Campaigns

MP condemns plan to close Bridgeton JobCentre

Alison Thewliss MP sitting at her desk in Parliament

Bridgeton’s MP has condemned Tory plans to shut Bridgeton Jobcentre, as well as seven other offices in the city – leading to a 50% cut in the city’s Jobcentre network.

Commenting, Alison Thewliss MP said:

“The DWP’s proposals to half the number of Jobcentres in Glasgow is astonishing and I am very concerned about the impact these cuts will have on a city that already has many challenges around unemployment and ill health.

“The planned closures will cause serious problems for people who need to travel to other Jobcentres for appointments which will further squeeze already meagre budgets. Some people in my constituency will now need to take two buses to get to their nearest Jobcentre – adding to the risk that they might be late for an appointment and end up being sanctioned.

“As well as the severe impact these closures will have on members of the public who need to attend a Jobcentre, these closures will mean huge amounts of extra work for staff at other centres and we don’t know what the DWP’s plan is for coping with this.

“Along with my SNP colleagues at Westminster, I will be pressing the DWP for more information on these closures and we will work hard to fight these closures tooth and nail.”

Alison Thewliss MP supports Soft Drinks Industry Levy at Parliament event

Alison Thewliss MP today prioritised children’s future health by showing their support for the UK Government’s ambitious soft drinks industry levy.

The event organised by the Obesity Health Alliance, a coalition of over 35 health charities, medical royal colleges and campaign groups, offered a chance for MPs to show their support and learn more about the benefits of the soft drinks industry levy, as well as talking to clinical experts who busted popular myths about the levy.

The Soft Drinks Industry Levy, also known as the sugar tax, is one of a few vital measures with strong potential to help make our children healthier. We know that our children are eating too much sugar, with their main source being sugar sweetened soft drinks which is contributing to more than one third of our kids being overweight or obese by the time they leave primary school. Added to this children from deprived areas of the UK are twice as likely to be overweight or obese as their counterparts from less deprived areas, whilst more likely to consume sugar sweetened soft drinks.

Obese children are five times more likely to become obese adults, increasing their risk of developing serious health conditions like type 2 diabetes, cancer, liver and cardiovascular disease and associated mental health problems. Obesity also currently costs the NHS at least £6billion a year.

Alison Thewliss MP said: “We have a childhood obesity crisis in this country. It’s unbelievable how much sugar is in many of the drinks our children regularly consume. These drinks easily become part of their regular diet and usually have no nutritional value so just end up being empty calories.

“This is why the Soft Drinks Industry Levy is so important. Decreasing the amount of sugar in these beverages will contribute towards making our children healthier now, and in the future.”

Professor John Wass from the Obesity Health Alliance said: “Our children are consuming too much sugar and soft drinks are their number one source of sugar. “The case for the soft drinks industry levy, coupled with the reformulation of soft drinks to reduce their sugar content, has never been clearer. The nation’s diet needs to be unsweetened – and fast.”

Rape clause minister resigns

Alison Thewliss MP joins supporters at the launch of her campaign to scrap the rape clause

Alison Thewliss MP has welcomed news that the Welfare Minister, Lord Freud, is resigning from the Government.

The Tory Peer, who was handed the welfare reform brief by David Cameron in 2010, has signalled his intention to leave the Government at the end of the month. The SNP MP welcomed this development, saying that Lord Freud was “without doubt one of coldest, heartless and most ignorant politicians” she had ever met.

The un-elected Tory Peer had been tasked with driving the Government’s welfare cuts programme, which includes limiting tax credits to two children per family and a rape clause whereby women who would have to prove their third or subsequent child was born as a result of rape.

Thewliss and Freud clashed earlier in the year during a meeting at the DWP’s headquarters in Caxton House, London. Following the meeting, the Glasgow Central MP condemned Freud’s remark that women who are subject to domestic and sexual abuse should “just flee” their situations.

Commenting on Freud’s resignation announcement, SNP MP Alison Thewliss said:

“Lord Freud was without doubt one of the coldest, most heartless and ignorant politicians I’ve ever had the misfortune of dealing with in almost ten years of elected politics.

“His blatant disregard for some of the most vulnerable women in society was utterly appalling and his departure from Government is a very welcome development. His suggestion that women experiencing abuse from their intimate partner should “just flee” revealed to me how utterly out of touch he was with reality and how unfit he was to be making policy for women and children who have already been through severe trauma.

“With the Government’s rape clause consultation having just closed at the weekend, I am heartened in the knowledge that Freud will no longer be overseeing this medieval and pernicious policy agenda.

“Throughout this entire campaign, I have been of the view that any Minister with a sense of compassion or decency would understand that making women prove they were raped to receive tax credits is utterly degrading and the policy should be scrapped. Lord Freud’s departure from Government gives me a real and renewed sense of hope that this Government will now see sense and ditch this appalling proposal.”

Alison Thewliss MP joins charities and businesses to support #givingtuesday

The global day of giving known as #givingtuesday took place on 29 November and Alison Thewliss MP was at Parliament to celebrate local charities Glasgow City Mission, Glasgow Council on Alcohol, Glasgow Women’s Aid, Lifelink, Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol & Drugs and SiMY Community Development, who are all backing the campaign.

This is the third year #givingtuesday has taken place in the UK, a campaign which encourages people to ‘do good stuff’ for charity. Over 1,500 charities and businesses have signed up as partners in the campaign including Cancer Research UK, Morrisons, Sue Ryder, Sainsbury’s, the RSPCA and the Financial Times.

In 2015 #givingtuesday broke a Guinness World Record for the most online donations in 24 hours as people gave £35 million to good causes globally.  Online donations raised £6,000 a minute for UK charities.  The event was the top trend on Twitter throughout the day with more than 100,000 mentions using the hashtag.  Celebrities and politicians including Stephen Fry, JK Rowling, Gary Lineker and Tom Daley backed the campaign.

#Givingtuesday now runs in over 70 countries including the US, Canada, Germany, Spain, Singapore, Australia, Tanzania, Russia and Ireland.  It is led in the UK by the Charities Aid Foundation, one of Europe’s largest charitable foundations which supports charities in managing their money and helps people and businesses give to good causes.  The theme for 2016 is simply to ‘do good stuff’.  Charities, businesses and individuals can sign up to be part of the event at www.givingtuesday.org.uk or connect via Facebook and Twitter.

Alison Thewliss MP said:

“I am delighted to support this year’s #givingtuesday campaign. It’s a great event and an exciting opportunity for charities and businesses in Glasgow to showcase the work they do all year round.”

Hannah Terrey, Head of Policy and Campaigns, at the Charities Aid Foundation said:

“It is fantastic to see so much enthusiasm for the #givingtuesday movement from so many amazing individuals and organisations across the country.”

“After the festive retail frenzy of Black Friday and Cyber Monday #givingtuesday is a great opportunity to give something back and we are thrilled that so many people used the day to do good stuff for charities they care about.”

Consultation closes: Government urged to listen and scrap tax credit cuts

Alison Thewliss MP joins supporters at the launch of her campaign to scrap the rape clause

The SNP MP for Glasgow Central, Alison Thewliss, has urged the UK Government to “genuinely listen” and drop its two child policy and rape clause following “sincere and evidence based” concerns submitted in a public consultation.

After almost 450 days of ducking the issue, the UK Government last month quietly put its “medieval” rape clause and “disastrous” two child policy for tax credits out to public consultation, following a lengthy campaign by the SNP MP.

Yesterday (Sunday) saw the closing date for submissions to the consultation. Now Ms Thewliss is calling upon the Government to reflect upon how entirely unworkable a rape clause would be and how disastrous implementing a two child policy would be for family finances.

Commenting after alison-thewliss-mp-response-to-rape-clause-consultation, Alison Thewliss MP said:

“As the Government consultation on the rape clause and two child policy has now closed, I would urge policy officials and Ministers to genuinely listen to the very sincere and evidence based concerns I and many others have submitted.

“If implemented, we now know the rape clause will almost certainly mean that DWP decision makers – with little or no training – are going to be arbitrating on whether or not a woman was raped and whether or not her third or subsequent child should receive tax credits.

“Designing a policy and consultation which asks some of the most vulnerable women in society how they would like to prove they were raped must surely be one of the most insensitive, disgusting and degrading ideas ever to emanate from Whitehall.

“Research by the Resolution Foundation indicates that the two child policy will push an extra 200,000 children, the majority of whose families are already in-work, into child poverty by 2020. These are the very “just about managing” families that the Prime Minister claims to support.

“Whatever way you look at this, it’s bad policy making, it will be disastrous and the Government must use this consultation response to scrap these awful proposals now.”

Formula marketing law clears first Commons hurdle

Alison Thewliss MP sitting at her desk in Parliament

A new law to tighten up advertising of formula milk has cleared its first Commons hurdle today. MPs gave their unanimous backing to SNP MP Alison Thewliss to push ahead with her Feeding Products for Babies and Children (Advertising and Promotion) Bill, which she says will “better support all parents in the infant feeding choices they make for their children”.

The Scottish MP, who chairs Westminster’s All Party Parliamentary Group on Infant Feeding & Inequalities, has already secured cross-party support from MPs in the Conservatives and Labour as well as other parties in the UK Parliament. She will now take her Bill forward for second reading in Parliament in February.

Speaking from Westminster after MPs unanimously backed her bid to change the law, Alison Thewliss MP commented:

“Securing Parliamentary approval to introduce my Bill is a big step forward. I hope it will be the first step to give better support to all parents in the infant feeding choices they make for their children.

“Whether parents decide to breastfeed or bottle feed is entirely a matter for them, and I very much respect the choices families make. This is not a debate about breastfeeding versus formula milk.

“I believe it is vitally important that parents get accurate and impartial information on the contents of formula milk and the best way to prepare it safely. At present there is a worrying lack of independent scrutiny of infant and young child formula, as well as growing frustration about the industry marketing tricks and misleading claims being pushed on parents and health professionals alike.

“Misinformation on health policy never ends well and this Bill aims to seriously tighten up the behaviour of the formula industry.

“I look forward to using the coming months to consult on the contents of the Bill. I will continue working with MPs across the House to convince the Government that this should be put on the statute books to safeguard the health and wellbeing of babies and young children.”

Law to tighten marketing of formula milk

Alison Thewliss MP sitting at her desk in Parliament

A cross-party group of MPs at Westminster will today [Wednesday] start the legislative process to introduce a new law, which will tighten up the marketing of formula milks and other infant feeding products.

Alison Thewliss MP, who is leading with the proposal, will today seek approval from the House of Commons to go ahead and draft the bill, making way for it to be given a second reading in Parliament.

The legislative proposal has strong cross-party backing, including from influential Conservative MP and chair of the Commons Health Select Committee, Dr Sarah Wollaston.

Speaking in advance of today’s proceedings in the Commons, Alison Thewliss MP said:

“I understand there is a genuine and sincere requirement for infant formula milk for mothers who can’t or indeed don’t wish to breastfeed, and any number of circumstances which lead parents and carers to choose formula. I come to this debate with absolutely no judgement or attempt to tell other parents how to feed their children.

“I believe it is vitally important that parents get accurate information on the contents of formula milk, and the best way to prepare it safely. At present there is a worrying lack of independent scrutiny of infant and young child formula, as well as growing frustration about the industry marketing tricks and misleading claims being pushed on parents and health professionals alike.

“Misinformation on health policy never ends well and I believe this requires an urgent change in the law, to seriously tighten up the behaviour of some companies.

“Currently, a loophole allows for misleading and scientifically questionable claims to be printed in reputable and highly respected medical and nursing journals. This is an untenable position and the legislation I am proposing will tackle this issue head on.

“My bill would also mean that the UK fully implements the international Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, which has been called for in numerous reports.

“I am hopeful that the House of Commons approves permission to formally introduce the bill today and let it have a second reading in Parliament.”

Alison Thewliss MP celebrates 30 years of Childline

To mark 30 years of Childline, the free 24-hour counselling service for children and young people, Alison Thewliss, MP for Glasgow Central, attended a special event at Portcullis House to hear from its founder, Dame Esther Rantzen.

The event took place at Portcullis House in London, on 2 November, and was hosted by Nigel Huddleston, MP for Mid Worcestershire. There were also presentations from a Childline counsellor and six NSPCC Young Ambassadors.

Dame Esther spoke about how Childline is more in demand than ever before, counselling more than 300,000 children and young people every year. She also explained that since the charity introduced online support and counselling in 2009, more than two-thirds (71%) of the counselling sessions take place online.

Childline counsellor, Michelle Turnbull, who has been volunteering for Childline for five years, gave the Peers and MPs an insight into the counselling sessions. She described the time she took a call from a young girl who was suicidal and listened and spoke to her for more than hour – they even wrote a song together. Two months later the girl called Childline back to give counsellors an update on her progress.

Ms Thewliss also got the chance to talk to children who had used Childline and understand how it changed their life.

Alison Thewliss MP said: “It was great to be a part of these special celebrations for such an important service. Childline provide an excellent service in supporting young people of all ages on a daily basis and I want to thank them for the work they do in supporting my young constituents.”

Peter Wanless, CEO of the NSPCC said: “This event at Westminster was a great way to continue Childline’s 30th birthday celebrations, with Dame Esther Rantzen as always leading the way. It was particularly moving hearing from the Childline counsellor and how she helps children and young people on a daily basis, some of whom find themselves in the most desperate of circumstances.”

During Childline’s birthday week the NSPCC released new data that reveals a 35% rise in anxiety in the past year, with 11,706 children and young people being counselled by Childline in 2015/16 compared to 8,642 in 2014/15. An increasing number of children and young people are being struck down by the problem, with causes ranging from personal and family issues to concerns about world affairs such as the EU Referendum, the US Election and troubles in the Middle East.

The charity has also announced Cheryl as their new Childline campaigner.

Alison Thewliss MP supports Macmillan’s coffee morning

2016-09-30-16-55-49-webAlison Thewliss MP showed her support for Macmillan and helped to raise awareness of the issues faced by people affected by cancer on Wednesday by attending a World’s Biggest Coffee Morning event in Parliament.

More than 220,000 coffee morning events were held around the UK to raise money for Macmillan on and around 30th September and Alison Thewliss MP held a coffee morning in her Glasgow Central constituency office which raised £102 for Macmillan Cancer Support. Following the success of the national events, Macmillan hosted a coffee morning in the House of Commons where MPs had the opportunity to hear about the challenges facing people living with and beyond cancer and to learn more about some of the services that Macmillan provides.

Alison Thewliss MP attended the Commons event and said,

“Macmillan’s coffee morning is a fantastic annual fixture and I was really glad to have the opportunity to both attend one in parliament and host one in my constituency office. It was also a great way to hear more about the support that Macmillan offers directly to people affected by cancer. With the number of people living with cancer increasing, this event is an important opportunity to not only raise funds for a worthy cause, but to bring people together to talk about an issue that will become more urgent in the future.”

Having raised £27 million in 2015 and over £138 million to date, the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning is the original and most successful charity fundraising event of its sort. The idea remains simple: get together with friends, colleagues or neighbours to hold a coffee morning and raise money for Macmillan, with every donation helping to ensure that no one faces cancer alone.

Rape clause – Government finally allows the public to have their say

Alison Thewliss MP joins supporters at the launch of her campaign to scrap the rape clause

Campaigning MP, Alison Thewliss, has welcomed a climb down from the UK Government which has now finally relented and put its proposed two child policy and rape clause out to public consultation.

The SNP MP has been putting pressure on the Government for the last fifteen months to scrap the policy. Ms Thewliss has also consistently criticised the Government’s lack of consultation.

Ms Thewliss is now calling upon stakeholders, constituents and interested individuals to “pile in” with responses to the consultation and send a clear message to the Government that it must drop the entire policy.

Glasgow Central MP Alison Thewliss commented:

“It’s a small but significant step forward that, fifteen months after exposing this cruel policy, the Government has finally relented to pressure and gone out to public consultation.

“After dozens of exchanges with Ministers on this issue, it has been increasingly clear that this policy was dreamt up in Whitehall and not seriously thought through.

“One of the key points about getting this put out to public consultation means the Government must listen to rape crisis campaigners, women’s groups, religious organisations, and welfare charities who are crystal clear that these policies are unworkable, immoral and medieval.

“I urge all interested parties and individuals to pile in, respond to the consultation and leave this Tory Government in no doubt that their cruel rape clause and pernicious two child policy must be scrapped.”