Fuel Poverty Action actions for Wednesday 23rd and Thursday 24th Nov 2016

Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) brings the risk of greenhouse gas emiting Canadian tar sands furthering global warming.
https://uk.search.yahoo.com/search?p=tar+sands+CETA&fr=yfp-t-fp-GB-en-GB-def

The below is a response from Fuel Poverty Action to being forwarded their receiving a reminder that CETA brings the risk of highly pollutant Candadian tar sands coming to the European Union, when I copied them into the link forward of http://kilburnunemployed.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/twitter-action-called-for-in-blocking-dodgy-international-trade-deal.html

Thanks Alan, I've forwarded this to our people who do twitter. 

For tomorrow and Thursday, please see below -- KUWG may want to take part in these? 

Cold Homes Kill – pensioner and Housing Act protestors and climate activists converge on Westminster 23 and 24 November

Weds 23 November As well as the Autumn Statement, this day will see the announcement of how many people died last winter because they could not afford to heat their homes – a scandal that is repeated year after year.  

FPA will be joining the National Pensioners Convention to mark last year’s winter deaths with black balloons at 12.0 in College Green, and will then join and speak at the launch of Axe the Housing Act’s own Autumn Statement in Old Palace Yard from noon. 

The government yesterday dropped one important clause from the Housing Act: “Pay to Stay”.  It must now drop the forced sale of Housing Association stock, which will push even more people into cold damp homes where they have no recourse against exploitative private landlords, and must bring back security of tenure in both private and social housing.  No fault and retaliatory evictions mean many tenants are afraid to raise issues of heating, hot water, draughts, bad insulation, and energy-guzzling equipment.

Thursday 24 November these points will be pressed home with an early morning “Duvet Die–In” 8.30 at the offices of EDF, 80 Victoria St, where campaigners against fuel poverty will join people whose primary focus has been the climate.  For 8.15 meeting place, things to bring etc see facebook event.

The government has hinted at moves to regulate rampant exploitation by suppliers of gas and electricity providers.  We shall see.  With thousands dying early every year, we are also waiting to see what the Chancellor does

·        to meet the legally binding fuel poverty target on insulating homes,

·        to end the illegal discrimination against users of prepayment meters – often the customers on the lowest incomes - and against all customers who cannot pay by direct debit,

·        to restore cuts to disability and other benefits and to wages.

Twitter action called for in blocking a dodgy internation trade deal

Guest blog post from Phil Fletcher of Barnet Green Party

URGENT!

 

Hi Folks,

 

Received this rather worrying email. The European parliament have voted not to have a debate on CETA [Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement — Canada and the EU] and are voting on Wednesday.If you’ve got the time, please take part in this twitter action. If you haven't the time, could you please forward this on to someone who has?

 

Cheers

 

Phil Fletcher

(Barnet Green Party)

 

Please help stop CETA [Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement] by tweeting your MEPs and asking them to vote  FOR the Greens' proposal that the question of the legality of ICS in CETA to be referred to the European Court of Justice. 

Thank you

Laura

MEPs voted on Monday 21.11.2016 afternoon on whether there should be a debate on the issue of the European Parliament asking for a European Court of Justice decision on the legality of ICS (ISDS [Investor-State Dispute Settlement] in CETA)

before the European Parliament actually votes on this,  in Strasbourg , on Wed.

The proposal for a debate was rejected by 184 votes to  170 votes.

Consequently, there will NO debate before the vote on Wednesday.

(How bad can the institution of the EU get...?)

So it would be useful to contact your MEPs quickly and ask them to vote  FOR the Greens' proposal that the question of the legality of ICS in CETA to be referred to the European Court of Justice. 

Let's see what we can achieve.

Below is some stuff to help,  including tweets 

and  a list of key MEPs to contact

Linda 

Tweet particularly these UK MEPs. See below for suggested tweets

@sajjadkarimMEP 

@syedkamall

@jfostermep 

@C_Stihler_MEP

@davidmartinMEP 

@derekvaughan

@gleniswillmott 

@LindaMcAvanMEP

@maryhoneyball

@richardhowitt

@JimNicholsonMEP

@juliegirling

@DavidHannanMEP

@EmmaMcClarkin

Z2K blog posts 2 Nov-to-15 Nov 2016

Z2K is short for Zacchaeus 2000 Trust, an Information, Advice, Guidance & Advocacy charity helping economically vulnerable people, mostly in the City of Westminster where it is located. It was co-founded by Revd Paul Nicolson who has since founded Taxpayers Against Poverty.

1. Featured: http://z2k.org/2016/11/winter-fuel-appeal-2016/
2. http://z2k.org/2016/11/the-future-of-disability-benefit-appeals/
3. http://z2k.org/2016/11/london-councils-consult-on-further-council-tax-support-cuts/
4. http://z2k.org/2016/11/case-study-an-esa-application-and-a-catalogue-of-errors/

Disability News Service headlines 17 Nov 2016

DNS is published every Thursday, and well worth referring to from the end of that day.

1. http://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/11577-2/ John McDonnell pledges Labour will force Government to debate UN 'rights violations' report
2. http://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/debbie-jolly-a-force-for-good-and-a-passionate-social-model-advocate/
3. http://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/disability-confident-will-be-trivially-easy-for-employers-to-abuse-research-suggests/
4. http://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/damian-green-faces-fresh-accusations-of-misleading-mps-over-disability-benefits/
5. http://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/abrahams-uninvites-dpo-because-it-wanted-to-talk-about-independent-living/
6. http://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/welsh-government-has-sold-disabled-people-down-the-river-on-post-ilf-plans/
7. http://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/call-for-drama-schools-to-act-after-diversity-research-leaves-campaigners-speechless/
8. http://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/sanction-death-mans-sister-turns-to-courts-after-coroner-turns-down-inquest-call/

Disability News Service headlines 10 Nov 2016

1. http://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/uns-conclusion-that-uk-violated-disability-rights-is-vindication-for-activists/
2. http://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/what-do-remploy-capita-and-maximus-have-in-common-theyre-all-disability-confident/
3. http://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/devastating-unethical-cruel-disabled-people-react-to-green-paper/
4. http://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/supreme-courts-rulings-mean-bedroom-tax-will-still-unfairly-hit-thousands/
5. http://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/disabled-people-face-extreme-risk-of-harm-without-sharp-rise-in-care-funding/
6. http://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/mental-health-laws-are-intrinsically-discriminatory-says-perkins/

KUWG Diary 17 Nov to 12 Dec 2016

Thu 17 Nov, 6-8pm KUWG Bi-Annual General Meeting at Kingsgate Community Centre, right after our weekly meeting.

 

Thu 17 Nov, 5pm London NUT March & Rally by NUT – National Union of Teachers & People’s Assembly Against Cuts. From Whitehall, (Opposite Downing Street) Rally: 18:30, Emmanuel Centre, Marsham Street, SW1P 3DW https://www.teachers.org.uk/

 

Fri 18 Nov, 10.30-11.30am Axe The Housing Act Leafleting - Westminster Council's Housing Option Service. Let passers by know of the big protest on Wed 23 Nov. At 101 Orchardson Street, London, NW8 8EA (behind social services building in Frampton Street, buses 189/139 Edgware Rd / Marylebone Stations are 10 mins away).

 

Fri 18 Nov, 12.30-2pm Camden & Islington Unite Community Branch Meeting at Ron Todd House, 33-37 Moreland Street, EC1V 8BB - all welcome.

 

Sat 19 Nov, 12noon-8pm Rent Strike! Bloc(k Party) in Central London. Join rent strikers for a carnival esque block party as part of the national demo for free education https://www.facebook.com/events/363481067333075/  

 

Wed 23 Nov, 12noon Axe The Housing Act – Protest & Lobby of MPs Make sure MPs don’t ‘forget’ to abolish the Housing Act. At Old Palace Yard.

 

CONSULTATION DEADLINE: Thu 24 Nov Transforming Our Justice System: Panel Composition in Tribunals by Ministry of (in)Justice, who plan to digitalise benefit appeals so claimants won’t be seen in person by the judge or expert panel members (i.e. doctors present at tribunals). This will lessen our chances to win appeals. Nip it in the bud! https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/oct/12/online-benefits-appeals-tribunals-disabled?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other Consultation itself: https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/panel-composition-in-tribunals/

 

Thu 24 Nov, 6.30-9pm No War, No Austerity by Youth & Student CND. Amidst devastating cuts to public services, Theresa May believes it would be ‘sheer madness’ to give up our £205billion nuclear weapons... At The Venue, Student Central, Malet Street, WC1E 7HY http://dpac.uk.net/2016/11/oppose-dsa-cuts-with-youth-and-student-cnd/

 

Thu 8 Dec, 6-8pm Branch Social – Camden & Islington Unite Community at Unite Holborn, 128 Theobald's Road, Holborn, London, WC1X 8TN - food provided, all welcome!

 

Fri 9 Dec, 7pm A Benefit for Tahiti – How the Mangrove 9 Won Hear from participants of this historic trial of the Mangrove 9 which was landmark in anti-racist movement in Britain. Money raised will go to Haiti Emergency Relief Fund (HERF) http://www.haitiemergencyrelief.org/Haiti_Emergency_Relief_Fund/home.html to benefit grassroots people in Haiti directly. At Trinity United Reform Church, Buck St, London NW1 8NJ

 

Sat 10 Dec, 10am-6pm Media Democracy Festival by Media Reform UK. Few giant corporations control UK’s TV channels, news outlets, radio stations, search engines & social media platforms. Join us to discuss how we can work for a media that informs, represents & empowers citizens. At Clore Management Centre, Birkbeck University of London. http://stopwar.org.uk/index.php/events/other-anti-war-events/2238-10-december-london-media-democracy-festival-2016

 

Mon 12 Dec, 7.30pm Season’s Readings by friends of West Hampstead’s Library. Prose, poetry, songs & snippets. The evening will start with an Annual General Meeting. Your chance to find out what’s happening to your local library regarding upcoming cuts in 2017. At West Hampstead Library, Dennington Park Road, London NW6 1AU http://www.fowhl.org/whats-on.html

Update on David Clapson, sanctioned to death

Guest blog post by Gill Thompson, sister of the late David Clapson. (David Clapson died after being found 'fit for work' and then sanctioned for inability to stick to a 'Claimant Commitment' that was not fit for humanity.)

David Clapson when he was a serving soldier

Update on David Clapson: sanctioned to death?   Hi,   As many of you know, I have been campaigning for a long time to try and achieve an investigation into the link between the benefit sanction imposed on my brother and his death. I believe that having had his benefits stopped due to a sanction, he was unable to afford to buy food and electricity to refrigerate his insulin, which in turn left him unable to manage his diabetes.   Unfortunately despite the best efforts of my lawyers, the Coroner has refused to open an investigation as he considers there is no evidence that the benefit sanction played any role in my brother’s death. I am now preparing to ask the High Court to consider my brother’s case and am raising money to cover legal fees, including court fees and experts fees.   In order to do this, I need to raise a minimum of £10,000 and I would appreciate any help you can give. You can pledge your support here – https://www.crowdjustice.org/case/david-clapson/   Please share the link on social media and email it to 3 people who you think would be interested to help me spread the word. Please also make a pledge of £35 or whatever you can afford to the new case. Either of these things will really help me to take this case to the High Court.   I am very grateful for your support of my campaign so far. This is not just about my brother. I want a Coroner to look at the DWP guidance on people living with Diabetes and how the sanction regime is applied to people with long term health conditions. The UN has raised concerns about the extent to which the UK government has made use of sanctions in relation to benefits and the absence of due process and access to justice for those affected by the use of sanctions. I hope you can continue to support me in my fight to ensure David’s death is properly investigated and action taken to prevent future deaths of vulnerable people   Thanks so much for your ongoing support,   Gill Thompson