Campaign news

Lobby, Lobby, Lobby

4th November 2014

Lobby, Lobby, Lobby

1. Lobbying your MP to oppose the criminalisation of sex workers’ clients - to be voted upon on Tuesday 4 November
2. Lobbying your MP to sign EDM454 in support of fair pensions for firefighters
3. Supporting the East Kent Railway Trust for lottery funding - although voting isn’t until 24 November, EKRT needs more support for its bid to remain viable.
Please take the time today to action as many of these as you feel able to. More details below:
1. Lobby your MP to oppose the criminalisation of sex workers’ clients
Please act today to support sex workers’ safety by asking your MP not to criminalise sex workers’ clients, which will be discussed in parliament on Tuesday 4 November. Any benefit from decriminalising loitering and soliciting will be cancelled if clients are criminalised. Sex workers, mostly women, will have to go underground if clients are underground - this increases the risks that sex workers face as they are forced to work in more marginal areas. Kerb-crawling legislation has already made it more dangerous for sex workers. Kerb-crawling legislation was introduced in Scotland in October 2007, since when the number of assaults on sex workers has soared. For example, the attacks reported to one project almost doubled in one year from 66 to 126.
Full details together with a model letter drafted by the English Collective of Prostitutes are available via http://prostitutescollective.net/2014/10/30/urgent-mps-trying-criminalise-clients/

2. Lobby your MP to sign EDM454 in support of fair pensions for firefighters
The FBU has provided a template letter which you can send to your MP to urge them to support EDM 454 and oppose the Coalition’s proposals on firefighters’ pensions. Whether you are able to get out to support a local picket or not, please do take the time to send this letter to your MP as soon as possible. Full details are available viahttp://www.fbu.org.uk/resources/lobby-mp-firefighters-pensions-template-letter/

3. Support East Kent Railway Trust for the Lottery funding
Please support and share East Kent Railway Trust’s bid for lottery funding. EKRT is an initiative backed by Kent NUM to provide jobs and skills to unemployed young people from Kent’s former mining communities. Although the vote isn’t until 24 November, EKRT needs your support now. Please register on the website http://www.peoplesmillions.org.uk/ . After receiving your registration email, please sign-in and return to http://www.peoplesmillions.org.uk/2014-finalists/meridian-east/ekrt-prepare-for-steam and support the EKRT project in the Meridian East area.
When you’ve finished, please forward this to anyone you know who may also take action.
Thanks to Sussex LRC Website: http://sussexlrc.com/

Background

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