The Post Office at 155 Crow Lane, Henbury, is due to close today. Local residents have mounted a campaign to ensure it reopens ass soon as possible. You can support them by signing this petition.
Darren had this to say about the Post Office closure:
I know this branch is a much-valued community facility and that the closure will have a negative impact on local residents, particularly those who don’t have the money, mobility or transport to visit other branches/banks.
http://darren-jones.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Bristol_Icon-e1506091083436.png500800adminFinnhttp://darren-jones.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/dj-logo.pngadminFinn2018-05-31 14:13:222018-06-06 18:21:46Darren calls for residents to sign petition to keep Post Office open
Channel 4 have started looking for cities to host their new national headquarters. Thanks to the work of Bristol City Council, led by Labour’s Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees, Bristol are on the shortlist. On Facebook, Darren congratulated Marvin:
Great news! Well done to Marvin Rees and the team for getting us this far. Now to secure Channel 4 in Bristol!
You can read more about the shortlist here: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/may/30/channel-4-cities-national-hq-birmingham-manchester-glasgow-liverpool-leeds.
http://darren-jones.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Culture_Icon-e1507827659222.png500800adminFinnhttp://darren-jones.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/dj-logo.pngadminFinn2018-05-30 15:04:462018-06-05 15:09:18Darren congratulates Marvin and his team for Bristol making Channel 4 shortlist
On Friday 25th May, Darren visited two local schools – Henleaze Junior School and Kingsweston Special School.
Darren said after the visit:
“It was a delight to meet pupils, staff and governors and hear more about the challenges facing our education providers. More government funding is sorely needed to support our children’s education and to ensure these hard-working public sector workers are paid what they deserve. We are losing more and more teaching staff because they are over-burdened and under-paid.
I will continue to do what I can to champion lifting of the public-sector pay cap (which must funded by government not existing school’s budgets) and push the government to provide adequate funding for our schools and colleges”.
Vegfest UK is a large annual vegan festival, which takes place in Bristol. Darren was invited to speak at the event, in conversation with Ecotricity’s Dale Vince and VegfestUK organiser Tim Barford. Ecotricity is an energy company which specialises in selling green energy to consumers.
Before the event, which happened today, Darren wrote this on Facebook:
You can catch me in conversation with Ecotricity’s Dale Vince and VegfestUK organiser Tim Barford on Sunday 27th May.
I’ve got a lot to say about my concerns about animal welfare, use of fur, plastic pollution and our over reliance on fossil fuels – see you there.
You can read more about the festival here: https://bristol.vegfest.co.uk/about-the-show/#
Bristol has had real issues with modern slavery: car washes and nail bars can be hotspots. I’ve written to the Gangmaster’s and Labour Abuse Authority to ask them to licence these businesses in Bristol, to make sure they treat workers properly. I’ll also be hosting a Modern Slavery-focused event in June to continue to raise awareness of these issues to the local business community.
http://darren-jones.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Bristol_Icon-e1506091083436.png500800adminFinnhttp://darren-jones.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/dj-logo.pngadminFinn2018-05-25 11:06:382018-06-07 11:15:36Darren calls for new Anti Modern Slavery measures in Bristol
Darren has signed a letter to Jeremy Hunt from the NSPCC, calling for more funding for Childline. Childline has a significant role to play in children’s mental health care, with 22,546 children struggling with suicidal thoughts and feelings calling the line in 2016-17.
Darren wrote this about the letter:
I was delighted to sign this open letter to Jeremy Hunt backing the @NSPCC’s Are You There campaign with 130 other MPs and Peers.
Childline is providing a crucial round-the-clock service to children struggling with their mental health, with one in three counselling sessions now relating to mental and emotional health
Together, we’re calling on Government to increase funding to Childline to ensure that no child’s mental health is left on the line.
You can read the full content of the letter here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/05/23/childline-must-receive-funding-cope-demand-suicidal-children/
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The Science and Technology Committee, which Darren is a member of, held public evidence session on social media and its links to violence. This was part of its inquiry on Social Media and screens-use.
The witnesses present were Martin Hewitt, Assistant Commissioner, Metropolitan Police Service, Dr Netta Weinstein, Senior Lecturer, Cardiff University, Beth Murray, Director of Communications and Engagement, Catch 22, Dr Keir Irwin-Rogers, Lecturer, The Open University, and Sheldon Thomas, Consultant on gang and youth violence, Gangsline.
Darren asked the witnesses about the funding for online policing, and who should be responsible for enforcing regulation on the internet.
http://darren-jones.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Crime_Icon-e1525343948474.png500800adminFinnhttp://darren-jones.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/dj-logo.pngadminFinn2018-05-23 16:43:342018-06-05 17:05:28Darren asks experts about social media and violence
Darren was present at the Science and Technology committee’s first evidence session for its Social media and screens-use inquiry. Here, charities, learned societies and academics were asked about cyber-bullying, addiction and body image.
The witnesses shown here were Matt Blow, Policy and Government Affairs Manager, YoungMinds, Dr Liam Hackett, CEO, Ditch the Label, Dustin Hutchinson, Research and Policy Analyst, National Children’s Bureau, and Carolyn Bunting, CEO, Internet Matters.
Darren asked the witnesses about the age of consent for social media, and about evidence linking social media to health related harms.
http://darren-jones.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Digital_Icon.png300301adminFinnhttp://darren-jones.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/dj-logo.pngadminFinn2018-05-22 16:57:282018-06-05 17:15:08Darren asks scientific experts about social media and the harm it could cause
Sainsbury’s are planning to reduce the income of 13,000 of their staff. Darren signed a letter to the Prime Minister, asking her to stand up and ask Sainsbury’s to halt this change. Here’s what Darren wrote about this letter on Facebook:
Ordinary people work hard to keep Sainsbury’s running. It’s unfair that 13,000 them could see their income slashed by up to £3,000 a year. That’s why I signed a letter to the Prime Minister asking that she calls on Sainsbury’s to halt this change.
And here’s the letter itself:
Dear Prime Minister,
Taking home a fair wage should be the very least that a hardworking employee deserves.
That’s why we are appalled that unscrupulous contract changes at high street retailer Sainsburys will see 10% of their staff lose up to a staggering £3,000 per year.
Sainsbury’s is one of the high street’s most longstanding and well-respected brands. The pay rise that some of their employees will receive under these proposed changes should be welcomed. But under no condition should this be to the detriment of the estimated 13,000 employees who are set to see their wages slashed. We are completely dismayed that a company of Sainsbury’s reputation would use an increase in basic pay as a smokescreen for a whole array of deplorable decisions that will hit hardest their most dedicated, loyal and long-term staff.
Under the proposed changes, all employees will lose their paid breaks, there will be widespread cuts to premium pay including a shortening of nightshift premium hours and a scrapping of Sunday premium pay, and shop floor staff will no longer receive bonuses. However, the scrapping of the bonus scheme will not affect the CEO, Mike Coupe, or his fellow management team. Staff describe morale at the store as at an ‘all time low’, with many concerned that they cannot afford to stay in the job that they love, despite having worked at the organisation for decades.
At Prime Minister’s Questions, you assured the House that you would look at this issue, recognising the hard work that these staff put in day in and day out. We ask that you speak directly with the Chief Executive and call on him to ensure that no staff will face a pay cut under his contract changes, showing a fraction of the loyalty to his staff that they have shown to him.
At the time of writing, over 104,000 colleagues and customers have signed a petition at https://www.change.org/p/support-sainsbury-s-shop-floor-staff-s-working-rights-we-re-not-in-the-money calling on Sainsbury’s to reconsider their position. We acknowledge that this is a commercial decision, but, as a Prime Minister who actively calls for workers’ rights to be upheld, we ask that you join these signatories and stand up for the hardworking, longstanding and loyal Sainsbury’s staff who are being asked to work well for less.
We look forward to hearing what action you have taken on this issue.
http://darren-jones.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Jobs_Icon-e1505840707348.png500800adminFinnhttp://darren-jones.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/dj-logo.pngadminFinn2018-05-22 15:20:292018-06-21 17:12:11Darren signs letter to Prime Minister about Sainsbury's pay cuts
Darren spoke to TalkRadio about scandals around waiting staff tips. Some restaurants are taking staff tips, and some are even charging waiting staff money in case they get any tips. Darren then talked about what he was going to do about this.
http://darren-jones.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Treasury_Icon-e1506091039782.png500800adminFinnhttp://darren-jones.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/dj-logo.pngadminFinn2018-05-21 10:50:392018-05-21 10:50:39Darren speaks to TalkRadio about tipping scandals
