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

Dear friends, Thanks to YOU, last year the Government conceded on their dystopian plans to allow police to use GPS ankle tags on innocent campaigners and ban them from attending marches and demonstrations. We showed the Government that we would not allow extreme police powers in a democratic country like the UK, and thanks to thousands of us coming together they were forced to drop their plans. But we're still working to reclaim privacy and defend freedoms at this time of enormous technological change - you can find out about our other campaigns here https://you.38degrees.org.uk/partnerships/big-brother-watch Thank you for taking action. Silkie Carlo Big Brother Watch Director

12/09/22 It's been almost two years since we started our campaign to stop the proposed merger between Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, and University Hospital Sussex, but finally we have received the news we have all been working towards. All work on the merger has been stopped and we have been informed that this is not a pause but a final decision not to go ahead with the merger now or in the future. Recent whistleblowing by consultants at USH and the subsequent CQC reports highlighting significant ongoing patient safety concerns have proved that merger with them would have been a disaster for QVH. We want to thank each and every one of you that has been involved in supporting us during our fight to save these internationally respected specialist services. We now need leadership put in place that understands and values this unique hospital and its staff. Not a leadership team that is willing to sell it off the highest bidder, instead a leadership team that will fight for its future by building on its strengths and working with like-minded organisations. Thank you all for helping us to get our voices heard!

07/09/23 - We Won! Following pressure from our campaign, The Government has confirmed that the UK will re-join the EU's flagship scientific research scheme. Congratulations to everyone who signed. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-66737714

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.

19/09/23: New petrol price information shows that supermarkets are no longer overcharging for petrol. Well done to everyone who signed the petition! https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/petrol-prices-uk-government-figures-data-cost-disparity-zqw53th5h

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

On the 3rd December 2020 the Environment Secretary announced plans to ban live exports following Britain’s departure from the EU. This ban is dependent upon the result of an eight-week consultation, beginning today, which seeks views on ending the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening where the journeys begin or transit through England or Wales. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-55167473 Due to this awful trade, animals must endure excessively long journeys, and frequently experience pain, exhaustion, stress and overcrowding. Having campaigned to put an end to this suffering for over 50 years, we are delighted to hear that the Government plans to ban live exports at long last. Echoing our sentiments exactly, George Eustice, Defra Secretary of State, called the trade a “cruel and unnecessary practice”, in a press release on the announcement.

Pensions dashboard The government committed to getting the pensions dashboard off the ground. It means we’ll be able to keep track of all our pensions in one place, stopping us losing out on thousands of pounds. When news came out that the government was considering scrapping the dashboard, over 200,000 of us jumped into action. We signed open letters, emailed our MPs and our research, which proved how much people could lose without a pensions dashboard, was plastered all over the press. The government saw our messages in their inboxes and in the media - and yesterday they acted.

12/12/17 - We Won! Great news! Michael Gove, the Environment Minister has drafted a new law to specifically recognise animal sentience. The result of our campaign is fantastic news, this will keep standards of animal welfare, at the high levels we have come to expect, from a nation with a reputation for compassion and care. I am grateful to the Government for listening to us, and I think we should all be very proud of this achievement. - Dave Babb - Petition Starter Sky news say: "Mr Gove has been forced to act after social media campaigns by 38 Degrees, Compassion in World Farming and other groups targeted Conservative MPs, calling on them to reverse their vote against recognising animal sentience." The bill proposes ministers "must have regard to the welfare needs of animals as sentient beings in formulating and implementing Government policy". Unveiling his plans after visiting Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, Mr Gove claimed: "As we leave the EU we will deliver a Green Brexit, not only maintaining but enhancing animal welfare standards...Animals are sentient beings who feel pain and suffering, so we are writing that principle into law and ensuring that we protect their welfare." Thank you so much to everyone who signed and shared the petition! Read more here: https://news.sky.com/story/government-draft-tougher-animal-cruelty-laws-after-sentience-row-11167159