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Ashcroft Poll shows Lucas 10 points ahead in Brighton Pavilion

In his final poll of marginals for 2014 the Tory Peer Lord Ashcroft has included the Brighton Pavilion constituency held presently by Caroline Lucas MP for the Greens.

Caroline Lucas MP for Brighton Pavilion
Caroline Lucas MP for Brighton Pavilion

THE POLL shows the Green Party ten points ahead with a four point swing from Labour and interestingly reveals that a higher proportion of voters in Brighton Pavilion would prefer Ed Miliband as Prime Minister (45%) and prefer to see a Labour government (43%) elected than in other marginal seats where Labour are actually ahead across the country.

The poll also shows the campaign on the ground is being closely fought with 27% saying they had heard locally from the Greens and 26% saying they had heard from Labour.

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Adam McGibbon

Adam McGibbon, Caroline’s campaign manager, said: “This poll is hugely encouraging. It shows a significant widening of Caroline’s lead over the last Ashcroft poll, with Caroline opening up a 10 point lead over Labour. While we are not taking anything for granted, we are delighted that the voters of Brighton Pavilion appear to be swinging behind Caroline and can see the unique and special benefits of having her as their MP.”

“Caroline’s an outstanding local MP, with an exceptionally strong national voice. Highly regarded across the benches, she holds strong political sway and her track record speaks for itself.

“She relentlessly stands up for what matters to her constituents. And whether it’s speaking out for the NHS, affordable housing, cutting fuel bills or keeping public services in public hands – she gets it on the political agenda and doesn’t let it lie.

“Presenting her with the MP of the Year award last month, House Speaker John Bercow said of Caroline: ‘By sheer force of personality, Parliamentary insistence and dogged commitment to the chamber, the committees and the procedures of the house, she has advanced her causes – it shows that it can be done…She has made one hell of an impact in the house.’”

McGibbon added: “People want an independent voice in Parliament – someone who can work effectively with MPs across the benches but also hold them and their Parties to account. Caroline’s constituents know they have just that MP in her.

“This poll shows that for those people wanting to stop the Conservatives in Brighton Pavilion, Caroline is the one to back.”

Purna Sen
Purna Sen
Purna Sen the Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Brighton Pavilion responded to the poll, saying: “We would expect some name recognition to apply to a celebrity incumbent. Things are moving fast in Pavilion and we have very clear indications of considerable support for Labour, confirming the preference in the Ashcroft poll for a Labour government. 
“We are working hard to listen to residents, win the seat, return a Labour government and are very heartened by the support we find on Pavilion doorsteps every day” 

For full details of the poll, including data tables for each seat, click here:

Lunch Positive volunteer receives Citizen Award

Lunch Positive volunteer Phil Ingles receives a Rotary Club of Brighton Citizen Award for Unsung Heroes from the High Sheriff of East Sussex, Mr Chris Gebbie.

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PHIL WAS nominated by the Lunch Positive Trustee Board for his contributions to the charity’s work. Phil has volunteered to support people with HIV for over ten years and has been part of Lunch Positive since it started in 2009.

Gary Pargeter
Gary Pargeter

Gary Pargeter, Volunteer Project Manager, said: “We’re all incredibly pleased and proud of Phil for gaining this award. Phil exemplifies everything that’s good about volunteering, working well as part of a team, being willing to get involved in new tasks and responsibilities, empathy and understanding of people he volunteers with and supports. He’s worked incredibly hard, housekeeping to keep the wheels turning in an increasingly busy kitchen, maintaining our equipment and has been key to staging all of our outdoor community and fundraising events. From all of us, well done Phil – you deserve it!”

 

REVIEW: Beauty and the Beast

I love nothing better than an old school, traditional pantomime and Eastbourne Theatres production of Beauty and the Beast at the beautiful Devonshire Park Theatre ticked all my panto boxes in this show stopping production.

Beauty and the Beast - Eastbourne

THOUGH ‘darker’ than many traditional pantos, this is panto at its very best with a seriously good script, a great cast with strong singing voices and a brilliant Panto Dame who struts the stage like she is shopping in Tescos or possibly even Waitrose.

Martyn Knight who would never be seen shopping in Morrisons gives a commanding performance as Dame Derriere. His delivery is perfectly judged for the children while anything risky he fires over their heads to the grown ups in the audience. This legendary Dame is returning to Eastbourne for the eleventh year on the trot. He made me roar with laughter and it was a delight to sit back and appreciate a great Panto Dame at work.

Beauty and the Beast, Eastbourne

The baddie role of Malevolent the evil sorceress is played by Hollyoaks actress Carley Stenson who has no trouble getting the children in the audience to boo and hiss. Carley, dressed in green and black plays the role to perfection. Her black wig gives her the presence of a posh dominatrix, something the dads in the audience clearly warmed to.

The humour is provided by local comedian Tucker who plays the loveable Potty Pierre and provides some very funnny moments during the evening culminating with a hilarious routine towards the end of the second half with four of the children from the audience. It’s usual in a traditional panto for the comic turn to get a few kids up from the audience and make them perform. The kids on our night were brilliant as was Tucker who brought out the best in them. I hope he is as lucky with the choice of victims every night.

The heroine, Beauty is played by veteran of many West End musicals, Emily Bull who delivers some of the vocal highlights of the evening. She brings an element of vulnerability to her role while standing by her promise to return to the Beast, who she falls in love with. She has principles and falls in love with the Beast not knowing he is a handsome Prince. She loves him for what is inside and not on the surface.

Beauty’s father, Jean Jacques is played by David Alder whose years of working in straight theatre shone through all evening while Adam McNab played a dignified Beast and Royal Prince Gallant, generating the necessary pathos the joint role demands by the bucketload. The audience warmed to the Beast as did Beauty.

Fairy Formidable was played by Ellie Leah who delivered the role with a French accent. During the first half she suffered a little connecting with the children around me who seemed to have trouble understand what she was saying. However her singing was fine and she complemented the evil Malevolent, perfectly.

Beauty and the Beast Eastbourne

This production is faithful to all the traditions of Pantomime right down to rhyming couplets and catch phrases. The sets are charming and lovely to look at, the costumes spectacular and the lighting first class. The chorus and dancers are well drilled and deserve special mention as does the writer and director Chris Jordan whose script is current and fresh. Sarah Travis the experienced and talented musical director kept the band on song all evening.

The show is selling well and runs until January 11.

To book tickets, click here:

Or telephone the Box Office on: 01323 412000

Tickets are priced from £12 – £20

Photos by Robert Workman

Latest figures confirm flu season has started

‘At risk’ groups urged to get vaccinated immediately.

Public Health England

LATEST FIGURES from Public Health England (PHE) indicate that flu is now circulating in the community and increases have been seen in both children and adults across a range of indicators, including GP consultations.

Following PHE advice, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) has this week issued guidance to all GPs on the use of antiviral drugs for the management of people presenting with flu-like illness in England, who are at higher risk of developing complications. Although flu is starting to circulate, flu levels currently remain relatively low.

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Dame Sally Davies

Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies, said: “The NHS is well prepared for the flu season, and although flu levels remain relatively low, we are starting to see increases.

“Prevention is better than cure, and the increase in flu activity means it is even more important to get your flu jab if you are in an at-risk group. If you have not already had it, call your GP as soon as possible. I am very grateful to GPs for the work they are already doing to vaccinate people, and I know they will continue to strive for higher uptake.”

Dr Richard Pebody
Dr Richard Pebody

Dr Richard Pebody, head of seasonal flu surveillance at PHE, added: “We are starting to see increases in flu activity in both children and adults, indicating the start of this year’s flu season.

“People in ‘at risk’ groups can get the vaccine for free as they are at much greater risk of becoming seriously unwell if they catch flu, and sadly many end up in hospital. This includes people with health conditions, even those that are well managed, such as asthma, diabetes, heart, lung, liver or renal diseases, those with weakened immune systems, as well as older people and pregnant women.”

The latest vaccine uptake figures show some positive signs with 70.6% of people aged 65 and over vaccinated.

However, only 47.1% in those aged under 65 with a health condition have been vaccinated and 41.6% of pregnant women.

In addition, 34.8% of all 2 year olds, 37.3% of all 3 year olds and 29.3 % of all 4 year olds have been vaccinated with the nasal spray vaccine as part of the childhood flu immunisation programme. PHE also encourages healthcare workers and carers who could pass the infection to vulnerable people to also get vaccinated.

Dr Pebody, added: “Although unpleasant, for most healthy people, flu is a self-limiting illness. Symptoms include sudden onset of fever, cough as well as sore throat, aching muscles and joints. The best advice for treating flu in healthy people is to stay at home, rest, drink plenty of fluids and take pain relievers such as paracetamol. Children under 16 should not take any medicines containing aspirin. People in at risk groups who develop symptoms consistent with flu, or if anyone’s symptoms persist or become more severe, they should seek medical advice.

“Maintaining good cough and hand hygiene, such as covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough and sneeze, disposing of the tissue as soon as possible and cleaning your hands as soon you can are important actions that can help prevent the spread of germs and reduce the risk of transmission.

“Every season we remain vigilant and assess the flu situation as more information becomes available from our various surveillance systems, and from the different virus samples we receive from across the UK.”

Racially abusive man prosecuted and barred from city’s taxis

Racist
John Michael Hughes

A criminal anti-social behaviour order has been put on a Brighton and Hove man after a number of racially motivated crimes against taxi drivers in Brighton and Hove.

John Michael Hughes, 50, of Dean Gardens, Portslade, appeared at Brighton Magistrates Court on Wednesday, November 26, charged with racially aggravated crimes and causing intentional harassment, resisting arrest and criminal damage.

On May 24 this year in George Street, Hove, Hughes approached an Asian taxi driver and made racist comments to him, he then assaulted the driver.

When the police attended he resisted arrest and caused damage to the police car he was initially placed in. He was given 14 weeks in prison on September 16 for the racially aggravated common assault and 12 weeks for racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress, which ran concurrently.

Hughes had already been convicted of being racist towards another taxi driver in August 2013 and for similar racist abuse towards two police officers, PC Vince Lam and SC Elliott Abdo, both within days of each other in August 2013.

Brighton & Hove City Council’s Partnership Community Safety Casework Team and Sussex Police’s Safe in the City Unit worked together to secure the anti-social behaviour order against Hughes based on the offences he had committed. The order was obtained under the Crime & Disorder Act 1998.

The terms of the order stop Hughes from using or encouraging others to use racist or abusive language in any public place in Brighton and Hove and stop him travelling in any licensed taxi vehicle within the city.

Sgt David Palmer, Brighton and Hove Safe in the City Team, said: “The order on Hughes sends a strong message that racist behaviour will not be tolerated anywhere in this city. Hughes’ behaviour and language is totally unacceptable and always completely unprovoked.

“This is a great example of partner organisations in the city working together to deter an offender who has caused harm in our communities.”

Cllr Jason Kitcat, Chair of the Community Safety Forum and Leader of the City Council, said: “No-one should suffer from racial abuse or physical assault including people like taxi drivers and those working in the night time economy.  This case shows that we will work closely with our city partners to stop offenders in Brighton & Hove ruining people’s lives.

“We will make use of the latest powers available to us to tackle anti-social behaviour and hate incidents which are specifically designed to tackle persistently anti-social individuals and those persons involved in criminal activity.

”If anyone experiences anti-social behaviour we would urge them to make contact with our community safety team or the Police.”

If you experience antisocial behaviour contact the community safety team on 01273 292735

Or email:  

Or report to the police on 999 in emergency or 101 if it’s not an emergency.

 

Happy Christmas to 81 new PACT families

Nearly 100 children will be spending Christmas with their new forever family this year thanks to Parents And Children Together (PACT).

PACT

PACT placed 98 children with 81 PACT families in 2014 through its adoption, intercountry adoption and permanent fostering services.

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Shirley Elliott

PACT’s Director of Adoption and Fostering Shirley Elliott said: “I am very pleased and proud to be able to say that PACT has placed 98 children with their forever families this year.

“In 2013/2014 a record number of children were placed for adoption (over 5,000 nationally) leaving behind a history of abuse and neglect.

“There are many more children with difficult backgrounds still waiting for stable loving homes and I know that everyone at PACT will continue to work very hard to make a real difference to these children’s lives.

“We look forward to making many more forever families in 2015.”

PACT supports families across the London and the south including Brighton & Hove through adoption, fostering, award-winning therapeutic services and community projects and has office in London, Reading, Oxford and Brighton.

In September PACT opened a new office in Brighton and launched a campaign to encourage people from the LGBT community to adopt.

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Jan Fishwick

Chief executive Jan Fishwick said: “All children deserve to be loved and nurtured in a safe and secure home, and we are especially mindful of those children still waiting to be adopted or found long term foster homes. 

“We hope to find permanent, loving families for many more priority children in 2015, including children who are older, with additional needs or those in sibling groups.”

For a free PACT Guide to Adoption, click here:

For information about up coming Information evenings, click here:

New guide to same-sex marriage in Scotland published

Marriage and Civil Partnerships in ScotlandA new guide to same-sex marriage and civil partnership in Scotland has been launched to highlight the start of Scotland’s equal marriage law.

10,000 copies of the guide have been published by the Equality Network, Scotland’s national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) equality charity, to explain to same-sex couples how they can register a marriage or civil partnership in Scotland, and to inform LGBTI people about their rights and responsibilities under the new law.

The Equality Network anticipate that between 500 and 1000 same-sex couples will marry or register a civil partnership within the first year of the new law, and around 4-500 will marry or register a civil partnership every year thereafter. This will include many same-sex couples who are expected to travel from other countries to marry in Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Minister, who was instrumental in delivering equal marriage in Scotland has provided a special foreword to the guide emphasising the Scottish Government’s pride in the new law and its wider commitment to LGBTI equality and human rights.

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Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Minister

In her foreword the First Minister refers to Scotland’s equal marriage law as one of the most progressive in the world, and says: “2014 was a momentous year for equality in Scotland. The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 passed with an overwhelming majority in the Scottish Parliament in February, and I am delighted that the first same-sex marriages will happen this year. As a Government, we are proud to have introduced one of the most progressive equal marriage laws in the world.

“The Scottish Government first consulted on allowing same-sex marriage in 2011. I am personally proud of my involvement, when Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, in leading this consultation which started the journey to marriage equality in Scotland.

“I believe that the love between a couple, regardless of their gender, sexuality, belief or background, is powerful and should be valued and recognised.  This legislation sends a powerful message to the world about the kind of Scotland we seek to create and it is a clear indication of the Scottish Government’s commitment to equality. I wish all the very best to those couples who will now be able to enter into marriage.”

Tom FrenchTom French, Policy and Public Affairs Coordinator for the Equality Network, said: “While the law to allow same-sex marriage has now come into effect we know that many same-sex couples are still unsure how to make use of it, and whether they are entitled to the same rights and responsibilities as those in mixed-sex marriages. This guide to the new legislation will help ensure that LGBTI people know their rights and understand what this change in the law means for their individual circumstances. We are delighted that Scotland’s First Minister has sent out a strong message about the Scottish Government’s commitment to LGBTI equality by choosing to personally provide a foreword celebrating equal marriage. We would also like to say a huge thank you to BLM whose generous sponsorship has made this guide possible.”

The guide has been produced with sponsorship from BLM, the UK and Ireland’s leading risk and insurance law business.

The guide also contains a wedding directory of a range of civil, religious and belief celebrants who are approved to conduct same-sex marriages, and wedding venues and services providers who are keen to show their support and commitment to serving same-sex couples.

These include: Humanist Society Scotland, the Unitarians, the Quakers, the Metropolitan Community Church, the Open Episcopal Church, the Pagan Federation (Scotland), One Spirit Interfaith Foundation, and Fuze Ceremonies. Other advertisers include City of Edinburgh Council, Glasgow City Council, Stirling Council, and a range of venues and other wedding service providers.

Under the Equality Act 2010 and the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 it is against the law for service providers in Scotland to discriminate against LGBT people or refuse to provide an equal service for same-sex marriages and civil partnerships as they would for mixed-sex marriages. It is also unlawful for local authority civil registration services to refuse to conduct same-sex marriages and civil partnerships, though religious and belief bodies can choose whether or not they voluntarily opt-in to conducting same-sex marriages.

In February, Scotland became the 17th country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage after the Scottish Parliament passed the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 by an overwhelming 105 votes to 18, the third strongest majority for any same-sex marriage legislation in the world. The Act received Royal Assent in March and, after the necessary secondary legislation was passed, the Act came into effect at midnight on Tuesday 16 December. The first civil partnership to marriage conversions took place on 16 December and the first new wedding ceremonies will take place shortly after midnight on Hogmanay (31 December) following the usual 15 day notice period for marriages.

 

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