Campaigning MP takes rape clause fight to United Nations

Alison Thewliss MP with a letter to Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations

Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, has been asked to investigate whether the UK Government’s proposed rape clause and two child policy breaches the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which the UK signed in 1990.

Glasgow Central MP, Alison Thewliss, has today written to the United Nations in New York and asked for a formal investigation into the Government’s proposed policy, which is due to come into force next year.

The SNP politician believes that the UK Government’s “medieval” proposals could breach at least five of the fifty-four articles in the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child.

Commenting, Alison Thewliss MP said:

“It is now almost eight months since the UK Government announced its medieval two child policy and rape clause. Despite repeated questions in Parliament, letters to Ministers and a petition that attracted thousands of signatures, we still have no information from this cruel Tory Government as to how they plan to implement this pernicious policy.

“Everyone knows that that the two child policy and rape clause is unworkable, immoral and is now potentially in contravention of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, which the UK signed up to almost twenty five years ago.

“It is now time for the United Nations to step in and shine a very bright light onto this cruel and thoughtless Government, who appear hell bent on making life as difficult as possible for ordinary people.

“It is clear that, over the last eight months, the Tories had hoped this campaign would be quietly dropped but it’s just not happening. The Government simply cannot be allowed to get away with a policy that is tantamount to social engineering.”

Alison Thewliss MP backs bowel cancer charity plans

Alison Thewliss MP calls for more early diagnosis to beat bowel cancer

Alison Thewliss MP attended a Westminster reception hosted by the charity Beating Bowel Cancer to help raise awareness of the disease.

On 27th January, the MP for Glasgow Central joined other Members of Parliament, bowel cancer patients and survivors, health professionals and members of the charity to hear more about how improving earlier diagnosis of the disease can increase survival rates.

Bowel cancer is the UK’s second biggest cancer killer but this doesn’t have to be the case; if caught early over 90% of those diagnosed can survive more than five years. That figure drops to just 7% if they are diagnosed at a late stage.

Alison Thewliss MP said: “I was excited to hear Beating Bowel Cancer’s plans for the future and pleased to pledge my support for them. We all need to do our bit to keep bowel cancer at the forefront of the agenda and to ensure that the Government focuses on increasing efforts to improve early diagnosis rates, if the disease is to become a rare killer rather than one of biggest cancer killers in the country, as it is today.”

Speakers at the reception included Debbie and Alistair Gammage, whose daughter Hannah died of bowel cancer aged just 26; Shadow Secretary of State for Health, Heidi Alexander; Public Health Minister, Jane Ellison MP; John Baron MP Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer and TV presenter, Matthew Wright, who lost his father to bowel cancer.

He said: “Sadly my dad died of bowel cancer so I know just how vital it is that people are aware of the disease and its symptoms. If they know what to look out for, they can get checked out as early as possible. This could save their life – but only if followed by an earlier diagnosis and quicker treatment.

“Prompt diagnosis and treatment of bowel cancer must be a priority for the NHS if we are to save more lives.”

Mark Flannagan, Chief Executive of Beating Bowel Cancer, said: “This event made it possible for us to share our plans and outline the key policy priorities that need to be realised in the next Parliament if bowel cancer survival rates are to improve.

“We were pleased to have the opportunity to highlight these issues to those with the power to help tackle them and are very grateful to Alison Thewliss MP, for her interest. We look forward to working with her in the future to help raise awareness of bowel cancer issues in Glasgow Central.”

He told those at the reception: “In the time of this reception, four people will have died from bowel cancer; eight people will have been diagnosed with it. Together we can change that. Together we can stop people dying and we can provide better treatment to those diagnosed with bowel cancer.”

To find out more about bowel cancer please visit the charity’s website www.beatingbowelcancer.org or call their Nurse Helpline on 020 8973 0011.

Cross party letter urges PM to scrap the rape clause

MPs representing nine parties in the House of Commons – including the Conservatives – have signed a joint letter to the Prime Minister calling upon the Government to ‘unequivocally’ scrap the tax credits rape clause.

The Government’s proposals would require a woman, who has a third child as the result of rape, to justify her position to a Government official in order to avoid losing tax credits. The plan to restrict child tax credits to two children for new claimants is due to commence in 2017.

SNP MP Alison Thewliss first identified the issue in July 2015 during the Government’s summer budget. She has now coordinated a cross party letter from MPs representing no less than nine parties in the House of Commons.

In addition to Alison Thewliss’ name, the letter is also signed by Andrew Percy, Conservative MP for Brigg and Goole; Jess Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley; Liberal Democrat MP and former Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, Tom Brake, as well as MPs from the DUP, Green Party, UUP, Plaid Cymru and the SDLP.

Commenting, Alison Thewliss MP said:

“I am incredibly grateful to colleagues from across the House of Commons who have chosen to stand with us as part of the campaign to scrap the rape clause.

“The fact that MPs from all the major parties in the House have put their differences aside to unite on this important issue should, in itself, send a powerful message to the Prime Minister that his Government must unequivocally scrap the rape clause.

“I myself have already raised this issue on the floor of the House numerous times and Ministers’ responses to simple questions have been robotic at best and heartless at worst. We need to seriously ask ourselves, do we really want to be a country that summons raped women to Government offices and tell them to ‘prove it’ in order to get tax credits? Is that really how twenty-first century Britain wants to be behave?

“I am sure that, deep down, David Cameron also doesn’t want us to continue down this precarious road to stigmatisation. The Prime Minister must therefore show leadership and today unequivocally drop plans for a rape clause on tax credits”.

Alison Thewliss MP signs Holocaust Educational Trust Book of Commitment

Alison Thewliss MP signs the Holocaust Educational Trust Book of Commitment

This week Alison Thewliss MP signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment, in doing so pledging her commitment to Holocaust Memorial Day and honouring those who were murdered during the Holocaust as well as paying tribute to the extraordinary Holocaust survivors who work tirelessly to educate young people.

Wednesday 27th January will mark the liberation of the Nazi concentration and death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, the site of the largest mass murder in history.

In the weeks leading up to and after Holocaust Memorial Day, thousands of commemorative events will be arranged by schools, faith groups and community organisations across the country, remembering all the victims of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides.

After signing the Book of Commitment, Alison Thewliss MP commented:

“Holocaust Memorial Day marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau – and is an important opportunity to remember the victims and survivors of the Holocaust and make sure they are not forgotten. I encourage all constituents to mark the day and to join members of my community in the fight against prejudice and intolerance.”

Karen Pollock MBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said:

“We are proud that Alison Thewliss MP is supporting Holocaust Memorial Day. As we mark the 71st anniversary of the end of the Holocaust and the liberation of the concentration camps, it is vitally important that we both continue to remember and learn from the appalling events of the Holocaust – as well as ensuring that we continue to challenge antisemitism and all forms of bigotry.

MP raises pensioner winter fuel payment debacle

Alison Thewliss, SNP MP for Glasgow Central, is calling upon the UK Government to urgently review the computer system which allocates winter fuel payments to pensioners.

A recent constituency case raised with Ms Thewliss suggests that pensioners living in properties, such as tenements and tower blocks, are losing out because the system is – wrongly – factoring in other people in the building when calculating the total winter fuel payment due.

In Ms Thewliss’ constituent’s case, this resulted in one pensioner only receiving half of his winter fuel payment because the system, wrongly, counted other residents in his close when, in fact, the constituent in question lives on his own. Rather than receiving the £200 payment, he only received half, which was eventually rectified following his MP’s intervention.

The Glasgow Central MP has written to Work & Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, to ask for a full investigation into the system.

Alison Thewliss, MP for Glasgow Central, said:

“My constituent’s case highlights a serious anomaly within the UK Government’s winter fuel payment scheme, whereby potentially thousands of pensioners are being underpaid their winter fuel payments. All of this is because the Government’s system doesn’t always recognise buildings with multiple flats. I’ve written to Iain Duncan Smith to ask for a full investigation into this issue and to specifically ask for an urgent review of the payment system which seems to discriminate against buildings with more than one residence.

“My own research shows that Glasgow alone has over 220,000 properties which comprise of flats, tenements and tower blocks. In my own constituency, over 45,000 properties are part of multi-dwelling properties. Now, of course, not all of those properties will be entitled to winter fuel payments but it does give you an idea of the scale of this problem in a city which is, after all, renowned for its red sandstone tenements.

“Figures from Age UK show that an eye watering £3.7 billion in benefits already goes unclaimed by elderly people in the UK and I’m concerned that this is another example of older people not getting what they’re due.

“As temperatures continue to plummet this January, we simply cannot continue on with the perverse scenario, whereby pensioners living in flats are possibly being undercut because of an anomaly in the DWP’s payment system.”

Press release – Campaign to Scrap the Rape Clause moves up a gear

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

Campaigners against the UK Government’s proposed rape clause have stepped up their campaign by launching a hard hitting poster campaign and website, calling upon the Government to ‘scrap the rape clause’.

The Government’s proposals would require a woman, who has a third child as the result of rape, to justify her position in order to avoid losing tax credits. The plan to restrict child tax credits to two children for new claimants is due to commence in 2017.

SNP MP Alison Thewliss first identified the issue in July 2015 during the Government’s summer budget.

Commenting as she launched the latest stage of the campaign in Glasgow City Centre, Alison Thewliss MP said:

“We think the policy on limiting tax credits to the first two children is appalling and tantamount to social engineering, but to put a woman who has been raped in a position where she needs to declare that to a government official is just abhorrent. This also stigmatises the child involved, which is surely against the UN convention on the rights of the child. This proposal has no place in the twenty-first century and must be dropped immediately.

“I’ve raised this issue on the floor of the House of Commons on no less than nine occasions – yet the Government still can’t explain how it will work and remains hell bent on pressing ahead with this draconian procedure.

“With just two weeks left to run on this important petition, we are urging as many people as possible to visit www.scraptherapeclause.co.uk and add their voice to the many others calling upon the Government to drop this appalling proposal.”

Angela Devine, Manager of Glasgow Women’s Aid, said:

“Glasgow Women’s Aid is pleased to support this coordinated campaign calling for the Government to scrap the proposed rape clause for tax credits.

“As an organisation offering refuge and support to some of the most vulnerable women and children in our city, we know the damaging effect this clause could have on women who have already endured trauma.

“It is not uncommon for children to be the product of rape or coercive control and women should never be placed in the humiliating position of appealing to the DWP for benefits.

“We would ask whether DWP staff will be trained to deal with sensitive disclosures and to signpost women to the correct support services.

“Any just society has a moral obligation to care for its poor and vulnerable with children at the heart of this obligation, regardless of their provenance.

“We as an organisation see this policy as an attempt to control and thereby undermine the already vulnerable position of women, children and young people within society.

“We reject these changes as untenable and discriminatory.”

Press release – MP challenges UK Government on minimum wage record

SNP MP, Alison Thewliss, has written to Prime Minister, David Cameron, challenging his Government on its ‘scandalous’ record at enforcing the National Minimum Wage (NMW).  Ms Thewliss tabled a series of parliamentary questions.  The response, issued by the National Statistician’s Office suggest that over 100,000 people in Scotland still earn below the minimum wage.

Commenting on the data, Glasgow Central MP Alison Thewliss MP said:

“These figures shine a very bright light on the UK Government’s awful record on pay and more specifically, pay inequality.

“One of the main reasons cited for increased food bank usage – in addition to benefit sanctions – is low pay which is absolutely scandalous for twenty first century Britain. It is perhaps one of the clearest signs that we are not all in this together and people aren’t benefiting from the UK continuing to have decision making powers over pay.

“So often we hear this UK Government’s much coveted long term economic plan, but it’s not working if tens of thousands of people aren’t even being paid a minimum wage, let alone a living wage.

“Serious questions need to be asked about how, 18 years on from minimum wage legislation being introduced, so many people are still being exploited and let down by this Government.

“One of things these figures reveal is that young people in particular lose out big time. The SNP is clear – we believe that pay shouldn’t be based on your age. That is discriminatory and we will resist any moves, particularly with the new con trick that is the UK Government’s living wage, to further penalise young people with their pay slips.”

Press release – Alison Thewliss MP welcomes child refugees in the UK

Alison Thewliss MP provides a welcome message for unaccompanied child refugees

Alison Thewliss MP is urging constituents to write a welcome message for lone child refugees arriving in the UK. Almost 2,000 unaccompanied children have arrived in the UK this year, many of whom have fled wars and persecution. Save the Children’s campaign calls on members of the public to write a welcome message, which will be printed in books being distributed across the UK to help these children learn English. This will help children to integrate in their new communities, and to learn and thrive.

Ms Thewliss wrote a message on Tuesday 15th December and is now asking his/her constituents to join the two thousand campaigners that have already taken part.

After the traumatic experiences child refugees have been through, it’s vital these vulnerable children feel safe, and get help to build a new life. Save the Children has teamed up with Pearson, the world’s largest education company, to give child refugees arriving in the UK a welcome gift – a special pack of books, appropriate to their age and ability, to help them learn English. 7,000 books are being delivered in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

To make these children feel truly welcome, members of the public are being encouraged to write a personal ‘welcome to the UK’ message to be printed into every pack of books.

Alison Thewliss MP said:

“I’m delighted to support Save the Children’s campaign to welcome child refugees in the UK. These children have been through so much – fleeing conflict and persecution. I’m glad that the UK can help provide them with a safe home and a fresh start.”

“As winter sets in I’m remain concerned about the plight of child refugees in Europe who are all alone and have no family with them. I’m supporting Save the Children’s call on the UK government to offer to relocate up to 3,000 of these children to the UK”

Anyone can join the campaign by submitting their message online:

www.savethechildren.org.uk/welcome-message

Press release – IDS CHALLENGED ON SANCTIONS POLICY

Scottish National Party MP, Alison Thewliss, has demanded that the Department of Work & Pensions urgently close a loophole, whereby a benefit claimant, who has been offered work, can still be sanctioned for not looking for a job, even in the intervening period between being offered a job and starting work.

The Glasgow MP was prompted to write to Secretary of State, Iain Duncan Smith, after a constituent – who has chosen to remain anonymous – was sanctioned by the DWP for not looking for work in the intervening period before being offered a job and starting their new job – at the DWP of all places.

Ms Thewliss has written to the Secretary of State to demand that he issues urgent guidance to all DWP staff that sanctions shouldn’t be applied on cases such as this.

Alison Thewliss said:

“Week in, week out, I sit in the House of Commons and listen to this callous Tory Government batter on about getting people back into work, often at any cost – be that disgraceful zero hour contracts or on appalling national minimum wage rate jobs.

“What we can see from this case is people trying very hard to get back into work.  So they find a job but then have the rug pulled from under their feet at the eleventh hour with a sanction.

“My parliamentary question reveals a serious discrepancy in DWP policy which effectively means it is pot luck whether you get a sympathetic work coach or not.  That is no way to run a social security system.

“I have written to Iain Duncan Smith and demanded that he immediately issues guidance to DWP officials that no-one should be sanctioned in the intervening period of being offered a job and starting work.  The UK Government need to shake off this unhealthy obsession with slapping sanctions on people who are just trying to get on in difficult times.

“It is also time to shine a very bright light back onto the wider issue of sanctions because leaked evidence from the PCS, the civil servants’ union, clearly suggests that they are in fact target driven, despite the Government’s less than convincing claims that they are not.  The Secretary of State needs to come clean once and for all and he should make this government’s New Year’s resolution to ditch its unhealthy obsession with sanctions”.

Press release – Alison Thewliss raises rape clause at PMQs

Glasgow Central MP, Alison Thewliss, today challenged the Government’s “abhorrent and vile policy” of making women prove that they have been raped, simply in order to receive tax credits for a third child.

Raising the issue on the floor of the House of Commons for the seventh time since she was elected, Ms Thewliss called upon Chancellor George Osborne – who was standing in for David Cameron at PMQs – to drop the rape clause now.

The Chancellor confirmed that the Government was currently consulting on the policy but Ms Thewliss has called for the proposal to be dropped as a matter of urgency.

Speaking after challenging George Osborne during Prime Minister’s Questions, Ms Thewliss said:

“I’ve now raised this issue with the Government seven times and they still can’t justify this abhorrent and vile policy.

“It is clear that everyone, with the exception of this out of touch Tory Government, know that the policy is totally unworkable and utterly degrading.

“Given that the Prime Minister was not there to answer my question today, I have now written to him to ask that he personally meet me and representatives of women’s groups, and to look us in the eye and seriously justify Government officials interrogating women to prove they’ve had their third child as a result of rape”.