We don't know exactly what's in the finalised text, but what we've seen of this secretive trade deal reads like a giant corporate wish list.
You know what adds insult to injury? Experts are saying it could be 30 days before we even get a look at what's actually written in the deal. That means we have to wait a month to learn what we already know: Attacks on access to affordable medicine and food safety standards. And we can expect corporations to sue our governments when we pass laws to protect ourselves if its affects their profits. This sweeping deal circumvents the democratic process, and it affects every single one of us. SumOfUs has been opposed to the TPP from the beginning -- this type of massive corporate giveaway is exactly why we started this community. Across the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, tens or even hundreds of thousands of SumOfUs members have taken a stand against TPP: by chipping in with small donations, signing petitions, or even turning up outside the talks to make sure they didn't happen in secret. Because we're global, we're extremely well placed to fight this deal. If just one of the TPP countries doesn't ratify the deal, it doesn't pass. We know we have the power to help stop it. Send a powerful message to our leaders: we don't want the TPP! Additional via email: It's absolutely astonishing that a deal this huge would be negotiated entirely in secret. 792 million people live in countries that are party to this deal, yet this is the first any of us have officially been able to see the full text. And in keeping with the secrecy of the deal, the text was released at midnight in New Zealand when they thought most of the world wouldn't notice. We don't think you should need a law degree to make sense of the deal that will affect every single one of us. So we need to make sure the public knows that this deal will drive up drug costs, weaken workers' rights, and put corporations on the same level as sovereign nations, able to sue in special TPP courts to overturn protections for consumers and the environment." Yes, I’ll make a secure donation of £1 to help stop the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Related information re TTP: Human rights, US relations, deals, trade and TPP Stop TTIP the power of mass cross border protests
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Social housing is starting to be in short supply as the government commits to further sales of such property. Private rented landlords are able to offer short-term leases since previous Tory de-regulation. The Tories may blame the last Labour government for failing to act but it was during Thatcher's reign that housing stocks were decimated. Shelter’s petition says: This Christmas, 100,000 children will be homeless. Use your postcode at this link to see how many homeless people are registered in your area. There are 32 in mine and 25 are families with children. That is followed by some housing information for where I live; It’s getting tough to afford a home – in Kingston upon Hull, house prices have risen by £168,469 since 1969. It was tough getting somewhere to live when we married in 1972 but there were many cheap to rent old properties available.
If you live in other parts of the U.K. expect to see shocking statistics for your area. You can sign the petition by following this link. There is no quick and easy fix for those facing homelessness this Christmas so Shelter are also asking for donations if you are able. Related reading: British homelessness 2014 campaign Tax avoiding HSBC and anti homeless spikes [these were later removed]
• Men and women born between 6th December 1953 and 5th April 1960 have an SPa set by the 2011 Act, of between 65 and 66. Of the approximately five million individuals affected by the 2011 change, two point four million are men. For women, the maximum increase in SPa relative to the previous timetable is 18 months and for men it is 12 months. This group will also reach pension age after the introduction of the new State Pension. Both the 1995 and 2011 changes followed on from public calls for evidence. The Government has notified the women affected by the State Pension age changes. Following the 2011 changes, DWP wrote to all those directly affected to inform them of the change to their State Pension age - using the address details recorded by HMRC at the time. Mailing to these individuals, due to reach State Pension age between 2016 and 2026, was completed between January 2012 and November 2013, subject to the accuracy of their address details with HMRC. Letters to women with a State Pension age determined by the 1995 timetable (born between 6th April 1950 and 5th April 1953) were sent between April 2009 and March 2011. The DWP also has information on State Pension age changes and who they affect on gov.uk. This includes State Pension age timetables, impact assessments (including an impact assessment for the 2011 Pensions Act) and a State Pension age calculator. In addition, the State Pension age equalisation changes were built into the State Pension statement IT system; introduced in 2001. Therefore, statements produced on request using this system would have included women’s new State Pension ages as determined by the 1995 Pensions Act. The Government will not be revisiting the State Pension age arrangements for women affected by the 1995 or 2011 Acts. The Government carried out extensive analysis of the impacts of bringing forward the rise to 66 when legislating for the change (impact assessment available at Gov.uk). The decision to amend the timetable originally set out in the bill, to cap the maximum increase at 18 months rather than 2 years, was informed by this analysis. All women affected by faster equalisation will reach State Pension age after the introduction of the new State Pension. The new State Pension will be more generous for many women who have historically done poorly under the current, two-tier system - largely as a result of lower average earnings and part-time working. Around 650,000 women reaching State Pension age in the first ten years will receive an average of £8 per week (in 2014/15 earnings terms) more due to the new State Pension valuation of their National Insurance record. Regular consideration of State Pension age is necessary to ensure the pensions system remains sustainable as life expectancy grows. The 2014 Act provides for a 6-yearly review, to take into account up-to-date life expectancy data and the findings of an independently-led review. The first review will conclude by May 2017 and will consider, amongst a number of other factors, the impact of State Pension age change on women. The policy decision to increase women’s State Pension age is designed to remove the inequality between men and women. The cost of prolonging this inequality would be several billions of pounds. Parliament extensively debated the issue and listened to all arguments both for and against the acceleration of the timetable to remove this inequality. The decision was approved by Parliament in 2011 and there is no new evidence to consider. From Department for Work and Pensions
Compulsory microchipping does not work without compulsory scanning and responsible owners are being let down as we have to rely on a 'Duty of Care' which doesn't work now! As the owner of rescued dogs I am all too aware of the benefits of microchipping an animal but it has to be a fully thought out procedure.
Presumably there would be some cost involved in vets, rescue centre staff and authorities scanning all dogs that pass through their care but it would be negligible. Follow this link to sign the petition; tightening the rules will help protect our pets and rescue missing or stolen dogs. Thank You |
Yourvoice
This blog will include a range of reports and opinion pieces covering many issues. It will be YOUR Voice. Archives
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