Campaigns

Glasgow Central MP, Alison Thewliss, has signed up to support this year’s Earth Hour by making a special pledge to help protect the planet. Ms Thewliss was one of many MPs joining WWF in London this week to show they care about the future of our planet, ahead of the global lights out event, due to take place on Saturday 19 March at 8:30pm.

MPs are celebrating Earth Hour to send a message that they care about the natural world and help inspire their constituents to go beyond the hour to build a sustainable future for both people and the planet.

Ms Thewliss said: “Our natural world is precious to all life that inhabits it, but we need to do more to protect it. WWF’s Earth Hour reminds us that there are simple things we can all do for the planet, not for just one hour, but every day. It’s a great opportunity to bring together millions of people from across the world with one united goal – to help protect our planet. That’s why this Earth Hour I’m showing I care about the future of our planet by making a special pledge for a low carbon future.”

Every year Earth Hour inspires millions of people around the world to come together and switch off their lights for one hour in a symbolic act to show they care about our brilliant planet. WWF already works to tackle a lot of environmental challenges – like deforestation, threats to endangered species, and the impacts of climate change – but Earth Hour is a chance for everyone to say they’ll do their bit to help create a sustainable future. It reminds us that together we have the power to make change happen.

Last year a record-breaking 172 countries and some of the world’s most famous buildings including Big Ben, Hong Kong’s skyline and the Sydney Harbour Bridge joined the global celebration. In the UK alone, over 10 million people took part, along with over 4,800 schools, 200 landmarks and thousands of businesses and organisations.

Jennifer Clements, spokesperson for WWF’s Earth Hour, said: “We’re thrilled that MPs have given their support to this year’s Earth Hour and we hope they will inspire many others to get involved. By taking one simple step to switch off your lights at 8.30pm on 19 March, Earth Hour is a chance for all of us to come together and send out a global message about protecting our planet.”

Everyone can join the celebration for WWF’s Earth Hour on Saturday 19 March 2016. For more information and to sign up please visit wwf.org.uk/earthhour.

Anthony Nolan and Alison Thewliss MP calling for more local lifesavers

Alison Thewliss, MP for Glasgow Central, and the charity Anthony Nolan are searching for more local lifesavers in Glasgow to join the Anthony Nolan stem cell donor register and help in the fight against blood cancer.

The charity has revealed that, in Glasgow Central, there are now more than 1379 selfless people willing to donate their stem cells, or bone marrow, to save the life of a stranger. In total, more than half a million people are currently on the Anthony Nolan register and the average per constituency is 905.

Now Alison Thewliss is encouraging more 16 to 30-year-olds to sign up. She says it is particularly important that young men and people from ethnic minorities join the register as they are currently under-represented.

The blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan created the world’s first stem cell donor register, and has been saving lives for over four decades by matching remarkable people willing to donate their bone marrow or stem cells to patients in desperate need of a transplant. It also carries out pioneering research to increase stem cell transplant success, and supports patients through their transplant journeys.

Two thirds of UK patients will not find a matching donor from within their families; instead they turn to Anthony Nolan to find them an unrelated donor.

Anthony Nolan wants to give people the very best chance of life by finding the best possible match for them. But the charity can currently only find a perfect match for 60 per cent of transplant recipients, so they still urgently need more people to come forward.

Ms Thewliss said:

“I am delighted that 1379 people in Glasgow Central constituency are registered on the Anthony Nolan stem cell register. It is fantastic to see that there are so many heroic and selfless people in my constituency.

“I hope that more local people will also now be inspired to sign up and to become potential lifesavers for people in desperate need.”

Ann O’Leary, Head of Register Development at Anthony Nolan, said:

‘We are delighted that Alison Thewliss has been inspired to encourage others to sign up as donors. Donating is an incredibly selfless thing to do and will give someone with blood cancer the best possible chance of survival. What many people don’t realise is that it is also surprisingly simple.’

To join the Anthony Nolan register you must be 16-30 and in good health. It involves filling out a simple online form and spitting into a tube. About 90% of people who are asked to donate will do so through a process similar to giving blood.

The charity needs supporters of all ages to champion the register at a local level and help us spread the word – from schools, communities and workplaces to your own friends and family. To find out how you can help, go to www.anthonynolan.org/communitiesvscancer

Glasgow SNP MP, Alison Thewliss, has today (Monday 14th March) called upon Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, to cut fuel duty when he delivers his budget to the House of Commons on Wednesday.

Speaking from Parliament in advance of Wednesday’s budget, the SNP MP said:

“Drivers in Glasgow can’t afford a hike in fuel duty. Raising the price of petrol and diesel just now would be bad for the economy and bad for household budgets. A raid on fuel duty by the Chancellor would squeeze the pockets of Glasgow families – it would put at risk crucial economic growth and job creation. Small businesses in particular have benefited from the freeze on fuel duty and I know that any increase in business costs would also be unwelcome at this difficult time.

“We know that over 70% of the current fuel price constitutes tax in the form of vehicle duty and VAT. The 5 year freeze on fuel duty has, as of January 2016, saved UK households on average £104 per year. Things like the freeze on fuel duty, as well as the SNP Government’s council tax freeze, have helped alleviate pressure on family budgets but we know that economic recovery is still fragile and that can’t be put at risk by a hike in fuel duty.

“I am therefore calling upon the Chancellor to give Glaswegians good news on Wednesday and continue the fuel duty freeze.”

Alison Thewliss MP has backed a campaign calling for a fair tax deal for Malawi, a country with strong historic links with Glasgow Central.

ActionAid’s #MakeTaxFair campaign is pushing for reform of the 1955 UK-Malawi tax treaty, which makes it possible for UK companies operating in Malawi to dramatically reduce their tax bill. The call is part of a wider campaign to reform unfair tax treaties.

Scotland has had close links with Malawi, dating back to when Scottish explorer David Livingstone arrived in Malawi in the 1850s. Each year, more than 94,000 Scots are involved in organisations that link with Malawi, according to the Scotland Malawi Partnership, the national network which exists to coordinate, represent and support Scotland’s civic links with Malawi, and which is supporting ActionAid’s campaign.

The Scotland Malawi Partnership has a number of member organisations in Glasgow Central which have links with Malawi.

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with GDP per person of just $255 per year. This is a country where 10.5 million people live in extreme poverty – surviving on less than US$1.90 a day. More tax revenue is desperately needed to improve public services and pay for more doctors and teachers. Malawi has one of the highest child mortality rates in the world with more than one in twenty children dying before the age of 5.

UK companies are the third largest investor there, with investments worth a total of US$157 million in 2010. Yet the outdated and unfair tax treaty has tied the hands of the Malawian government. The treaty was signed in 1955, prior to Malawi’s independence, by the British Governor on behalf of the governments of the British colonies of Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

The treaty is so out-of-date that it does not cover the taxation of television related income. The treaty also makes it possible for British multinationals to easily move money out of Malawi untaxed using methods such as interest or management fee payments, dividends or royalties.

Ms Thewliss is supporting a joint campaign with Malawian and UK activists, calling on the Government to replace this treaty with one that is fairer, and that supports Malawi in its fight against poverty.

Since the campaign launched, both the UK Government and the Government of Malawi issued statements in which they say they hope a treaty can be renegotiated soon. ActionAid and the Scotland Malawi Partnership welcome this progress, and will continue campaigning to ensure that any new treaty is fair and helps Malawi raise revenue to fight poverty.

Commenting, Ms Thewliss said:

“Corporate tax scandals show how angry the British public are that big business isn’t paying its fair share.

“Scotland’s long and enduring relationship with Malawi stretches back over 150 years, and today many local people in [INSERT MP’s CONSTITUENCY] are actively engaged in building up social, cultural and economic ties. But the UK-Malawi tax treaty is not fit for the 21st century.
That’s why I’m calling on the UK government to agree a better deal with Malawi – one that ensures that UK companies pay their fair share in one of the world’s poorest countries.”

Charlie Matthews, ActionAid UK’s Senior Advocacy Adviser, said:

“Malawi is losing out due to an outdated and unfair treaty, which makes it possible for UK businesses operating there to dramatically reduce their tax bill. Women and girls living in poverty are the ones paying the price as public services like schools and hospitals are starved of funding.

“ActionAid is working with the Scotland Malawi Partnership to call on the UK government to negotiate a new, fairer treaty, one that makes tax fair for the people of Malawi.”

David Hope Jones of the Scotland-Malawi Partnership said:

“Scotland is rightly proud of its many links with Malawi which date back more than 150 years to Dr David Livingstone. This dignified two-way people-to-people partnership unites our two nations in solidarity and friendship. Many of our 800+ member organisations across Scotland are concerned at the out-dated 1955 UK-Malawi Tax Treaty. We applaud both the UK and the Malawian Government for their commitment to update this colonial-era treaty, helping Malawi retain more tax revenue for the benefit of the people of Malawi. We look forward to seeing the outcome of the re-negotiation as soon as possible.”