LIBEL REFORM PETITION ...STOP THE LIKES OF CARTER RUCK EXPLOITING

Dear xxxxxxxx

Thank you for your recent communication.

You may be aware that the latest version of the Ministerial Code prevents Ministers from responding to their constituents on matters which fall within their Ministerial Portfolio. This is a change from previous practice but one that I must follow. Essentially, this is so that Ministers cannot be seen to be advancing the cases of their own constituents. I hope that you will understand this position.

Having taken note of the points that you raised, I can confirm that I have passed your concerns to my colleague, The Rt Hon Michael Wills MP, who will respond shortly.

Yours sincerely

Maria Eagle MP

Photon wrote:Reply from MP (hardcopy)

Dear xxxxxxxx

Thank you for your recent communication.

You may be aware that the latest version of the Ministerial Code prevents Ministers from responding to their constituents on matters which fall within their Ministerial Portfolio. This is a change from previous practice but one that I must follow. Essentially, this is so that Ministers cannot be seen to be advancing the cases of their own constituents. I hope that you will understand this position.

Having taken note of the points that you raised, I can confirm that I have passed your concerns to my colleague, The Rt Hon Michael Wills MP, who will respond shortly.





Yours sincerely

Maria Eagle MP

Photon wrote: Beattie. I don't think Rt Hon Ms Eagle, will have me down as a hardcore Labour supporter, so am quite surprised that she responded. We'll see what Rt Hon Mr Wills has to say for himself (anyone have a clue about him??? Apparently he's the Public Value Minister - possibly says it all)

Beattie wrote:

Photon wrote: Beattie. I don't think Rt Hon Ms Eagle, will have me down as a hardcore Labour supporter, so am quite surprised that she responded. We'll see what Rt Hon Mr Wills has to say for himself (anyone have a clue about him??? Apparently he's the Public Value Minister - possibly says it all)

Public Value Minister? You couldn"t make that up in the current economic climate could you

Public Value Minister: Performance and Efficiency Programme, Sustainable Development, Better Regulation

Photon wrote:

Beattie wrote:

Photon wrote: Beattie. I don't think Rt Hon Ms Eagle, will have me down as a hardcore Labour supporter, so am quite surprised that she responded. We'll see what Rt Hon Mr Wills has to say for himself (anyone have a clue about him??? Apparently he's the Public Value Minister - possibly says it all)

Public Value Minister? You couldn"t make that up in the current economic climate could you

Beattie, I was being dead serious!!

Public Value Minister: Performance and Efficiency Programme, Sustainable Development, Better Regulation

http://www.justice.gov.uk/about/wills.htm

eddie wrote:Signed.

Also sent it to my MP - she must hate me - I bugged her to fix up our local playground and she did it.

Photon wrote:Reply from MP (hardcopy)

Dear xxxxxxxx

Thank you for your recent communication.

You may be aware that the latest version of the Ministerial Code prevents Ministers from responding to their constituents on matters which fall within their Ministerial Portfolio. This is a change from previous practice but one that I must follow. Essentially, this is so that Ministers cannot be seen to be advancing the cases of their own constituents. I hope that you will understand this position.

Having taken note of the points that you raised, I can confirm that I have passed your concerns to my colleague, The Rt Hon Michael Wills MP, who will respond shortly.

Yours sincerely

Maria Eagle MP

Photon wrote: Beattie. I don't think Rt Hon Ms Eagle, will have me down as a hardcore Labour supporter, so am quite surprised that she responded. We'll see what Rt Hon Mr Wills has to say for himself (anyone have a clue about him??? Apparently he's the Public Value Minister - possibly says it all)

Next week is the ‘Big Libel Week’ with events, more media coverage of our campaign and a big push to get politicians to sign up for libel reform. We had great news this week when Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, announced he’d changed the law to slash the ‘success fees’ lawyers can charge in libel cases (http://tinyurl.com/yg2tcq7). We asked Jack Straw to do this in October – and now it has been done – it’s a great success! But this is just the start of the reforms we need.

You can help by writing to an unconvinced MP, getting your friends to sign up and by attending an event.

PERSUADE YOUR MP TO BACK OUR CAMPAIGN

214 MPs have backed our campaign by singing EDM 423, but many haven’t. Check if your MP has signed up here: http://www.libelreform.org/news/443-edm-423

And if they haven’t please send them the letter on that page. We need every MP to sign up.

GET YOUR FRIENDS TO JOIN US

We have to secure 100,000 signatures so that MPs know how important this issue is to you. In less than 100 days, the political parties will fight a general election. We want reform of our libel laws to be one of their priorities. So tell your friends, family and colleagues - there's a long way to go!

COME TO OUR EVENT: “The impact of our libel laws on documentary film makers: what you don’t get to see”

Thursday 11th March, 6:30pm at Free Word Centre, 60 Farringdon Road, London, EC1R 3GA

As part of the Big Libel Week, the Libel Reform Campaign will be hosting a free event on the effect of our libel laws on documentary film makers. Speakers include:

Tracy Worcester is a documentary film maker who directed and produced the film ‘Pig Business’ (there will be a screening of an extract from this); Christopher Hird is a leading figure in UK independent documentary making and runs Dartmouth Films; Duncan Campbell is an investigative journalist and filmmaker who specialises in privacy, civil liberties and secrecy issues. He has faced successive libel actions for twenty years.

http://www.libelreform.org/news/444-event-libel-film

This is a FREE event. Email: bookings@freewordonline.com to book a place.

THE BIG LIBEL GIG: a tiny number of tickets left!

If you haven’t got tickets for the event of the year so far at the Palace Theatre in London on 14th March you may still have a chance: http://www.libelreform.org/the-big-libel-gig

We hope to see you at one of the events, and do keep an eye out for coverage of the campaign in the press during Big Libel Week.

leviathon wrote:Who let the dogs out?

Libel reform: urgent next steps
Please come to the House of Commons for a mass lobby meeting at 2pm Tuesday 23rd March. We will be joined by high profile supporters of the campaign at what will be our last chance to get commitment for libel law reform from politicians and policy makers before the election is called.
What is a mass lobby?
A mass lobby is when a large number of people go to Parliament to raise the same concern each with their own MP at the same time. You have a right to go to the House to meet your MP in the heart of Parliament and they are usually keen to meet you if they are free - especially with an election so soon.
What do I need to do?
Find out who your MP is and their contact details here: www.theyworkforyou.com
Email them or write to them:
· Identify yourself as a constituent - give your postal address
· Tell your MP: I will be coming to the House of Commons on Tuesday 23rd March at 2 pm for a meeting on libel law reform in Committee Room 15. I would like to meet you at that meeting or afterwards in the Central Lobby between 3 pm and 4 pm to find out where you and your party stand.
· Turn up on the day
What will happen on the day?
Come to the Cromwell Green entrance to the Houses of Parliament. You will have to allow about 20 minutes to pass through security and to get to Committee Room 15 for 2 pm. We will hear from high profile Champions of the campaign on why the political parties need to commit to reform libel laws which are unjust, against the public interest and an international menace and, we hope, from spokespeople for the parties on justice matters. Your MP may be there if you wrote to them. We can ask them en masse what they are doing to get a manifesto commitment for libel law reform or you can ask them personally.
Usually your MP will reply to your email agreeing to meet you in central lobby or apologising for not being around (you should ask to meet their researcher in that case).
Please let us know if you can come and if your MP agrees to meet you. The House sits from 2 pm until 10 pm on Tuesday. If you can only come in the evening please let us know - if there is enough demand we will organise something then as well.
The election in the UK is expected to be on Thursday 6th May so Parliament will rise very soon. This is our only chance for a mass lobby to change these archaic, restrictive laws.

If you are not in the UK or we have emailed you separately about this please accept our apologies.

eddie wrote:I got a letter from the House of Commons today regarding this......I thought that I'd won an OBE when I first saw the envelpoe

OBE for cheating?
Order of Big Exaggerators

malena stool wrote:

eddie wrote:I got a letter from the House of Commons today regarding this......I thought that I'd won an OBE when I first saw the envelpoe

OBE for cheating?
Order of Big Exaggerators