Campaigns

Alison Thewliss MP gets things cooking during smart meter challenge

Alison Thewliss, MP for Glasgow Central, has gone head to head with MPs from across the political spectrum as part of the Westminster Pancake Challenge, an energy-saving cooking competition to raise awareness of how smart meters help people save energy.

Tasked with whisking up the best plate of pancakes for the least energy possible, Alison Thewliss MP took on several other MPs in the cook-off, which was judged by Great British Bake-Off finalist Ian Cumming.

Visualising the cost of your household energy is key to finding ways to reduce bills, and Alison had the help of a smart meter to see how much her energy was costing while cooking. Alison used 3.6 pence worth of energy to make her 3 pancakes.

Available at no extra cost from your energy supplier, a smart meter will show you exactly how much you are spending on energy in near real time, helping you to manage your energy at home, reduce waste and bring bills down.

Alison Thewliss MP said:

“Taking on the Westminster Pancake Challenge was great fun and helped me with my preparations for Pancake Day! It also demonstrated how much energy can be consumed when preparing food and how costs of using energy can mount up very quickly.

“Many constituents will find that smart meters can help with budgeting and bringing down energy bills and they should be offered the option of a smart meter by their energy provider. I and my staff are also on hand to provide advice to reduce energy bills – get in touch and we would be more than happy to offer energy saving tips and direct constituents to organisations that can help with the cost of living.”

Great British Bake-Off star Ian Cumming said:

“Pancakes can be tricky to flip at the best of times, but the politicians did an excellent job with nothing dropped on the floor or stuck to the ceiling.

“During the challenge, I kept an eye on how much energy Alison Thewliss MP was using, with the help of a smart meter in-home display. Being able to see the cost of the energy you use when you’re cooking, is key to bringing bills down.

“With so many gadgets, hobs and ovens, the kitchen can be a real draw on energy, but I think everyone was impressed by how a smart meter can help you save in the kitchen”

Robert Cheesewright, Director of Policy and Communications at Smart Energy GB said:

“The pancake challenge was great fun and I’m really pleased that so many MPs from across the country have come together to demonstrate how smart meters can help households reduce their energy bills.”

Bridgeton MP slams Government’s handling of JobCentre closure

MP for Glasgow Central, Alison Thewliss, challenged the Prime Minister during question time on Wednesday to explain why the UK Government has neglected to properly inform residents that a local JobCentre would be closing its doors.

Bridgeton JobCentre, which is based in Ms Thewliss’ constituency, was shut down on Friday 2 February, and is one of six JobCentres in Glasgow to close as part of a wider government programme. The decision was met with widespread, cross-party condemnation, with many MPs commenting that closures would place an additional burden on those already struggling to make ends meet.

In a passionate plea during Prime Minister’s Questions, the SNP MP noted that a constituent of hers who is 58, has a variety of serious health concerns, and was only recently discharged from hospital, attended Bridgeton JobCentre on Tuesday, only to find it was closed. Ms Thewliss asked the Prime Minister to apologise to her constituent for not having made her aware of the JobCentre’s closure, and to refund her taxi fare.

Commenting, Alison Thewliss MP said:

“This situation really is absurd. Not only are my constituents who previously used Bridgeton JobCentre expected to travel to alternative locations to attend mandatory appointments, it appears that the government hasn’t even told them that their local JobCentre has closed.

“Unfortunately, whilst shocking, the case I raised during PMQs will not be unique. People will be turning up to JobCentres across Glasgow to find out for the first time that their local service no longer exists.

“The DWP holds extensive details of every claimant: they should take responsibility for their actions and write to everyone on their database to inform them about the closures.

“Surely the government must see what a shambles this whole process has been. My constituent, and scores of others like her, at the very least deserve an apology for the appalling way they have been treated. I will be writing to the Department for Work and Pensions to urge them to do so”.

SNP MP condemns UK Government’s record on child poverty

MP for Glasgow Central, Alison Thewliss, has denounced the UK Government’s record on child poverty, following the publication of a new report by the coalition charity, End Child Poverty.

The report, which was published today, lays bare the shocking disparity across the UK with respect to deprivation levels, and highlights the associated effects on families and children.

Sam Royston, Chair of End Child Poverty and Director of Policy and Research at the Children’s Society, noted that a child born in some areas of the UK is now more likely to grow up in poverty, than be part of a family living above the breadline. Indeed, End Child Poverty have called for an immediate cessation of the freeze on social security benefits, which has been in effect since 2016.

Commenting, Alison Thewliss MP said:

“The UK Government’s record on the issue of child poverty is appalling. This is a government who scrapped statutory income-based child poverty targets; clearly demonstrating how low down the issue is on their list of priorities.

“The benefit cap continues to squeeze those who rely most on support, and in Glasgow the statistics make for grim reading – there are 636 households, and over 1,936 children directly affected. Not only that, according to a report published by Sheffield Hallam University, support for claimants in Glasgow, as a result of post-2015 welfare reforms, is anticipated to fall by an average of £420 per year.

“Moreover, the UK Government’s two child limit ensures that Child Tax Credit claims – including the child element of Universal Credit – are restricted to the first two children in a family. This is tantamount to social engineering, and will mean a loss of up to £2,800 every year per child for countless families. This cut is so severe that the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) have estimated that it will plunge a further 200,000 children into poverty.

“The Scottish Government is doing what it can to stem the flow of Tory cuts; already it has mitigated the devastating effects of the Bedroom Tax through discretionary housing payments, and moved to ensure that a reduction in Council Tax Support was not passed on to claimants in Scotland. It is unsustainable however to expect the Scottish taxpayer to continue to bear the financial brunt of Tory malevolence.

“This austerity-obsessed government seems not to care about the plight of ordinary people, including the wellbeing of children. Brexit is on the horizon, bringing with it rising prices – the outlook is indeed bleak. Whilst the Scottish Government is committed to doing what it can to improve the situation, it requires full control over economic levers in order that child poverty can be properly addressed in a meaningful and responsible way”.

SNP MP appeals to UK Government to allow safe injecting pilot

Alison Thewliss, SNP MP for Glasgow Central, has called on the UK Government to give proper consideration to a request for a temporary relaxation of drugs laws, in order that a safe injecting pilot can be carried out.

Ms Thewliss – an ardent supporter of plans for a Safer Drugs Consumption Facility (SDCF) – will speak during a Westminster Hall debate on Wednesday, to highlight the myriad problems that drug users and the wider public face in Glasgow as a result of public injecting.

A cross-party letter, with signatures from a number of Scottish MPs, has been issued to the Home Office in order to demonstrate the extent of support for the plans which, up to now, have been blocked by the UK Government.

Commenting, Ms Thewliss said:

“Evidence on the need for action on this issue has never been more compelling. In 2015 for example, there was 47 new diagnoses of HIV compared to an annual average of 10, for those who are injecting drugs. Indeed, there is thought to be around 500 people who regularly inject drugs in public places in Glasgow City Centre alone.

“I can attest to the fact that Glasgow has a growing problem with respect to public injecting; my constituency office often receives reports of needles and other drug paraphernalia being discarded in public places. In addition, I have seen for myself public injecting taking place in locations not far from where my office is located.

“It’s clear to me that the drug injecting population in Glasgow face a number of different barriers in accessing health services which can help them with their addiction, and that current methods are falling short of offering the appropriate level of support. For this reason, Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership, and other parties, have developed innovative plans for the implementation of a Safe Injecting Facility.

“It is imperative that the Home Office consider this request – which has cross-party support from a number of Scottish MPs – to allow an SDCF to be trialled in Glasgow. This issue has become a serious public health issue, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that we do what we can to improve the situation not just for drug users, but for the wider public in general”.

Thewliss raises rape clause with new Cabinet Ministers

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

Alison Thewliss, SNP MP for Glasgow Central, has wasted no time in contacting new cabinet ministers regarding the damaging effects of the two child policy and rape clause, following the Prime Minister’s reshuffle earlier this week.

The campaigning MP has written to both Esther McVey, the new Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions, and also to Karen Bradley, who was announced as the new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, to ask that one of their priorities be to reverse the implementation of the two child policy for tax credits and Universal Credit, and the associated rape clause.

The Government legislated in April 2017 to restrict Child Tax Credit and Universal Credit (child element) claims to the first two children in a family, a decision which the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) has said will force 200,000 children below the poverty line.

In addition, women who have conceived a third or subsequent child as a result of rape, must apply for an exemption, requiring them to relive their harrowing ordeal during an interview. In Northern Ireland, third party referrers are obliged under law to report instances of rape, even if doing so means that women are placed in further danger of violence.

Commenting, Alison Thewliss MP said:

“This is as good a time as any for the UK Government to drop the vile and medieval rape clause, and stigmatising two child policy which lies behind it.

“Esther McVey is now the fifth Secretary of State for the DWP since I was elected in 2015, and the first woman in that time. I want to know from her whether she is comfortable in making a woman who has suffered the trauma of rape, domestic violence and coercive control go through the shame of proving her child was conceived as a result of that sexual abuse.

“Similarly, I am keen to understand Karen Bradley’s views on the ongoing legal uncertainty in Northern Ireland with respect to this policy. The current system places third party referrers in an impossible position and arguably puts women off claiming an exemption at all. If cases are referred to the police, this potentially places women who are already vulnerable in even more danger at the hands of their abusive partners.

“So far, the UK Government has failed to listen on this issue. I am hopeful that the Prime Minister’s reshuffle presents an opportunity for the right thing to be done by women and families, and for this abhorrent policy to be rescinded once and for all”.

Alison Thewliss MP marks 200 years of Parkinson’s UK

Alison Thewliss, MP for Glasgow Central, has joined the charity Parkinson’s UK to mark 200 years since Parkinson’s disease was first recognised.

At the parliamentary reception in Westminster on Tuesday 5 December, Alison Thewliss MP met with representatives from the charity and people affected by Parkinson’s to hear about the charity’s ambitions to end the fear associated with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.

Ms Thewliss talked to staff and volunteers about the strides that have been made in understanding the condition since James Parkinson’s Essay on the Shaking Palsy in 1817. She heard about the work that is still to be done to stop the disease in its tracks, as there is no cure for Parkinson’s and current medication can’t stop the condition from progressing.

Ms Thewliss heard how important it is that people with Parkinson’s disease get the right financial support to help with the extra costs of living with the condition. Shockingly, 25 per cent of people with Parkinson’s are losing some or all of this support as they are moved from Disability Living Allowance to the replacement benefit Personal Independence Payment, leaving people unable to pay for aids and adaptations, energy bills and transport.

Parkinson’s affects 1 in 500 people in Glasgow Central, and can cause a myriad of symptoms including insomnia, depression, and hallucinations, robbing people of their independence. But through more research, improved services, and empowering people with Parkinson’s to take control, their quality of life can be drastically improved. Parkinson’s UK wants to see quality services as standard for the 127,000 people with Parkinson’s in the UK. They also want people with Parkinson’s to feel empowered to take control of their lives, and to take part in clinical trials in their local area to help find better treatments and a cure in years, not decades.

After attending the event, Alison Thewliss MP said:

“I want to help ensure that people in Glasgow Central are not losing out as they are moved to Personal Independence Payment.

“I look forward to raising this issue nationally to ensure people get the support they need and feel empowered to take control of their life with Parkinson’s.”

Parkinson’s UK Chief Executive Steve Ford said:

“With 2017 marking such a significant anniversary for us, we wanted to reflect on what we have achieved and what we have yet to do in order to improve the lives of everybody affected by Parkinson’s, but we can’t do this alone.

“That’s why it’s brilliant Alison Thewliss MP has pledged to help us ensure people with Parkinson’s are getting the financial support they desperately rely on.

“We look forward to seeing the difference Alison Thewliss MP can make in Glasgow Central, and how she can help us to keep Parkinson’s on the political agenda.”

For advice, information and support, visit their website or call their free, confidential helpline on 0808 800 0303.

Alison Thewliss MP supports the TUC’s Dying to Work Charter

On Tuesday 12th December in Westminster, Alison Thewliss, MP for Glasgow Central, signed the TUC “Dying to Work” Charter, to support and protect any of her employees who become terminally ill.

Since its launch in April 2016, The TUCs ‘Dying to Work’ Voluntary Charter now protects over half a million employees with companies such as Legal and General, Santander, Co-Op, Carillion, Rolls Royce and the Royal Mail joining E.On and signing up along with a number of public sector bodies including NHS trusts, police authorities and many local authorities.

The Dying to Work campaign was set up following the case of Jacci Woodcook, a 58-year-old sales manager from Derbyshire, who was forced out of her job after being diagnosed with terminal breast cancer. The campaign is calling for a change in the law to prevent the same thing happening to other working people.

Alison Thewliss MP said:

“It is shocking to think that if people with terminal illnesses are dismissed or forced out of their jobs that their loved ones will lose the death in service payments that the employee has planned for and earned through a life-time of hard work.”

“That is why I am proud to have signed the TUC ‘Dying to Work’ charter to protect my employees and I will be encouraging businesses in my constituency to follow suit and sign up to the TUC’s voluntary charter.”

“In addition, I hope something will soon be done to ensure that every individual with terminal illness will receive the protection and support they deserve.”

The campaign has also been endorsed by a number of trade unions and charities, including The National Council for Palliative Care, Hospice UK, Breast Cancer Care and Second Hope.

TUC Deputy General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“Serious illness is tough enough without having to put up with extra hassle at work. Everyone can surely agree that terminally-ill workers deserve protection.

“That’s why unions, MPs, employers and charities are coming together to ensure that workers get the support and protections they need when times are toughest.”

This broad support was demonstrated in a recent Survation poll of over a thousand people which found that 79% of respondents support a ‘protected period’ for terminally ill workers where they could not be dismissed as a result of their condition with only 3% opposing it.

SNP MP urges UK Government to think again on safe injecting facility

Alison Thewliss, MP for Glasgow Central, has once again expressed her frustration at the UK Government’s position on safe injecting facilities, following a request from the Scottish Government to devolve drug laws to Scotland.

A Safe Injecting Facility (SIF) had been approved in principle by Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership last year, and the idea had garnered consensus from a number of organisations including the Alcohol and Drug Partnership. The Home Office, which controls drug legislation, has however refused to back the plans, calling them illegal.

Commenting, Alison Thewliss MP said:

“In refusing to give credence to proposals for a Safe Injecting Facility, the Home Office is perpetuating the status quo for drug users and the wider public.

“Drug use and its associated problems are a major public health concern deserving of a forward-thinking, creative solution. Proposals for an SIF are exactly that, and have been developed by those who deal with issues relating to drug misuse and drug litter on a daily basis. SIFs give those with an addiction a safer place to use drugs, where medical staff can intervene in an emergency and also look to offer support services.

“Evidence from safe injecting facilities in other countries demonstrates that they reduce levels of drug addiction, as well as improving public safety through reducing the level of discarded needles and other items of drug paraphernalia. In 2015, Glasgow saw a 35% increase in new diagnoses of HIV among people who inject drugs in the city centre. Clearly, these figures do not suggest an improving picture.

“Doing nothing gives little hope to those injecting on our streets and fails to reassure local communities that the UK Government is taking this issue seriously. I fully support the Scottish Government’s calls to have drugs law devolved. Failure to do so it seems will let down those who clearly need support”.

SNP MP heralds multi-agency response to two child policy

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

Alison Thewliss, MP for Glasgow Central, has praised the efforts of charities and organisations in coming together to condemn the two child cap and rape clause.

In a meeting held at Westminster today, UNISON, Women’s Aid, Child Poverty Action (CPAG), and representatives from a range of organisations, provided insight and testimony as to the effects being felt – in particular by women and families – as a result of UK Government changes to Universal Credit and Child Tax Credits which are now in force.

Commenting following the meeting, Alison Thewliss MP said:

“I’ve been fighting the UK Government on this issue for over two years now, and it’s clear to see from the attendance at today’s meeting that there is growing agreement that the two child policy and rape clause is a pernicious and medieval policy, and that it must be revoked.

“Analysis by CPAG and the IPPR shows that in excess of 200,000 children will be forced below the poverty line as a result of the two child policy. Indeed, working families with three children could be up to £2,780 worse off per year under the new rules.

“In addition, the UK Government is putting women in Northern Ireland in an impossible position given that they, and third party professionals, risk criminalisation if they do not disclose rape to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Women in Northern Ireland should not be forced to choose between struggling to put food on the table or going through the full process of the criminal justice system.

“It is welcome that there is such strong agreement from charities and organisations on this issue. I sincerely hope that the weight of consensus will make the government see the error of its ways, and scrap the two child policy and the rape clause.”

Coping with sudden cardiac death

On Wednesday 22 November 2017, the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) launched a powerful new booklet for young people learning to navigate their emotions following the tragic and sudden death of a close friend from a previously undiagnosed heart condition.

The booklet, ‘A friend’s grief following a young sudden cardiac death’ has been compiled by CRY’s Founder and bereavement counsellor, Alison Cox MBE. It features 10 short chapters from 29 bereaved young people talking through their experience of coping with the gap their friend has left, trying to adapt their lives without them by their side and finding a ‘new normal’.
The booklet – which was launched during CRY’s annual Raising Awareness Week [19-26 November] – is part of a wider campaign #CRY4Friends, highlighting the grief felt by young people when they experience the death of a friend. www.cry4friends.org.uk

Alison Cox says; “This powerful and deeply sensitive booklet articulating the thoughts and feelings of the sudden death of a fit and healthy special friend explains the ferocity of the impact of the loss. We are all born into our relationships but have the freedom to choose our friends. A good friend provides a haven of security and suddenly losing them can have a catastrophic effect on a young person.”

Alison Thewliss MP, pictured with CRY supporter Irene Broughton, adds; “I was delighted to attend CRY’s Parliamentary Reception and would like to congratulate the charity for the launch of the CRY4Friends campaign which will offer support to so many young people who may otherwise have been suffering in silence following the tragic death of a good friend.”

Irene Broughton, from Beith in Ayrshire, first became involved with CRY following the sudden and tragic death of her daughter Steffani in 2007 from a previously undiagnosed heart condition. She was aged just 17. Irene is now a trained Bereavement Supporter with CRY.

Every week in the UK, 12 young people aged 35 or under die suddenly from a previously undiagnosed heart condition. 80% of these young people have no signs or symptoms and so the only way to detect a potentially sinister cardiac abnormality is by having cardiac screening. CRY believes that every young person should have the choice to be screened, and offers a national screening service where anyone aged 14-35 can access free cardiac screening.