End of 2017 wrap up

Together, we won some tough fights in 2017. Here’s what all those small actions added up to:

• We pushed Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, to permanently ban bee-killing pesticides. You and more than 300,000 others signed the petition.
• We pushed the Scottish government to bring in a fairer tax system, with the poorest paying less and the rich paying more. You signed the petition.
• We forced Theresa May to back down on her plan to give herself the power to rewrite UK laws behind closed doors after Brexit.
• We beat Rupert Murdoch. It wasn’t easy – he’s a powerful enemy. But together we pressured the government into announcing a full-blown investigation into his media empire.
• Fracking is now banned in Scotland. That’s thanks to months and months of campaigning by people like you against dirty energy companies.
• Protecting the NHS is a long slog. But time after time, when a local hospital, A&E department or urgent care centre is at risk of closing, we’ve been there to save it.
• Our pressure helped push big supermarkets to stop selling ocean-polluting plastic cotton buds.

All of these victories started with an email just like this one. With people like you clicking a button to vote on a plan, sign a petition, contact an MP or chip in a fiver.

38 Degrees is funded by hundreds of thousands of people like you. No secret big donors or secret fundraising strategies to fall back on. So, please will you chip in a pound or two each week to keep us winning in 2018? It only takes two minutes to set up and you can bet we’re going to need it:

Chip in £3/week

Sorry, I can’t

As 38 Degrees-ers, we’re not ones to shy away from a challenge. Or from powerful enemies like Rupert Murdoch. We roll up our sleeves and chip in our money, time, and signatures to win. But even with our determination, it’s been a tough year to be hopeful.

So if you need extra proof of our power, here are a few other things we’ve achieved together:

• 38 Degrees-ers helped to pass new laws. Seni Lewis died in a mental health hospital after being held down by 11 police officers. But we helped change the law to make sure police now get proper training and accountability to stop it from happening again.
• And in October we pushed our MPs to pass another bill that guarantees some paid bereavement leave for parents who lose a child.
• We made Theresa May keep her promise to crack down on big energy companies and put forward a law to put a cap on our energy bills.
• 38 Degrees members helped persuade the Scottish Government to introduce an organ donation scheme that’s going to save lives.
• We’re a step closer to stopping paramedics, nurses and other emergency workers getting attacked at work through persuading our MPs to vote for the ‘Assaults on Emergency Workers Bill.’
• From Warrington’s libraries, to Breich train station, to Everton Park Sports Centre, to Queensferry Crossing Community Walk – 38 Degrees-ers have saved local services that we all rely on.

NOTES:

If you’d like to read more about any of these amazing victories, here are some links:

The Telegraph: Bee-harming pesticides will be totally banned in the UK, Michael Gove says:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/09/uk-will-back-total-ban-bee-harmingpesticides-michael-gove-says/

38 Degrees: Our bees are saved!:
https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2017/11/09/our-bees-are-saved/

The Guardian: Scotland’s highest earners to pay £164m more in income tax:
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/dec/14/scotlands-highest-earners-to-pay-extra-164m-in-income-tax

Evening Standard: Ministers give in to rebels on Henry VIII powers:
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/brexit-latest-ministers-to-give-major-concession-to-rebels-on-henry-viii-powers-a3715981.html

The Guardian: Murdochs’ Sky takeover bid to be referred to competition watchdog:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/sep/12/murdochs-sky-takeover-bid-referred-to-competition-watchdog

38 Degrees: “Fracking cannot and will not take place in Scotland”:
https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2017/10/03/fracking-cannot-will-not-take-place-scotland/

Northamptonshire Telegraph: Agreement reached to keep Corby’s Urgent Care Centre open: https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/agreement-reached-to-keep-corby-s-urgent-care-centre-open-1-8159136

BBC News: Heart surgery: Leicester and London hospitals can continue services:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42181165

38 Degrees: Cotton bud success!:
https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2017/01/10/cotton-bud-success

38 Degrees: Seni’s Law: Success!:
https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2017/11/03/senis-law-success/

The Independent: Parents grieving death of child given two weeks paid leave from work under proposed new laws:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/parents-grieving-child-death-paid-leave-work-2-weeks-new-employment-laws-proposal-plans-allowances-a7998911.html

BBC News: Theresa May revives plan to cap energy prices:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41499483

The Guardian: Scotland to introduce soft opt-out system for organ donation:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jun/28/scotland-to-introduce-soft-opt-out-system-for-organ-donations

BBC News: Tougher measures for 999 staff attacks backed:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-41679251

38 Degrees: Four wins this week!:
https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2017/10/24/four-wins-week/