We’ve teamed up with ‘Still Human Still Here’ – a coalition of over 40 organisations – to demand that asylum seekers be allowed to work in the UK. Click here to be part of the action: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/permission-to-work

We want to urge the government to grant asylum seekers permission to work if their claims take longer than six months to process.

Current government policy just doesn’t work. The support that is provided equals out to less than £5 a day for most people. If we get the rules changed, taxpayers won’t be paying to support asylum seekers who are able to work but aren’t allowed to. They won’t have to rely on charities just to get by. And those who eventually do get asylum status will find it much easier to become part of British society as a result.

Last year Nick Clegg lambasted the asylum system as one of the most “inefficient and cruel” in Europe. More MPs supporting new rules means there’s a better chance that they’ll be made into law. Please tell your MP to sign the declaration pledging action on this issue: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/permission-to-work

Over the last few days, thousands of us have signed the petition asking George Osborne to stand firm on his commitment to raise Capital Gains Tax. At the same time, a huge number of us also emailed him asking directly for him to stick to his promises.

With just hours to go before the emergency budget, we’ve made sure that Osbourne knows how many people want him to stick to his promises. 38 Degrees volunteers went to the Treasury yesterday to drop off the petition, so that George Osborne knows just how many of us want Capital Gains Tax brought into line with income tax.

We’ll be keeping a watch to see what happens when the budget is annouced. In the meantime, click here to donate to our campaign against unfair spending cuts the government is planning: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/fight-unfair-cuts/

Kiana Firouz has been granted aslyum! The 27-year old actress and lesbian activist was facing deportation back to Iran, where she would have been at risk of torture and death due to her sexuality. 1,942 of us wrote to Theresa May telling her that this must be stopped.

We have shown that we can make change happen when we work together. Here is a message from Kiana thanking everyone who helped make sure she could stay in safety in the UK:

Dear All,

I would like to thank you for all of your support, comments and messages. Your support and your kind letters create enormous hope and courage for all of those who are discriminated for their beliefs and sexual orientation in Iran and all over the world.

I am just an example of an Iranian lesbian who has suffered from injustice and discrimination in a religious country. There are thousands of Iranian LGBT who are suffering and getting tortured by their families and the society for their sexual orientation inside Iran. I also believe that those who are outside of Iran are facing so many difficulties as well.

I hope this opens further opportunity and movement towards an open society in Iran for everyone, regardless of their sexual preferences. I also hope to see a day that the injustices, torture and death penalties that homosexuals face in Iran are stopped.

Kind regards,
Kiana Firouz

Those of us who wrote to Theresa May about Kiana Firouz’s case should start celebrating, as she has just found out she can remain in safety in the UK! This shows what a difference people-power can make!

The 27-year old actress and lesbian activist faced deportation back to Iran, where she would have been at risk of torture and death as a result of her sexuality. 1,942 of us wrote to Theresa May telling her that this must be stopped.

Together we have shown that we will not sit back in cases like this where asylum seekers are at risk because of their sexuality.

38 Degrees has also teamed up with Still Human, Still Here to tell the government to give asylum seekers permission to work. Please get involved here: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/Permission-To-Work

Big dairy farmers are making plans to build an industrial size dairy farm, which will house over 8000 cows. It would be the largest farm within the UK and the animals are kept in harsh conditions.  With so many cows housed on one farm, there is a serious risk of mistreatment, which could lead to spread of disease. Some people are calling it a “battery chicken farm for cows”. We’re building a petition against these farms going ahead – click here to sign it: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/no-megadairies

These huge farms, or ‘megadairies’ also produce a massive amount of waste (which would especially affect those living nearby), as well as raising emissions of greenhouse gasses. People are worried about the quality of the milk that is produced, as the cattle would not be eating grass, but spending all their time inside, living off processed feed.

The fears are that this would have a massively negative effect on the current diary production in the UK. It would mean that more responsible dairy farmers could be squeezed  out of business and the UK would be heading down the road of huge, industial farms, similar to those in the USA.

Last year, 170 MPs signed an early day motion in opposition to the plans.  But together we need to keep the pressure on, to make sure that the new plans for the farms don’t go ahead in Lincolnshire. Sign the petition to Lincolnshire County Council here: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/no-megadairies/

George Osborne

We’ve got just a few days to convince George Osborne not to go back on his plan to increase Capital Gains Tax, so that Britain’s wealthiest people don’t end up paying less tax than everyone else. Increasing the tax in line with income tax levels formed part of the coalition agreement between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.

But now it looks like the government is wavering under pressure from Conservative MPs and the right-wing media. Baroness Noakes, a Tory Peer, told the chancellor that a rise in Capital Gains Tax has “no popular support”. We’re working with One Society to build  petition with thousands of our names, to convince George Osborne that he’s wrong and give him the final push he needs to commit to the tax in his Emergency Budget. Sign the petition here http://www.38degrees.org.uk/capital-gains-tax

David Cameron has warned that Britain’s “whole way of life” will be disrupted for decades by “painful” cuts. Spending cuts are always worst for the poorest and most vulnerable people. But if the richest people continue to avoid paying a proper share of taxes, it’s a double injustice. Now is the right time to make sure that everyone shares the burden.

Click here to sign the petition, to help make our tax system fairer:  and ask George Osborne to stand firm on the promise to bring Capital Gains Tax in line with income tax.

Our BBC billboard ads

Over the last few weeks, thousands of us have taken action to tell the BBC Trust not to go ahead with their planned cuts to 6Music, Asian Network and the website.

We’ve now arrived at the critical final stage: next Tuesday, 25th May is the final day of the BBC Trust’s consultation period. On the day, we’re working with the National Union of Journalists and the campaigns to save 6Music and the Asian Network to hold flashmobs outside BBC offices all around the UK. At 1pm we will make as much noise as possible to send our message loud and clear to BBC bosses, so bring a whistle, saxophone, drum or just your voice!

There are events planned in Leeds, London, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol already, but if one of those isn’t close enough to you, then you can click here to set up your own on the 38 Degrees website: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/bbc-flashmobs/

Together, we’ve already taken action to make sure the BBC Trust knows we don’t want these cuts.  Tens of thousands of people have signed the save the BBC petition. Our billboards, paid for by thousands of people chipping in, went up around the country on 10th May. And we e-mailed hundreds of election candidates and asked them to pledge to protect the BBC and public broadcasting.

Now we need another big push to make sure we get our message across – click here to join in one of our BBC flashmobs: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/bbc-flashmobs/

The billboard campaign against the BBC cuts went ahead this morning and so far, it’s been a big success.  Billboards went up in 7 locations around the UK and a van displaying the posters parked out the BBC Trust offices in central London.  38 Degrees members met up outside the BBC Trust to ‘honk’ to say no to the cuts.  We had a great response from passersby, who honked their car horn or rang their bicycle bell when they saw our message to BBC bosses.

Our billboards mean that the first message new MPs are going to get from us is that it is critical that we defend the BBC.  Over the last few days we’ve had lots of opportunities to see how important impartial news is.  Our billboards send a clear and loud message that it is us, not millionaire media owners, who should have the final say on the BBC.

Please help spread the message further and save the BBC.  If you haven’t signed the petition yet you can do so here and if you have, please ask your friends, family and colleagues to sign too.

Here’s the video of us outside the BBC Trust:

We did it! Thanks to everyone that donated and helped make sure to ensure that the Lib Dem’s woke up this morning to big adverts in both the Guardian and the Times, asking them not to sell out on their demand for fair votes. 1,229 of us raised an amazing £19,211 in just a few hours, which shows the strength of feeling about this issue. Here is a picture of the ads, you can see them for yourself on page 2 of the Guardian and page 14 of The Times.

The Guardian and Times "fair votes now" ads

Together we have made sure that the Lib Dem’s hear our message loud and clear, before they enter the final stage of negotiations. Over 13,000 people have also added their voice to our petition – click here: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/fix to add yours.

Now it’s time to take action. Join today’s ”Take Back Parliament Flashmob” front of the Lib Dem colaition talks. It’s happening today at 5pm atThe Work Foundation, 21 Palmer Street, London, SW1H 0AD. more details here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=115860351787961&ref=mf