Latest on Calais Convoy and tonight's Rally from the People's Assembly

Latest on Calais Convoy and tonight's Rally from the People's Assembly

Tonight's rally is going ahead. In light of the horrific events surrounding the murder of Jo Cox MP however, we will be ending the rally early and take everyone to Parliament Square for the vigil in memory of Jo Cox MP. The rally begins at 6.30pm and will now end at 7:30pm.

We will have a briefing on the convoy, a few brief speeches and then move on to the vigil.

Currently the ban on the convoy, put in place by the French Police, is still in place and we are trying our hardest to get it overturned. We will still be converging on Whitehall at 8.30am tomorrow and we look forward to meeting you there. We will be heading down to Dover to demand that the convoy is allowed to pass onto Calais.

Please continue to sign & share the petition.  LINK 

We are also asking people to write to the French Embassy to demand that the convoy is allowed to pass onto Calais.


http://www.ambafrance-uk.org/Contact-us-21735

UN report provides opportunity to campaign to restore children's right to play

Re-blogged with thanks from policyforplay.com

The campaign to save Stonebridge Adventure Playground

 The UN’s latest report on the UK government’s record on children’s rights includes some stringent conclusions about the abandonment of play policy. If play advocates can seize the moment, suggests Adrian Voce, it also provides the basis for a persuasive influencing campaign to restore children’s right to play as a national priority.

The concluding observations of last week’s report by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, on the UK’s recent record on children’s rights, has been welcomed by Theresa Casey, the President of the International Play Association (IPA) as ‘the strongest I’ve seen’ on children’s right to play.
This is perhaps no cause for celebration among play advocates. The CRC’s ‘concern about the withdrawal of a play policy in England and the under-funding of play’ across the UK, merely confirms what we know about the woefully inadequate, not to say destructive response of the UK government since 2010, to a human right for children that the CRC says ‘is fundamental to the quality of childhood, to children’s entitlement to optimum development, to the promotion of resilience and to the realisation of other rights’.

The Children’s Rights Alliance for England went on to observe that, since 2010, the government had in fact ‘undermined children’s rights under Article 31 …’

The dismissive approach of the Coalition and Conservative governments of David Cameron, to article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which commits states parties to support and provide for the fulfilment of the right to play, was highlighted by the independent NGO, the Children’s Rights Alliance for England (CRAE) last year. Its civil society report to the CRC on the UK government’s record on children’s rights pulled no punches when it came to play, saying: ‘Rest, leisure and play have been a casualty of the austerity drive. In the absence of a national play policy, many councils have disproportionately targeted play services for cuts with many long-standing services and projects closed and the land redeveloped’.

The CRAE report went on to observe that, since 2010, the government had in fact ‘undermined children’s rights under Article 31 by: abandoning a ten-year national play strategy for England with eight years still to run; cancelling all national play contracts … (and) withdrawing recognition of playwork in out-of-school care…’

Many observers of the work of the CRC over the years have been disappointed at its lack of rigour in holding governments to account for article 31, but the committee’s publication in 2013, of a general comment[1] on the ‘right to rest, leisure, play, recreational activities, cultural life and the arts’ appears to have raised the bar, further vindicating the work of Theresa and her colleagues at IPA in lobbying the UN to produce the document.

UN expects national governments to honour its obligations to ‘respect, protect and fulfil’ children’s right to play

The General Comment (GC17) on article 31 expands on government responsibilities for children’s play under the 1989 convention, urging them ‘to elaborate measures to ensure’ its full implementation. GC17 makes it clear that, in the face of increasing barriers, the UN expects national governments to honour their obligations to ‘respect, protect and fulfil’ children’s right to play by taking serious and concerted action on a range of fronts including, in particular, ‘legislation, planning and funding’. Last week’s report simply highlights what we already know: that the UK government, having been among the world leaders in national play policy before 2010, has since been in abject dereliction of this duty.

While we take no pleasure in this confirmation of the steep decline in the status and priority afforded to children’s play within national policy, we should, nevertheless, see the UNCRC’s report as both an opportunity and a reminder. The opportunity is to fashion an influencing campaign, aligned to the wider advocacy movement for children’s rights in the UK, to persuade future governments to recommit to children’s play. Unsurprisingly, the CRC is critical of the UK record on children’s rights in other areas than play. Its main recommendation is that a broad national children’s rights strategy, abandoned by the coalition government in 2010, should be ‘revised … to cover all areas of the convention and ensure its full implementation’. In England, this plan included a 10-year national play strategy. The play movement should be building links with other children’s rights advocates – who will now use the CRC’s report to put pressure on policymakers – to ensure that the right to play is properly considered in any such revision.

There has been a tendency, since the demise of the Play Strategy, in England at least, to lower our ambition for play policy

The reminder delivered by the CRC report is that children’s play is a serious, crosscutting policy issue, requiring a strategic response and high-level leadership. There has been a tendency, since the demise of the Play Strategy, in England at least, to lower our ambition for play policy. The Children’s Play Policy Forum, for example, has seemed to level its proposals at an agenda that disregards play for its own sake, relegating it to the level of an activity with only instrumental value to such existing policy areas as improving children’s health, reducing neighbourhood conflict or encouraging volunteering.

Good public play provision and playable public space can contribute to all these things of course, but the UN reminded us last week that our government has a duty to legislate, plan and budget for children’s play, first and foremost, because it is their human right. Such an approach will most likely fall on deaf ears, as does so much else with this government, committed as it is to relentlessly scaling back public services and privatising the public realm. Our duty in this case is to point out its failure, and to cultivate support from policymakers outside the government.

An All Party Parliamentary Group, the Children’s Rights Alliance for England, the Children’s Commissioner for England, the Leader of the Opposition and now the United Nations have all recently called for a higher priority to be afforded to children’s play by our local and national governments – many of them urging the UK government to emulate that of Wales in adopting a play sufficiency duty on local authorities.

The Play England board earlier this year sanctioned an open, independent debate about its future role and purpose. Sadly, it seems to no longer have the resources even to manage its own consultations; but if it only does one thing between now and the next general election, this must surely be to cultivate and capitalise on such support in high places and coordinate a cohesive, sustained influencing campaign for play to be once again afforded the status it needs within government policy.

Adrian Voce
[1] A UN General Comment is defined as ‘the interpretation of the provisions of (its) respective human rights treaty’ by its treaty bodies. In other words, it is the UN ’s own interpretation of how nation states should meet their obligations under international law.

French attempt to ban Saturday's Convoy to Calais

From the People's Assembly Against Austerity

The Convoy to Calais this Saturday is now facing a last minute ban by the French authorities. Thousands of people have collected aid from across the county and over 200 vehicles have booked to come on the convoy.

Last night we were contacted by the Metropolitan Police who informed us that the French authorities have decided to ban the Convoy to Calais from entering France and we will not be granted permission to cross the border.

We are doing all in our power to get this overturned. It is more important than ever that we go ahead and show the strength of feeling and support for refugees. If the authorities still refuse to let us cross the channel we will be holding a protest in Dover.

We will still assemble the convoy on Whitehall at 8:30am and will drive to Dover
We are in negotiations to get the ban lifted and are putting political pressure here and in France to allow the convoy to cross the French boarder

How you can help:

Sign and share the petition

Calling for a reversal of the ban and demanding that our Government get involved. Sign the petition here

Come to the London Rally - Friday 17 June
We will be holding a public rally the evening before the convoy leaves in London. We'll give a full update about the situation. Details: Refugees Welcome, Convoy to Calais London Rally - Friday 17 June, 6:30pm, Emmanuel Centre, Westminster, SW1.

Speakers include: John McDonnell MP, Gary Younge, Rufus Hound, Kate Osamor MP, Roger McKenzie & more. Please register your place here

Come on the convoy, join the demonstration - Saturday 18 June
Even if you haven't booked a place on the ferry, we now need to make sure maximum pressure is put on Governments to let the convoy through to make sure the aid can be delivered and solidarity can be shown to the refugees. We need every last vehicle possible to assemble on Whitehall at 8:30am.

If you don't have a vehicle come down and see the convoy off - speeches in Parliament Square will start at 9:30am and will be followed by an hours silence from 12pm - 1pm in solidarity with refugees.

If you have booked to come on the convoy please keep checking your emails - we will be sending out regular updates.

If you have any questions contact calaisconvoy@gmail.com

Spread the word!


The People's Assembly Against Austerity
http://www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/

'I have been put up for sale by NHS England' - Amazing Grace petitions David Cameron

Grace demonstrates outside Monitor/NHS Improvement

Grace Balogun is seeking support for her petition LINK to save her Sudbury (Vale Farm) GP Practice from the market. She tells David Cameron why he should intervene below.

Let me introduce myself .My name is Grace and I need urgent help. I am a National Health Service patient and, along with my fellow patients of the fantastic Sudbury GP surgery in Wembley. I have been put up for sale by NHS England. The same NHS England that loves to talk about "patient choice" but all NHS England really care about is "the market in healthcare". BUT I TALK - AND CARE - ABOUT MY FAMILY DOCTORS WHO KEEP ME WELL AND GIVE ME THE CARE MY COUNTRY PROMISED ME FOR WORKING AND LIVING IN THIS COUNTRY - FOR LIFE, CRADLE TO GRAVE.

I live in the London Borough of Brent, an area where we already have a shortage of GPs, more GPs retiring , and a largely deprived population which is expected to expand over the next 5 years by about 80,000 people. I suffer from a range of major health issues which means that I live my life in a wheelchair. Don't get me wrong. I have a good and happy life – or I did until NHS England decided – without asking me – that it would be a good idea to take away from me the Family Doctors who have cared for me for the last 14 years. GP's who I would follow ,if they moved halfway across the country – but my wheelchair bound status makes that pretty tricky. To add insult to injury, I have already had one fight - alongside my fellow patients - lasting 9 years, and including threatened legal action against the NHS, to keep my Doctors from being tendered out for sale before. That fight - I thought - ended in 2013. 

 

Patients make a stand against marketisation

So WHY is Sudbury Surgery Patient List again "up for sale", and my fragile care threatened?

NOT TO SAVE MONEY. THE NEW CONTRACT WILL COST NHS ENGLAND £70,0000 A YEAR MORE. NOT BECAUSE OUR GPS AND THEIR TEAM ARE NO GOOD – although senior officials in NHS England London region (including the Boss) wrote telling my MP, my local councillors and a Brent patient group that they were not "performing" - ridiculous allegations they have since had to withdraw.

 NOT BECAUSE IT IS HARD FOR ME TO GET AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY GP – no, we are known in Brent for having fantastic service from our surgery.

NOT BECAUSE OF INADEQUATE SERVICES -We have EXTRA SERVICES, like in-house professional counselling sessions every week, a GP specially trained in mental health services, a specialist diabetic clinic and diabetic nurse, methadone prescribing service, minor surgery, acupuncture and were just about to start the practice as a GP training practice. Our practice also hosts a walk-in blood testing clinic, and the out of hours "overflow" GP appointments for our locality. Sudbury Surgery does a fantastic service for the community, IN the community. It is run by a not for profit social enterprise.

NO, I have been put up for sale because MY DOCTORS ARE JUST TOO GOOD. Since their social enterprise got the contract 3 short years ago, the patient list has grown from 5000 to 8600, and is still growing. How I wish it had stayed at less than 6000! Why, you ask me? Because, at less than 6000 patients, apparently, according to NHSE England, a "patient list" is "unattractive to the market" . Market, what market ? The market to which my surgery and the 15 other practices in "Tranche 4 London GP practices" NHS England gleefully advertised as the "greatest number of opportunities to potential providers yet" -when it held a "market engagement event" helpfully timed when our GPs were serving their patients in surgery. Bulk sale opportunity! Does it sound as though NHS England is interested in keeping the practice with our ordinary, caring, hardworking GPs?

Those companies who attended the "event" included (off-shore) Virgin Healthcare (who wanted us last time), Care UK, and The Practice Group (who have just "bulk" handed back 5 GP practices in Sussex to the NHS (meaning of course the patients in their patient lists) after taking them over, when their funding was cut - there's a reassuring precedent).

When we realised what was happening, Sudbury Surgery's patients got together, had meetings, wrote many long letters to NHSE, and to NHS (so-called) Improvement who is supposed to regulate "competition" in the NHS, demonstrated outside the Department of Health, NHS England, attracted newspaper attention and explained to and collected the signatures of over 3700 INDIVIDUAL PATIENTS to a petition saying "NHS ENGLAND PLEASE GO AWAY AND LEAVE US WITH THE GPS WHO HAVE CARED FOR US FOR OVER 14 YEARS".

We have struggled for 9 months using every avenue open to us. HAS IT MADE ANY DIFFERENCE? NO. So now I am calling on David Cameron and Jeremy Hunt and The Queen to intervene and ask NHS England to take my Doctors 'practice out of the tender NOW. I was promised cradle to grave care in the NHS - not to be a commodity patient - attractive to a "market". Not that I think a patient like me with complex health needs will be very attractive to a "provider" interested in "markets" PLEASE, PLEASE LET ME AND MY FELLOW SUDBURY SURGERY PATIENTS KEEP THE DOCTORS THEY LOVE, and save the NHS £70,000 a year .

Sign Grace's petition HERE

Barry Gardiner seeks constituents' views on Referendum - Public Meeting on Monday

From Barry Gardiner MP (Brent North)

Public Meeting on EU Referendum

On Thursday, 23rd June 2017 the British public have the opportunity to determine the future of the United Kingdom and whether or not we play a part in the future of Europe. This may well be the most important vote that many of us will face in our lifetime and will, undoubtedly, have a profound impact on future generations.

Many of my constituents will not yet have decided how they intend to vote or may not have had an opportunity to consider the arguments for and against remaining in the European Union. With this in mind, I will be holding a public meeting to allow residents of Brent North1 to question me and so that I can listen to their views before any such vote.

The meeting will take place as follows:

Time: 7:30pm
Date: Monday, 20th June 2016
Venue: St Cuthbert’s Church2, 214 Carlton Avenue West, North Wembley, Middlesex HA0 3QY (just off the Watford Road)
 

Refugees Welcome Here - Convoy to Calais Rally - Friday London

Refugees Welcome Here - London Rally
6:30pm, Friday 17 June
Emmanuel Centre, Westminster, Marsham Street, London, SW1P 3DW

REGISTER FOR THE RALLY

Speakers include:
John McDonnell MP, Shadow Chancellor
Gary Younge, Guardian Columnist
Rufus Hound, Comedian and Actor
Kate Osamor MP
Roger McKenzie, Unison
Plus People's Assembly, Stand Up to Racism, Stop the War Coalition


More info about the Convoy to Calais can be found at convoytocalais.org.

The People's Assembly Against Austerity
http://www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/

The People's Assembly Against Austerity
http://www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/

Don't let Harrow School steal glorious local views and Metropolitan Open Land

From the Harrow Hill Trust

Quality open Metropolitan Open Land (MOL) will be lost if the Harrow School replacement Sports Hall is relocated, and enlarged to include a conference suite, as proposed.  Residents and visitors access to appreciate the current wonderful views is restricted to footpaths and London's Capital Ring walking route and they will be blocked or blighted by the proposed positioning. This includes the views of our only Grade II Listed Park which was set out by Capability Brown in 1768.

The solution is to redevelop the existing brown field site, use more subterranean construction and a green roof/ walls. Also to use a temporary sports 'Bubble' and the nearby John Lyon swimming pool, during construction.

The conditions for developing on MOL have not been met and the public have not been consulted on the MOL aspects. If we can’t protect a site which is MOL, in a Conservation Area, an Area of Special Character and alongside a Grade II listed Park then what can we protect?  Please also help us to reject application P/1940/16 on the Harrow Council planning portal http://www.harrow.gov.uk There is a better location and design. 

Urgent - Please help the closing date is now 20 June but best to get your comments in earlier so that there is time to include them. Thank you.
 
Sign the petition HERE

Temporary Project Manager wanted for Grunwick 40 Exhibition

We're recruiting!

Grunwick 40 has an exciting opportunity – we're recruiting a temporary Curator/Project Manager to help us develop our exhibition about the Grunwick Strike. We're looking for someone with experience of researching and developing displays and exhibitions which include both audio-visual and interactive material. A record of engaging young people in similar projects would be welcome.

Click here to download the job description, you've got until 27th June to apply!