Michael McIntrye returns to the Brighton Centre in 2015 with his new stand-up show Happy & Glorious.
HIS PREVIOUS tour Showtimewas the biggest selling comedy tour in the world in 2012, playing to over 640,000 people including a record-breaking ten-night residency at London’s O2 Arena matching the pop-superstar Rihanna’s 2011 record.
The past few years have been exceptional for McIntrye. In 2013 he performed internationally; playing to sold out arenas in South Africa, Dubai, Norway, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. His show in Johannesburg was the largest ever comedy show in Africa and his Dubai shows won the Time Out Best Night Out Award.
Special guest for the evening will be Paul Tonkinson.
Event: Michael McIntrye, Happy & Glorious
Where: Brighton Centre, King’s Road, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 2GR
Brighton and Hove City council commits to halving late and undiagnosed HIV through early testing.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE City Council has committed to halving late and undiagnosed HIV by passing a motion on HIV testing in support of the Halve It campaign.
The motion which was passed unanimously by the Council on Thursday, December 11 recognises the importance of local action in coordinating and commissioning accessible and effective HIV testing, and outlines a commitment by the Council to strengthening its own provision of HIV testing services through working with local NHS partners, HIV charities and patient groups.
Cllr Geoffrey Theobald
The motion to full Council was tabled by Cllr Geoffrey Theobald the leader of the Conservative Group, who said:“HIV is a significant public health issue in Brighton and Hove and we are committed to taking practical steps to tackle this in partnership with local service providers, patients and advocates. I am proud that Brighton is leading the way with supporting ‘Halve It’ and its objectives, and I strongly encourage other councils across the country to do the same.”
The motion received the support of local MPs, including Simon Kirby, Mike Weatherley, and Caroline Lucas.
Mike Weatherley MP
Mike Weatherley, himself a supporter of the Halve It campaign said: “Brighton and Hove council’s commitment to HIV testing is vital in tackling the epidemic in our area. We know that early testing for HIV saves lives as well as money, and that the sooner HIV is diagnosed, the sooner appropriate care can begin.”
Halve It is a national coalition that focuses on the expansion of HIV testing services, on the basis that early testing of HIV saves lives and also results in substantial savings to the public health budget.
Since its inception in 2010, Halve It has galvanised national and local cross-party support for HIV testing, and is supported in its aims by the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.
Brighton and Hove council’s action on HIV testing follows comments on World AIDS Day from Public Health Minister, Jane Ellison, who said:“I fully support the aims of the Halve It campaign, the Government is committed to reducing late diagnosis and the number of people who are unaware that they have HIV. People living with HIV can expect to live a long and healthy life if they are diagnosed early which is why our sexual health strategy focusses on prevention and testing. We are testing more people than ever, with fewer diagnoses, which shows we are moving in the right direction.”
Simon Kirby MP
Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, and Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for HIV/AIDS, says he is “delighted” at the decision taken by Brighton and Hove Council.
In early November, Mr Kirby reached out to the leaders of the three political groups on the City Council, pressing them to introduce a Council motion that would see the Council acknowledge the prevalence of HIV in the area, and commit to provide more HIV testing services. The motion would also see the Council commit to halving both the percentage of people diagnosed late and the proportion of people living undiagnosed in the area by 2020.
Speaking about the vote, Mr Kirby, said:“As both Member of Parliament for Brighton Kemptown, and also in my role as Vice Chair for the APPG HIV/AIDS, I work hard to stand up for those living with HIV/AIDS across Brighton and the rest of the UK, and also to raise awareness of the importance of regular testing.
“I reached out to the political leaders on Brighton and Hove City Council about this matter, as it was something that I care greatly about, and also as I knew that it would make a huge difference to everyone living with HIV in Brighton.”
“Early diagnosis really can make a considerable difference to both life expectancy, and quality of life, and this is why this commitment is so important.
“I am delighted that the Councillors voted to implement this motion, and I am proud to have been involved in putting this on the Council’s agenda.”
Cllr Warren Morgan, Leader of the Labour and Cooperative group on the City Council, said:“We support all efforts to improve HIV testing that builds on the investments in services made under the last Labour government.
“I would hope that Mr Kirby can persuade his Conservative colleague in London to reverse the propsed 50% cut in funding to HIV/AIDS prevention services revealed in Gscene yesterday.”
Halve It is a coalition whose members represent the following organisations:
• African Health Policy Network
• All-Party Parliamentary Group on HIV and AIDS
• British Association for Sexual Health and HIV
• British HIV Association
• Department of Health
• Elton John AIDS Foundation
• Gilead Sciences Ltd
• HIV Clinical Reference Group
• HIV Pharmacy Association
• Local Government Association
• MEDFASH
• National AIDS Trust
• National HIV Nurses Association
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
• NAZ Project London
• Positively UK
• Public Health England
• Royal College of General Practitioners
• Royal College of Physicians
• Scottish HIV and AIDS Group
• Terrence Higgins Trust
• Tri-Borough Public Health Service
Government plans devastating cuts to funding for the national HIV prevention programme in England.
Dr Rosemary Gillespie
Proposals will see funding halved for the year commencing April 2015 and there is as yet no commitment to fund further years of the programme.
The current programme, HIV Prevention England (HPE), is coordinated by Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) and is focussed on the needs of men who have sex with men (MSM) and black African men and women.
Dr Rosemary Gillespie, Chief Executive at Terrence Higgins Trust,said: “This is not the right time for the Government to pare back spending on HIV prevention. In recent years, we have made good progress in driving down rates of undiagnosed and late-diagnosed HIV. However, tens of thousands of people with HIV across England are still undiagnosed and at increased risk of passing the virus on unwittingly. We have not yet reached the tipping point in our fight against the epidemic, and halving government spending on HIV prevention now would be a regressive step that risks undermining the headway we have made.”
The £1.2million allocated for 2015/16 is equivalent to less than £1 for each person targeted by the programme.
Less than a month ago, Public Health England released data showing that rates of HIV transmission show no signs of decline while last year saw 6,000 new HIV diagnoses in the UK, including the highest ever number of diagnoses among gay and bisexual men.
One in four people living with HIV remain undiagnosed. National Aids Trust’s (NAT) recent poll, commissioned from Ipsos MORI, showed that only two thirds of British adults can correctly identify the three main routes for HIV transmission and an increasing number think you can get HIV through impossible routes, such as kissing and sneezing.
Deborah Gold, Chief Executive of NAT, added:“This decision is simply staggering. HIV transmission shows no signs of decline, with the highest number of diagnoses among gay and bisexual men ever last year. Public knowledge of HIV is far too low, and myths about HIV are on the increase. We are at serious risk of going backwards on HIV if national-level investment is not made in HIV prevention. We urge the Government to think again.”
This decision is in direct contradiction to Simon Stevens’ NHS Five Year Forward View, released in October and welcomed by all main political parties, in which he said: “…the future health of millions of children, the sustainability of the NHS, and the economic prosperity of Britain all now depend on a radical upgrade in prevention and public health. Twelve years ago Derek Wanless’ health review warned that unless the country took prevention seriously we would be faced with a sharply rising burden of avoidable illness. That warning has not been heeded – and the NHS is on the hook for the consequences”.
The cuts will only affect HIV prevention work in England, not Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland.
Caroline Lucas MP
Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion, said:“This is completely unacceptable. The UK could play a pivotal role in making new HIV infections a thing of the past – but these proposals seriously jeopardise all the work that’s been done to date and risk turning the clock back on the fight against HIV and Aids.
“Brighton and Hove still has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the country, with too many people still deterred from being tested by fear of being stigmatised and by the fear of the consequences of a positive diagnosis.
“We urgently need to do much more to prevent lives being lost to HIV/AIDS, and to improve education and awareness. These funding cuts would risk all that – it’s breathtakingly irresponsible.”
NAT’s activist network are working to defend the national HIV prevention funding.
Simon Kirby MP for Brighton Kemptown & Peaehaven, said:“As the Vice-Chair of All Party Parliamentary Group on HIV/AIDS I was very concerned to read the reports of a cut in HIV prevention funding. That is why I immediately made a number of representations to Ministers at the Department of Health to stress the importance of HIV prevention in the continued fight against HIV/AIDS.
“I am delighted that following my lobbying efforts, the Minister for Public Health has confirmed that the Government is protecting funding for HIV prevention and will not be reduced.”
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