Successful Campaigns

Just a few days after we handed in our huge petition to Westminster Council, the planning application to move the statue was withdrawn! Sir Niel Thorne, the former MP behind the bid to move the staue of Emmiline Pankhurst from its historic home said: “we realised considerable pressure was being put on Westminster City Council, who’d find it more difficult to approve moving the statue.” Thanks to our pressure, Emmeline Pankhurst will remain by Paliament - thank you! https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/09/16/emmeline-pankhurst-statue-will-remain-near-parliament-plan-move/

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.

After thousands of us signed the petition, emailed, tweeted and called Jeremy Hunt and chipped in for hard hitting ad vans, the government announced it was scrapping the dangerous data sharing deal between the NHS and the Home Office! https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/may/09/government-to-stop-forcing-nhs-to-share-patients-data-with-home-office?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

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.

17/4/18: We did it! The voices of cross party MPs and the respectful but resolute demands of the Commonwealth Heads of State, together with personal stories in the press, finally all had an impact. The government apology and promised action were resoundingly good if tarred with shameful tardiness. But implementation is all and we should ensure that an independent body takes on the role of monitoring progress, highlighting problems and ensuring a voice for the people directly affected. Only then, will justice be done. Click here for more information: https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2018/04/18/save-the-windrush-generation-petition-hand-in/

26/07/18 We won!!! Home Secretary Sajid Javid said "cannabis-derived medicinal products" will be available "by the autumn" through the NHS system Announcing the changes, Javid said: “Recent cases involving sick children made it clear to me that our position on cannabis-related medicinal products was not satisfactory.” Thanks to the hundreds of thousands of 38 Degrees members who signed this petition, wrote to Sajid Javid, and pushed the government to make this important change to the law.

01/07/20 Plans to extend an open cast mine by its owners have been rejected by councillors. The Banks Group wanted to enlarge its Bradley West mine in County Durham to extract an extra 90,000 tonnes of coal. More than 6,000 letters of objection were sent with opponents branding the plan "environmentally unacceptable". Durham County Council's planning officers had recommended the plan be approved but councillors rejected it at a meeting, held via videolink. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-53255021

28th February - BREAKING: we’ve just won! PG Tips have today announced that they are removing plastic from their tea bags. Because 38 Degrees-ers like you stood up to Britain’s biggest tea manufacturer, there will now be 10 billion fewer fewer plastic tea bags damaging our environment every year. https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2018/02/28/pg-tips-won/ PG Tips announces plans to remove plastic from tea bags: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/28/pg-tips-switches-plastic-free-tea-bags-200000-sign-gardeners/

20/02/18 - We won! Sarahah has been removed from both the Apple App Store and Google Play. It follows over 120,000 of us signing a petition, then thousands of us writing in to Apple and Google and posting on their facebook walls. First Apple took down the app, so we went back to Google and a few days later they took down the app too!

09/08/18 We Won! We won! Women's Refuges have been saved from disasterous funding changes. The government has listened to the hundreds of thousands of people who joined Women’s Aid, in calling to stop planned changes to how refuges are funded. We told Ministers that these disastrous planned funding reforms would have put women and children’s lives at risk. Refuge managers warned these plans would have “been the end”. We are delighted that the Government has acted; rent in refuges will continue to be funded through housing benefit, which is the very last secure form of income for our national network of services. Up and down the country survivors and refuge services are breathing a sigh of relief. Refuge doors will stay open for the women and children escaping domestic abuse who so desperately need their help. Domestic abuse refuges save lives. With on average two women every week being killed by a current or former partner in England and Wales, refuges provide lifeline. Our campaign is not over; our next battle is to ensure that the funding for the support refuges provide to a survivor and her children - from therapy to help with housing and finances - is secure. We hope you will continue with us on our campaign to win a sustainable funding future for these life-saving services. Read more here: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/aug/09/plans-to-remove-womens-refuges-from-uk-welfare-system-dropped