Successful Campaigns

STOP PRESS - DECEMBER 2024 GALBA (Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport) is STILL fighting LBA's attempts to expand. So far, we’ve been incredibly successful in our five-year l battle. We have managed to block LBA at every stage of their expansion plans. But now LBA’s bosses have asked the government’s Planning Inspectors to overturn restrictions on night flights, at a Public Inquiry to be held in Leeds in March 2025. If LBA win they will be able to fly an UNLIMITED number of planes at night. Increasing night time flying is central to the airport's expansion plans. The reason is simple: unlimited night flying allows airlines to fly more of their planes round the clock, which means they can dramatically increase the number of flights at the airport. That’s what LBA’s appeal to the Planning Inspectors is all about. More night flights would mean more greenhouse gases from jet engines, polluting our fragile climate, when everyone knows we have to cut emissions as fast and as much as possible. The Climate Change Committee has repeatedly said that airports should not be allowed to expand because there are no large scale alternatives to the fossil fuels used to fly aircraft. OUR ORIGINAL CAMPAIGN We have successfully petitioned the Secretary of State to hold a public inquiry into the expansion of Leeds Bradford airport so that the full national impact of airport expansion can be assessed. The Public Inquiry was due to start on September 13th 2022. But Leeds Bradford Airport pulled out. Since then GALBA has been fighting expansion on many fronts. Here are some of the things we have achieved: We succeeded in calling for a public inquiry into the original planning application – causing LBA to withdraw its application. We achieved this win by using every tactic available to us, including the very best legal advice, an enormous public petition and a letter-writing campaign. We exposed hundreds of unlawful night flights at LBA over the past three summers. We were only able to do this because our dedicated and expert team literally logged every single arrival and departure at the airport – an extremely time-consuming and laborious process. Our hard work paid off because we were able to prove that the airport was not telling Leeds City Council the truth about night flight numbers and the Council was not independently monitoring them. We persuaded Leeds City Council to turn down the airport’s attempts to rewrite the rules that limit the number of night flights. This was a huge blow to the airport and we believe it only came about because Leeds City Council was not able to argue with our relentless monitoring and the detailed legal arguments that we presented to them. During this time we have kept our campaign at the top of the agenda. We’ve made politicians and the public take notice with a series of high profile demonstrations, letter-writing campaigns, petitions, fundraisers and media appearances. Why is this important? As we stand on the brink of climate and ecological breakdown, airports throughout the UK are trying to expand. Leeds Bradford, Bristol, Stansted, Manston, Southampton, Luton and Gatwick are pressing ahead with expansion plans. Supporters of each expansion claim that the increase in carbon emissions is small in a national context. However, the cumulative impact would be a huge increase in emissions at precisely the time we should be doing everything in our power to reduce them. Leeds Bradford Airport expansion is a test case. The local authority has approved expansion, claiming that carbon emissions from international flights is not a matter for local authorities to consider! So we have called on the Secretary of State, Robert Jenrick, to order a public inquiry so that the climate impact of expansion can be assessed in a national context. This is not just about Leeds-Bradford. Approval of this application would open the floodgates of expansion at other regional airports. The government must intervene to stop the planned expansion of regional airports if it is to meet legally binding environmental targets and avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis. You can hear it from the experts. Over 200 Leeds Uni Academics already agree. https://www.galba.uk/post/press-release-246-uni-of-leeds-staff-and-researchers-ask-robert-jenrick-to-call-in-lba-decision Most importantly please share with your friends and family. Tell them why this matters so much to you. Thank you from GALBA - Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport

WE WON! 30/05/18 British citizen Andy Tsege has received a pardon from the Ethiopian Government after almost four years on death row in Ethiopia. Andy has now been released from prison and is now with his family in Ethiopia. After four unbelievably hard years for on death row this is wonderful news for Andy, his partner and their children. The new Ethiopian government should be recognised for what they have done today. “I am so thankful that the pain and anguish my children have had to go through could now soon be coming to an end. Helawit, Yilak and Menabe have spent too long without their father and we are all hoping Andy will be free to come home to us soon.” Yemi Hailemariam, Andy’s partner https://reprieve.org.uk/update/andy-tsege-is-pardoned-by-ethiopia/

We have won the campaign - the Government quietly announced (https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-05-13/360/) £5.9million of new funding for Forestry England to undertake ancient woodland restoration which we have confirmed with letters from the Minister for Nature, Mary Creagh.

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.

Huge news: We won! The Government has officially scrapped the plans that would have forced us into a digital ID system. This only happened because thousands of us stood up together and said no. Let's make sure they don't try this again. Add your name to the campaign and share it with your friends and family today to be alerted immediately if these plans resurface.

Some great news, and it's thanks to all of YOU! It shows that when we come together and act collectively as one, we really can make a difference. People power wins! As a result of this announcement, this Thursday's petition presentation and demonstration at County Hall is called off. But we will keep the petition on standby, just in case there are any further attempts to introduce a reservation charge. Rest assured SOLE will remain vigilant to any further threats to our libraries. For instance, with local government currently being reorganised (please see our Facebook page for more details), we are looking to ensure, whatever happens, Essex Library Service is kept as one single service. Essex libraries are better together. So please continue to follow SOLE. http://www.facebook.com/saveourlibrariesessex Once again, many thanks. Andy, on behalf of SOLE.

We won! Kim is staying! A local reporter Josef Steen made sure Hackney Council were aware of the petition and they responded. Full article here: https://www.mylondon.news/news/east-london-news/beloved-hackney-street-sweeper-stay-34053789

The football club and alexander community trust chose not to proceed with their applications.

Victory! NDAs to Silence Victims of Misconduct to Be Banned! UPDATE (April 2026) The Government has launched a public consultation on how this new law will work in practice. The decisions made during this process will shape whether the law truly protects the people it is meant to help. Can’t Buy My Silence has created this simple step by step guide to help you respond to the consultation: https://www.cantbuymysilence.co.uk/consultation

20/10/14 Stockport CCG has disclosed that two important GP Enhanced Services will continue to be provided exclusively by doctors’ surgeries. Spirometry (lung testing) and 24-hour blood pressure monitoring were re-procured during the summer without any contracts going to the private sector.