Successful Campaigns

No parent should have to hold their children and comfort them as they die, or be told that their child has been harmed by someone who is supposed to love them. But that’s exactly what I had to experience 10 years ago when my sons Jack and Paul were killed by their father after a family court judge granted him unsupervised contact with them, despite my warnings. For the past nine years, I’ve been campaigning with Women’s Aid to ensure children are at the heart of every decision made in the family courts and their voices, wishes and feelings are heard. I’ve been to Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament to help get key changes through in the Domestic Abuse Act.  In 2017, we saw new guidance published for judges making decisions about child contact in cases of domestic abuse. And in 2020, the Government committed to make the family courts safer for adult and child survivors. But years later, we’re still waiting for true reform to keep children safe now and for generations to come.  That’s why I’m calling on the new Labour Government and family courts to ensure, once and for all, that decisions made about parental contact do not allow known abusers to have unsafe contact with children that puts their lives at risk.

09/01/24 - We did it! Ex-Post Office boss Paula Vennells has bowed to our 1.2 million strong petition and will hand back her CBE with immediate effect. She said she was “truly sorry for the devastation caused to the subpostmasters and their families” and that she as continuing to support and co-operate with the inquiry into the scandal. She added: “I am, however, aware of the calls from sub-postmasters and others to return my CBE. I have listened and I confirm that I return my CBE with immediate effect.” David Smith, who started this petition said: "Thank you to each and every person who has signed this petition. It has been a catalyst for action allowing us to have a voice and is hopefully a first historic step on the path to the victims of the Post Office scandal getting the justice they deserve." “To me, the removal of the CBE is just the start. The ultimate goal is for the subpostmasters to get the justice they deserve. In many ways, this is symbolic, but it is a massive symbol." “What I’m hoping is that as soon as somebody as senior as her is held accountable at this level, it will start a domino effect that will lead to the justice and compensation that everyone affected deserves.” You can read more about the story here https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2024/01/09/post-office-scandal-win-paula-vennells-hands-back-cbe-but-fight-for-justice-goes-on/ In other news a new petition has been started calling for Alan Bates to be honoured for his role in exposing the Post Office scandal. You can sign that here https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/give-alan-bates-a-cbe-for-exposing-post-office-scandal

The House of Lords has blocked the UK government's plan to relax restrictions on water pollution to encourage housebuilding in England. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-66804160

We won! Incredibly, our campaigning seems to be working: in 2023 the Duchy of Cornwall agreed to our petition to expand Dartmoor’s temperate rainforest. The Crown Estate (the biggest of the Royal Estates) announced its first ever beaver release. And now, the unthinkable: even the king’s beloved Balmoral, once a bastion of bloodsports, is set to get its first rewilding project. https://www.wildcard.land/rewild-the-royals.html ​Read our Guardian article celebrating our successes here. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/dec/28/revolt-royals-rewilding-rainforest-beaver-balmoral

Update 13/11/23 Following widespread public anger, including our petition, Rishi Sunak has sacked Suella Braverman as Home Secretary https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67401753

Campaign win! Thanks to all your support and dedicated campaigning the Economic Crime Bill has now passed through Parliament. The bill introduces a crucial register for property owned through offshore companies. This is an important step to stop tax dodging and corruption. Other important legislation is in the pipeline. This is an amazing success. We will keep campaigning until we have closed every last tax loophole. We all deserve a fairer tax system. Thank you so much for your support. You can sign up here to take part in future campaigns: https://www.taxjustice.uk/sign-up.html.

After over two years of campaigning and thousands of people signing this petition, the Chancellor has closed the holiday let tax loophole! Since 2019, nearly 36,000 homes around England have been lost to the tourist industry, and many more in Wales and Scotland. This announcement should help make more homes available for local people, which will make rents more affordable. Thanks to everyone to who got involved and helped us bring attention to this issue by signing the petition: you made this victory possible.

The Government has decided that the prescription charge upper age exemption will remain at 60, meaning that it will not align to the State Pension age. https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/aligning-the-upper-age-for-nhs-prescription-charge-exemptions-with-the-state-pension-age/outcome/aligning-the-upper-age-for-nhs-prescription-charge-exemptions-with-the-state-pension-age-government-response#introduction

The government’s official guidelines to protect people returning to work have been published. Thanks to pressure from unions, MPs, and more than 73,000 thousand of us the rules are stronger so more of us will be kept safe. When the government’s draft guidelines were leaked last week, tens of thousands of us leapt into action to push for improvements, and the government listened. There is lots more to do, but this is a step in the right direction.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-52732300