Hate and division should not be supported by a British Government by taking part through advertising and posting. We call on the UK Governent to withdraw all support and/or activity on X (formally Twitter). Musk's recent actions trying to whip up hate and violence, and platforming the likes of Tommy Robinson cannot go unchallenged. And yet the UK Government continues to use accounts on X.  Enough is enough. It's time our Government quits Musk's hate platform.

For decades, our libraries have promoted a large range of themes and events linked to books, education, local issues, culture, and libraries themselves. As well as Pride, and Black History Month, there have been promotions for Remembrance Day, Holocaust Memorial Day, World Mental Health Day, International Women’s Day, the World Cup, and much more. These promotions are vital for making our libraries relevant to everybody within our communities, and ensuring the continuing sustainability of a much loved public service. Essex Libraries staff have the professional skills, experience and knowledge to run and promote suitable events, and the council should not interfere and should not be allowed to stop our libraries from being places for everyone. t’s always been vital to ensure that public libraries are never manipulated by any politicians' personal opinions or dislikes.

There are many stories like this but this is a good example.  A miniature staffordshire bull terrier was walking quietly on lead when he was attacked by two off lead dogs.  during the melee, a passer-by was nipped by the staffy as it tried to fight back.  Though the injury was not bad the police were called and have taken the staffy.  He will likely be held under the dangerous dogs act and even destroyed. Every day, dogs are attacked whilst on lead by dogs running free.  The police won't intervene.  Thousands of pounds are wasted on vet fees and there is high emotional cost to the owners. Presently, it is not illegal to have a dog off lead in public places.  Off lead, they can cause injury and car accidents.  Dogs should be on their lead on public pathways and highways and other designated areas.  Owners do not have full control of them otherwise.

 My name is Peter, and I'm an AuDHD adult with Dyspraxia. During my youth, I was failed by the education system in nearly every conceivable way, and as such developed what is now referred to as "Emotionally Based School Avoidance". Unlike a lot of parents now pursued by authorities with threats of fines and social services involvement, I was left, alone, unable to attend school, in a near constant state of overwhelm and burnout. My family were never informed about Section 19 of the Education Act 1996. This law mandates the provision of education by the Local Authority if a child is unable to attend school. It never came up. Not from the schools I attended, mental health professionals, nor any other source. As such, I was left without direction, and never able to achieve my full potential. By neither funding nor obligating Local Authorities to follow the law, successive governments have thereby broken the law. Section 19 could have been a lifeline for me, and tens of thousands, if not more, neurodivergent children failed by the Education system since 1996. This issue is increasingly important for parents of children receiving or awaiting SEND provisions, as many Neurodivergent children, and children with learning differences burn out and face the consequences of Complex-PTSD as a result of their needs not being met, and facing sensory, social, emotional and information overload in a school environment. I see the stories about children and parents either struggling to acquire, or receiving insufficient SEND provisions, and children and parents being blamed when a child is so emotionally overwhelmed they cannot attend school. Threats of fines, and social services involvement and worse pursue them. By making the government honour Section 19 of the Education Act 1996, I hope to see to it that no neurodivergent or learning different child suffers the same as I did in my youth. I am in the process of starting a petition on the gov.uk website to bring Local Authorities and the Government to account. 

AI glasses with recording capabilities create a serious threat to privacy and personal safety. Unlike traditional cameras, they can be worn discreetly in everyday situations, making it difficult for people to know when they are being recorded. People should have the right to move through public spaces without the fear that they are being filmed, identified, or recorded without their knowledge or meaningful consent. There are growing concerns about these devices being misused to record strangers in vulnerable situations, including women in public spaces, people exercising in gyms, and individuals in private or sensitive environments, with footage potentially being shared online without permission. Although some AI glasses have visible recording indicators, these safeguards can be undermined if they are easily hidden or covered, making it harder for members of the public to recognise when they are being recorded. The development of facial recognition and identity-matching technology alongside wearable cameras raises further concerns. If someone can identify a stranger and connect their face to personal online information, it risks removing the basic expectation of anonymity in everyday life. A person sitting near you on public transport could potentially discover your identity and access personal information that you never chose to share with them. This creates particular risks for vulnerable groups, including children and young people, who may be recorded, identified, or exposed online without understanding the consequences. The UK must act now to protect privacy before these technologies become widespread and the ability to control our own images, identities, and personal information is lost.

They're planning to close an important ward at Liverpool's Alder Hay Children's Hospital, that treats sick children in need of care-  not just from surrounding areas but from all over the country and abroad, and it's downright irresponsible. Mothers will be horrified that an important Children's Hospital wants to close a ward at a time where we hear stories of long waiting lists and patients being treated in corridors. The Health Secretary MUST step in and make sure all wards at Alder Hay are kept open.

 As many other QPR fans I am against the Mr Q gambling sponsor.  We deserve a club sponsor that reflects our community values, not one that profits from gambling addiction. We are a working class club and gambling disproportionately exploits lower class areas. We should be protecting our younger supporters rather than normalising gambling.  We want to buy match shirts for our children without turning them into walking billboards for betting brands. 

 The Oxford Union is a prestigious public speaking stage. Inviting a far-right criminal like Tommy Robinson to speak gives a huge platform to his dangerous, hate-filled ideas.  For communities already under threat from Islamophobia and far-right hostility, this isn't an abstract debate - it's a direct threat to their daily safety.  Listen to the public, students and faith leaders and cancel the debate now!  

Thousands of residents in western Milton Keynes are cut off from their nearest shops, schools, and services — by a bus network that simply doesn't connect them. Whitehouse, Fairfields, and the wider Western Expansion Area were built with restricted parking, expecting residents to rely on public transport. While some radial services exist — the X6 at Fairfields, Route 2 at Whitehouse — the cross-town connections those plans relied on were never delivered. The reality today: • No direct bus between Whitehouse and Stony Stratford — a 5-minute drive takes ~50 minutes by bus via central MK • No bus to Westcroft's shops — a 5-minute drive takes ~45 minutes by bus • MK Connect costs £3–6.50 per ride, doesn't run on Sundays, and can mean 30-minute waits • Route 2, the only regular bus serving Whitehouse, is at risk of withdrawal More information: https://mkweabus.defp.uk/

Wrexham is a place that many of us are proud to call home. It is a place built on community, local businesses, and a growing ambition to create a vibrant future for residents and visitors alike. As a local business owner, I understand the challenges facing our high streets and independent businesses. Every day, hardworking local people invest their time, money and passion into serving our community, creating jobs, supporting local suppliers, and keeping money circulating within the local economy. That is why I am deeply concerned by proposals for yet another McDonald’s restaurant and drive-thru in Wrexham. This would be the fifth McDonald’s in the area and the third drive-thru. At a time when many independent cafés, restaurants and food businesses are working hard to survive rising costs and economic pressures, we should be asking whether this development truly meets a need within our community. Beyond the impact on local businesses, residents have legitimate concerns about increased traffic congestion, road safety, litter, noise pollution and the environmental impact that often accompanies large drive-thru developments. Many people already experience congestion on our roads and do not want to see this made worse. This petition is not about opposing progress or investment in Wrexham. It is about ensuring that development is appropriate, necessary and beneficial to the wider community. We believe that decisions about our town should reflect the voices of the people who live and work here. Wrexham deserves investment that strengthens our local economy, supports independent businesses, enhances community wellbeing and contributes positively to the character of our town. If you believe Wrexham does not need a fifth McDonald’s restaurant and a third drive-thru, please sign this petition and help send a clear message to decision-makers that our community’s voice matters. Together, we can ensure that future development reflects the needs and aspirations of the people of Wrexham

  Earlier this year, Reform UK MPs walked out of the Commons rather than sit through a debate about transparency in political funding. Their own funding. Nobody stopped them. Nobody recorded it. As far as anyone can tell officially, it never happened.  I'm a Green Party and 38 Degrees member. I pay my taxes, I vote, I try to actually engage with politics and honestly the bare minimum I expect back is for the people I'm paying to turn up and do their jobs.  Here's the thing that gets me. Voting records are already public. You can see exactly how every MP voted on anything. But whether they actually bothered to sit through the debate beforehand? Invisible. An MP can skip every single debate that matters to their constituents and there's no public record of it anywhere.  This isn't a dig at any one party. Plenty of MPs across the board don't show up. This is just about basic transparency. If 100,000 people care enough to sign a petition, the people we're paying to represent us should at least be in the room. And we should be able to see whether they were. 

I've been swimming at Putney Leisure Centre for over 16 years. I'll be honest: the centre is run down and tired, and it badly needs modernising - I've more than once thought about coughing up for a posh gym with newer facilities. But I never have. The one thing that's kept me here all these years is the 33-metre pool. There aren't many pools like it left in the country. It's an increasingly scarce thing, and once it's gone, it's gone - because nobody builds 33-metre pools any more. But who cares about 33 metres? What's so good about it? For a start, it's simply more water to swim in. The pool gets busy, and those extra eight metres let everyone spread out and find a rhythm. Shrink it to 25 metres and that breathing space disappears. Places Leisure say they'll cap each lane at 14 swimmers in the new pool - so at busy times people will be turned away. And here's the thing: our 33-metre lanes comfortably take 14 swimmers as it is. Cram those same 14 into a lane eight metres shorter and it stops being swimming and starts being queuing. Modernise the centre - please do. But don't take away the one thing that makes it worth coming to for many people. A permanent change to a pool the public owns and pays for, decided behind closed doors and announced barely a month before it shuts - without consulting a single resident or member. This is our pool. We deserve a say in its future. Please sign, and help us tell the Council to keep our 33-metre pool and to ask us before they change it.