Tag: politics

Dec22019 by Martine RyholtNo Comments

‘Mind the pay gaps’: UCU strikers pledge to keep fighting

Students gathered outside Queen Mary University of London to support their striking lecturers as 'The University and College Union' continues their fight for better pay and working conditions. The university is one of 60 universities and colleges across the UK involved in the strike action. On 18 November the UCU announced the strike would take place from Monday 25 November to Wednesday 4 December. "Our members have reached a breaking point", said the UCU as the strike entered its sixth day. Picket lines have been forming all over London, with lecturers and students shouting for higher pay and elimination of zero-hour contracts. 43, 000 members walking out Classes have been canceled and assignments delayed as around 43, 000 UCU members have been walking out of work. Members str

Nov182019 by Laura Harman, Juliane SonntagNo Comments

Cannabis legalised for medicinal use

Breaking News

Two types of cannabis-based medicines have been approved for use by the NHS to treat the symptoms of multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. Epidyolex, containing the cannabis extract CBD (short for cannabidiol) can now be prescribed to children due to the newly released guidance of the NHS. Epidyolex is a medicine used to soothe spasms caused by epilepsy. Similarly, the spray Sativex, also containing cannabis-based medicine, was recommended to treat muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis. According to the BBC, clinical trials have proven that with these drugs, seizures can be reduced by 40% for children who suffer from Lennox Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. Both of the newly approved medicines do not contain THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), this is the psycho-active c

Apr172019 by Matilde Vieira de AlmeidaNo Comments

The UK is still the largest country to scrutinize the explosive topic of the pay gap

Adults, Business, economy, Education, International, Law, News, Politics, trends

2019 has been the second year that all companies and charities in Britain with more than 250 employees - covering almost half the country's workforce - have had to report their gender pay gap to the Government Equalities Office (GEO). 1.How does it work? Employers must submit an assessment of the gap between what man and women earn on average amongst their personnel. The deadline for reporting these numbers each year is 31st March for public sector organisations and 5th April for businesses and charities. All companies must report the differences between salaries and bonus of employees from both genders on a mean and median hourly basis. 2.What surprises did we get? The Fawcett Society, the UK's leading charity campaigning for gender equality and women's rights, has defi...

Dec32018 by Barkha GoenkaNo Comments

UN Climate Change Conference: What do young Londoners think about it?

Climate, Environment, International, London, News, Poland, Politics, ReportingWeek1, Science

In Poland’s coal capital, Katowice, experts, environmentalists, scientists, politicians, journalists and leaders from all around the world converge together for the biggest climate change event of the year - COP 24 Katowice, United Nations Climate Change Conference, Poland 2018. Climate change is inevitable and we can see it happening around us. The world is getting hotter, glaciers are melting and a recent study, as mentioned in the BBC report, suggests that CO2 emissions are on the rise owing to economic growth. Representatives from around 200 countries have gathered for this two-week conference to discuss the rules and finalize guidelines that will help countries implement the Paris Agreement. The Paris climate agreement, which was adopted at the Conference of Parties (COP) in

Dec32018 by Cristina EscobarNo Comments

Hundreds gathered in London to express solidarity to Latin America

Breaking News, London, News, Politics

How is inequality, political instability and the confrontation with the United States affecting Latin America? Students, intellectuals and unionists debated about this in a conference held in Central London 500 people attended to the annual conference “Latin America Adelante” held this year in the Congress House, Central London this Saturday to debate about the challenges South America is facing. Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua Solidarity Campaigns organised the 14th edition of this Conference, sponsored by several trade unions. Intellectuals, students, and unionist engaged in the event that focused on listening to activists and politicians from Latin-America about the political confrontation happening in countries like Brazil, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba. “We held this event

Dec32018 by Luke HannafordNo Comments

Futures of vulnerable young Londoners’ put at risk

Breaking News, Politics

UNISON report shows government cuts of up to £13m in youth services. As well as figures from London.gov.uk showing 280 youth workers losing their jobs between 2012 and 2018. With the increase in cuts to youth workers and services, the future of young people is put at risk. UNISON and the Labour party suggest that the cuts in services have caused the recent spike in crime and anti-social behaviour. In the report UNISON urges that the central goverment provide a review into the funding for youth workers as Theresa May claimed to bring a decade long austerity to a close. Meaning that there should be enough funding from central government to support youth centres and workers. Under the watch of this Tory government, our vital youth services have collapsed. This #YouthWorkWeek,

Dec42017 by Mohammed BouabdallahNo Comments

London First: We support Mayor’s call for students’ flexible work visa

Breaking News, International, London, London Mayor, Politics, Student

Nonprofit advocacy group London First has welcomed Mayor Sadiq Khan’s call for a “flexible visa system.” This will allow international students to work in the UK as they did before 2012. A spokesperson for the group confirmed to Westminster World their support of the Mayor’s position. The spokesperson Emma Hutchinson said: “There has been around 40 per cent drop in students coming here from India since the post-work study visas were scrapped. So, the way we look at it, is that the international students make huge contribution to the economy.” Mayor Khan urged the Prime Minister to allow international students to have the kind of visa she scrapped five years ago, according to ITV London. He tweeted saying: “Our current visa system is holding London’s businesses back. We need a new flexi

Nov132017 by Mohammed Bouabdallah No Comments

Centre for London backs Sadiq Khan in his appeal for housing support in London

Breaking News, DontUse

Centre for London, a think tank organisation, supported the Mayor’s call on the government to help him in aiding homebuilding. Joanna Corfield, Communications Manager at Centre for London, said: “This will help London maintain its competitiveness from outside the EU.” Mayor Khan earlier today urged Chancellor Philip Hammond to act urgently to assist him in building new houses, requesting more money for affordable homes and devolution for London. Corfield expressed concerns about the impact Brexit will have on the housing crisis in London: “Brexit is putting additional pressure on London’s housing crisis by slowing the number of homes being built. The Mayor is right to call on the government to give him increased powers.” Conservative AM Andrew Boff had strongly criticised the Mayor’s

Oct302017 by Tom GeggusNo Comments

Think tank tells ministers to scrap interest on student loans

Politics, Student

A government think tank has released recommendations that interest rates on student loans should be done away with, saving money for students and tax payers. UK 2020, a centre right think tank, has advised ministers that interest on student loans shouldn’t just be cut, but removed completely. This would mean all current interest owed would be cancelled and all future rates of interest set to zero. The think tank's report claims interest charged on these loans is stacking up far quicker than any student is able to repay it, leaving a large amount of debt unpaid at the end of students repayment periods. Interest alone amounts to an average of £5,800 of debt on graduation, with the poorest 40 per cent of students racking up the most at £6,500. In his forward for the report Lord

Oct302017 by Tom LadleNo Comments

Theresa May under pressure to develop new guidelines in response to the growing Westminster abuse scandal

Breaking News, Politics

A spreadsheet with a list of 36 ‘Sex Pest’ MPs has been published by leading right wing blog, Guido Fawkes. Since the release of the spreadsheet Prime Minister Theresa May has called on leader of the Commons Speaker John Bercow to comment on the scandal and “ensure the reputation of Parliament is not damaged further by allegations of impropriety.” May in her letter to Bercow described the current system for dealing with complaints surrounding sexual allegations as lacking the “required teeth” and that the system is “simply not fair on staff, many of whom are young and in their first job post-education.” May herself is calling for tougher and more efficient procedures when it comes to dealing with the sexual harassment of women working in Westminster. She is calling for a new media