken from the Miners since 1994/5. This money has been taken at a rate of 1m per-day,which equates to £8bn in total. We are looking to start a on-line Petition to call upon the U.K Government to review the Mineworkers Pension from the 50/50 sharing of the surpluses, to a realstic percentage. We are looking to the people of the UK to support the miners in this fight as the mine workers have been the back bone of this country of a number of years.

Thousands of people rely on Southern Trains to get to and from work everyday. The service in 2016 has been appalling. Season tickets cost thousands of pounds a year, and Southern aren't delivering. Season Ticket holders can claim money back for a delayed train but why should they? Sometimes for as many as 10 trains a week can be late. Yes, every journey to work. Having lost hours of their lives on crowded platforms or crammed in over-packed trains, why would customers then want to waste more time filling out a form accounting for every minute of their journey? Why should they record every moment of their crummy journey home? Just finally catching a train and finally making it home is a relief. Why make them relive it? This is causing strife to thousands. Thousands of late appointments, delayed starts, working lates to catch up. Missed bedtimes. Nurses and doctors unable to get to their patients on time. How do they get money back? Waste more of their time filling out a form. You can't even keep up with processing all the claims, so why try? Stop wasting money on a pointless paper chasing exercise and just give people their money back. Come on Southern Trains, you know your service is rubbish. You know your customers have suffered enough. Do the decent thing, give them a rebate on their season ticket, without them having to ask for it.

Stepping Hill serves a large geographical area in Greater Manchester. It has been chosen as one of the specialist hospitals in Greater Manchester as a result of the Healthier Together reforms that were intended to improve patient care and save lives. The loss of jobs and beds at the hospital can only have the opposite effect. We want Ann Barnes to tell the people of Stockport and the surrounding area why, without consultation, the board have taken the decision to immediately and permanently close the surgical ward B3, to temporarily close 8 trauma and orthopaedic beds from October and to make 400 people redundant. This came as a shock to everyone. We want this decision reversed. We are aware that these are cost-cutting measures forced by a deficit estimated to be £40 million. This is an entirely predictable result of a policy of progressive under-funding of the NHS that began in 2010. We now spend 25% less of our GDP on healthcare compared with the European average and more pressure has been placed on all hospitals including Stepping Hill as a result of reductions in social care funding. We therefore also call on Jeremy Hunt as Secretary of State for Health to change the austerity policy of under-funding of the NHS, to increase spending to provide a publically run service, free at the point of need. The people of Stockport and the surrounding area own Stepping Hill Hospital and it must survive.

We are staff at Thames Reach who have not had incremental increases for five years. We are asking Thames Reach management to bring back incremental increases and reward loyalty, commitment and skill among their dedicated workforce.