menu

Wear your poppy with Pride

Simon Kirby MP for Brighton Kemptown encourages local residents to support this year’s Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal and Wear A Poppy With Pride.

web-600

This year the Royal British Legion is asking the nation to Rethink Remembrance by recognising the sacrifices made not just by the Armed Forces of the past, but by today’s generation too.

Simon, who was out collecting for the Appeal in Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven over the weekend said: “I am, as always, pleased to support the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal. Money raised goes directly to their welfare work providing through-life care to anyone currently serving in the British Armed Forces, those who have previously served and their families.”

 “I would encourage local residents in Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven to join this year’s Poppy Appeal and wear a Poppy with Pride.” 

Bill to reduce homelessness receives cross party support

Homelessness Reduction Bill wins unanimous support from MPs across all political parties.

Cllr Geoffrey Theobald
Cllr Geoffrey Theobald

The private member’s bill, which places duties on councils to prevent homelessness, received backing on October 28 of the 100 MPs needed to get it one step closer to becoming law.

The Bill will widen the scope of who is eligible for support and transform the way in which homeless people are looked after in England.

Current rules, which date back to 1977, specify that only single mothers and fathers, individuals with mental health issues or victims of domestic violence and those who have recently left the armed forces can go to the front of the queue for housing assistance.

Conservative MP, Bob Blackman’s Government backed private member’s Bill will place a new duty on councils to prevent the homelessness of anyone eligible for assistance within 56 days, regardless of their official ‘priority need’ status.

Leader of the Conservative Group, Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, said: “Homelessness and rough sleeping is a huge issue in Brighton and Hove and has got increasingly worse over this and the previous administration. As a Group we have often expressed that as a Council we should be doing everything we can to help people who find themselves in such situations, often through no fault of their own.  This Bill, together with the Government’s recent £40m programme of measures to tackle homelessness, shows exactly that – a real commitment from the Conservatives in doing all we can to help those who lose their homes and provide them with the support they need to get their lives back on track.”

The £40m programme of new measures to tackle homelessness announced two weeks ago includes £20 million for local authorities to pilot new initiatives to tackle homelessness, £10 million for targeted support for those at imminent risk of sleeping rough or those new to the streets and £10 million in Social Impact Bonds to help long-term rough sleepers with the most complex needs.

Marcus Jones MP, Minister for local government who is responsible for homelessness, has announced the government will provide additional funding to cover the costs councils will face in taking on the new responsibilities to prevent homelessness.

However, a spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said it had not been decided how much funding would be made available, but it would be enough to cover “reasonable” costs councils will incur.

While backing the bill, Shadow Housing Minister John Healey MP has challenged the government to fully fund the costs councils will incur with these new duties and says more social housing needs to be built.

The bill will now go to the committee stage in parliament where it will be scrutinised by MPs.

Conservatives condemn Labour and Green parking scrooges

Proposal for free parking at Christmas voted down.

web-600

Conservative councillors are furious with their Labour and Green counterparts for voting down their proposal to offer residents and visitors to the city free parking over the Christmas period.

Councillor Steve Bell, who proposed the Conservative motion, said: “Brighton & Hove has an unenviable reputation for ripping off motorists and makes the biggest profit from parking charges of any Council outside of London. It really wouldn’t have taken much for the Labour Administration to give this small gesture of seasonal goodwill to our residents, visitors and most importantly, the local businesses  who depend so heavily on Christmas trade.”

web-200
Cllr Lee Wares

Councillor Lee Wares, who seconded the motion, added: “We have recently learnt that the number of day trippers to the city has fallen by around 1 million. What better way to try and encourage some of these people back than to offer them free parking over the festive season. We were specifically targeting car parks in places such as London Road and Norton Road in Hove, not car parks in the most popular shopping areas in the city centre. Traders in these areas will be especially disappointed with the Labour and Green Parties.”

Kemptown MP joins campaign to save lives

Today is European Restart a Heart Day.

Fabrice Muamba
Fabrice Muamba

Every single year in the UK, 30,000 people suffer a sudden cardiac arrest. Sadly, just less than 1-in-10 survive.

Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven visited The Oliver King Foundation at their launch event in Westminster today (October 19) as part of European Restart a Heart Day.

The Oliver King Foundation set up following the tragic death of 12-year-old Oliver King from a sudden cardiac arrest, which kills 12 young people every single week. Oliver was winning a swimming race at school.

In 2012 footballer Fabrice Muamba was shocked 16 times by a lifesaving defibrillator in front of the nation on live TV.

Early access to a defibrillator is vital as every minute that passes, chances of survival drop by 10%.

web-200
Simon Kirby MP

After signing up to become a Defibrillator Champion for Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven, Simon said: “I am proud to become a lifesaving Defibrillator Champion for Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven.  It is vital that we take action to prevent any loss of life where one can be saved.” 

 

Brighton Gin celebrated at Parliamentary event

web-300Hove MP, Peter Kyle, met with Helen Chesshire and Kathy Caton of Brighton Gin on Monday evening (October 17) at an event to celebrate the success of women in the Wine and Spirits industry in Parliament.

Tim Loughton MP and Flick Drummond MP brought together a showcase of spirits and wines produced by women here in the UK. The event celebrated the leading role of women in the wine and spirit industry.

Helen and Kathy formed Brighton Gin in 2013 and have recently moved to larger premises in Hove. They served gin and tonics and Rock Star cocktails which were in high demand amongst both MPs and industry professionals.

This unique local company have taken time to perfect their product and each bottle is finished personally. Brighton Gin, has had great success not only representing women but the South East as well.

Brighton Gin can be found in pubs, bars and shops from Brighton and Hove to Edinburgh. This company shows the best of what Brighton and Hove has to offer and captures the spirit of the area perfectly.

Peter says: “It was fantastic to see Brighton Gin in Parliament yesterday evening representing our local area in a celebration of the growing number of women leading the way in the wine and spirits industry here in the UK. Brilliant company, brilliant entrepreneurs, brilliant gin!”

For more information about Brighton Gin, click here:

Rail delay compensation improved

 

Government announces improved compensation scheme for rail delays.

web-600

The Delay Repay 15 will be introduced within months on Govia Thameslink Railway services, including Southern, and then rolled out across the country.

Passengers will be able to claim 25 per cent of the cost of the single fare for delays between 15 and 29 minutes. The existing thresholds will apply for delays from 30 minutes.

Delay Repay 15 is a major improvement for passengers and the Government is working with train companies to make it as easy as possible for passengers to claim their rightful compensation.

web-200
Simon Kirby MP

Simon Kirby MP for Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven has welcomed the Government’s proposals.

He said: “I recognise that, above all else, passengers want a reliable train service, but when things do go wrong it is vital that they are compensated fairly.”

 

Woodingdean residents organise phone mast demonstration

Woodingdean residents to stage a public protest against Brighton & Hove City Council.

web-600This follows an error by city planners which resulted in permission being granted by default for the erection of a 12.5 metre telephone mast and two equipment cabinets on Warren Road in front of the area’s historic cottages.

The Council refused permission for the telecommunications company’s application to erect a mast and cabinet but failed to issue the decision notice outlining the refusal in the required statutory time of 56 days. Therefore, under the regulations, planning permission is granted by default.

Cllr Dee Simpson
Cllr Dee Simpson

Woodingdean Ward Councillors, Dee Simson and Steve Bell, who will both be at the demonstration, said: “We urge as many residents as possible to come along to the protest and show the Council the strength of feeling there is locally about this whole situation. It is now incumbent upon the Council, having made the blunder, to put right their error by whatever means possible. The residents certainly won’t take this lying down.”

The demonstration will take place on Tuesday, October 4 at 3.30pm on the grass verge outside the cottages where the mast is due to be placed.

Council admits error at historic Woodingdean site

Anger as City Council admits error resulting in the erection of phone mast at historic Woodingdean site.

web-600Woodingdean residents are furious following a mistake by Brighton and Hove Council’s Planning Department which has resulted in the erection of a 12.5 metre telephone monopole and two equipment cabinets on Warren Road in front of the area’s historic cottages.

The error has come to light following an investigation by local Councillor Dee Simson after initial construction of the equipment cabinets began last week despite permission for the telecommunications company’s initial application in March being refused on May 23.

After requesting Planning Enforcement officers attend the scene, Cllr Simson was later notified that council officers had failed to issue the decision notice outlining the refusal in the required time of 56 days.

Cllr Dee Simpson
Cllr Dee Simpson

Cllr Simson said: “The incompetence in this whole situation is unbelievable. Woodingdean residents are now left with a 12.5metre phone mast that should never have been allowed to be erected. Residents met their democratic obligations by submitting written objections to the mast along with myself and others so why can’t the council fulfil theirs? The people of Woodingdean are quite understandably very upset that such a structure is being placed in front of the village’s historic cottages which they consider precious to the community. It will completely change the street scene.”

Councillor Steve Bell added: “It is not good enough for the Council to simply apologise for an error of this kind which has only come to light because I pushed for further investigation. Something must be done.”

 

 

Science Museum ‘sexist’ brain exhibit row

Green equalities spokesperson calls for Science Museum to remove ‘sexist’ brain exhibit.

web-600

The Green Party’s equalities spokesperson for women, Sarah Cope has called on the Science Museum in London to remove an interactive exhibit called What sex is your brain which represents male and female brains in blue and pink respectively, accusing the Science Museum of “reinforcing outdated gender stereotypes.”

 

Her call comes after an image of the test was circulated on social media, prompting outrage from Twitter users.

Sarah Cope
Sarah Cope

Cope said: “It’s really disappointing to see the Science Museum reinforcing outdated gender stereotypes in this way.

“The idea of gendered brains is dubious science at best, and this kind of sexism – telling girls at a young age that they have feminine brains – is part of the reason why boys still dominate STEM subjects and less than 10% of engineers in the UK are women.

“The Science Museum can and must do better – and should take down this exhibit immediately.”

The exhibit was originally created in 2000.

On September 14 Alex Tyrrell responded to critics on the Science Museum Blog: “As a Museum we always attempt to present ideas in different ways – labels and objects but also games, animations and ‘interactives’ – and in this case the artistic licence taken in the year 2000 to create a provocative exhibit appears outdated. Certainly from preliminary work looking at the latest scientific evidence, the ideas presented are now in question.

“Social attitudes also change. We have received responses from visitors who are concerned about how we feature transgender issues, which are now very much more in the public consciousness than they were back in 2010, let alone the year 2000.

“The idea of Who am I? was always to raise questions. We present issues in ways that provoke debate, however we would never want to compromise the accuracy of the content on display.

“Of course we would like to keep all of our galleries and exhibitions up-to-date, but with many thousands of objects on show and finite resources and time this is not always possible.

“However, with an issue of such scientific and cultural importance as this we have decided it is essential that we look again at the exhibit. We are now talking to leading experts in neuroscience and clinical psychology to consider whether the latest scientific evidence warrants making changes to our exhibit.

“Science moves fast, and while it isn’t always possible for us to keep up, on some issues it is essential that we quicken our pace to make sure we haven’t been left behind.”

To view twitter comments, click here:

Brighton Kemptown MP wears pink for Breast Cancer Now

Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven, dressed in Pink yesterday in Parliament to show support for women affected by breast cancer.

Simon Kirby MP for Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven
Simon Kirby MP for Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven

He is encouraging his constituents to do the same and take part in Breast Cancer Now, the UK’s biggest and pinkest fundraiser which will take place on Friday, October 21.

wear it pink returns for its 15th year, calling on supporters across the country to add a flash of pink to their wardrobe for the day and raise money for Breast Cancer Now’s life-saving breast cancer research.

Mr Kirby joined fellow parliamentarians in wearing it pink in Westminster this week to encourage people across the UK to get involved and help Breast Cancer Now towards their ambition that, by 2050, everyone that develops the disease will live.

wear it pink raises close to £2 million each year for world-class research into breast cancer, and this year it’s going to be pinker and more fun than ever before. Anyone can take part, whether at work, at home or at school. All you have to do is wear something pink and donate what you can.

When you join the hundreds of thousands of people who take part in wear it pink, you become part of a collective force of scientists, supporters and people affected by breast cancer, passionate about putting an end to deaths from the disease.

 Mr Kirby said: “50,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK, and sadly around 11,500 women and 80 men will lose their lives to the disease. Together, we must put a stop to this.”

“Through cutting-edge research, Breast Cancer Now are tackling the disease from all angles to ensure that, by 2050, everyone that develops the disease will live. But we all need to join forces and act now, and in wear it pink there is a fun and simple way for everyone to get involved.”

“I’m fully committed to standing up for the women and families affected by the disease in Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven and I am very proud to take part in wear it pink. I hope everyone in the local community will join me by wearing it pink on Friday 21 October and show their support for Breast Cancer Now.”

Baroness Delyth Morgan
Baroness Delyth Morgan

Baroness Delyth Morgan, Chief Executive at Breast Cancer Now said: “It’s wonderful to see so much parliamentary support for wear it pink. It’s a great opportunity for friends, co-workers and families across the UK to have some fun, wear something pink and show their support for those affected by breast cancer.”

“Far too many women are still losing their lives to this dreadful disease. On Friday 21st October, every cake baked, every feather boa or pink tie worn and every laugh shared will help us create a future where no one dies from breast cancer.”

“We will all be standing together, with colleagues and friends, to stop breast cancer taking the lives of the people we love – and we very much hope you’ll join us.”

To support Breast Cancer Now’s life-saving research and sign up to wear it pink on Friday October 21, click here:

X