Petition: Save Ashford International!

 Summary of Aim: To safeguard international rail services at Ashford in Kent, UK.

Full Text of Petition:

To: Eurostar Management,

The British Government and The European Parliament.

Lib Dem Member of the European Parliament for the South East, Sharon Bowles, has launched this new website to save International train services in Ashford.

The international service has come under threat from new plans by Eurostar to make the new Ebbsfleet station the "hub" for the South East.

The volume of services from Ashford to the continent has been slashed, and residents and staff now fear for the future of international services from Ashford.

Sharon is now calling on local residents to sign her petition to safeguard Ashford's future as an International station.

Sharon said "It is deeply disappointing that Eurostar have chosen to make these cuts to the service. Now we must work to ensure they understand the importance of Ashford's international connections."

"If you use the international services at Ashford, please take a moment to send me a message letting me know how these cuts will affect you, and how you would be affected if the service stops completely."

"If you haven't used the international service, but perhaps have benefitted in some other way - perhaps you work for a business that was attracted by Ashford's links, I would love to hear from you too about how this affects you."

"I will take up the points you make with Eurostar's management, in my fight to safeguard frequent international services at Ashford."

The Campaign to Save Eurostar Services from Ashford

The EU has badly let down the world’s poorest people on water and sanitation.

In 2002, the European Union launched its Water Initiative (EUWI) to great acclaim.

Its aim was to improve the effectiveness of EU aid for water and sanitation in order to help reach the Millennium Development Goals of halving, by 2015, the proportions of people without safe water and sanitation.

Three years later the EUWI has failed to help a single extra person gain access to water and sanitation.

Around the world, 1.1 billion people remain without safe water, 2.6 billion people still have no access to basic sanitation and every minute four children die from water-related diseases.

The EU Water Initiative and its separate but equally ineffectual EU Water Facility* are outrageous and indefensible failures that are costing lives.

We are asking you to join us in calling for sweeping reform to put the EU Water Initiative on-track and to scrap the EUWF altogether.

Read more about the failure of the EUWI and download the full report in our Policy news area

How can I take action?

You can help by taking a few moments to send a fax to your MEP via the simple online service provided by http://www.writetothem.com/.

Simply tap in your postcode to find out who your European Representatives are and ask them to challenge the EUWI and demand that the EUWF be scrapped. We have prepared a brief message that you can copy and paste below but please personalise the message before sending it.

Once you have found the MEP you wish to contact just copy the following text into the form at http://www.writetothem.com/:

I am very concerned that for the last four years the European Union Water Initiative has failed to deliver water and sanitation to a single extra person. Please do everything in your power to reform the EUWI. WaterAid and Tearfund research suggests that as a start there should be measurable targets and six month reports - the first of which should be at the next meeting of the EUWI.

We are always keen to hear how your messages have been received. Please write back to campaigns@wateraid.org and let us know what your MEP said.

*Six months after launching its Water Initiative the EU set up the separate EU Water Facility (EUWF), a funding pot of €500 million. Hard pressed officials from developing countries are now making lengthy applications to the EUWF but the vast majority of these will never be successful since the funds are not enough to go round. The EUWF is 15 times oversubscribed.

The international effort on sanitation and water is in disarray. Make your voice heard.

Despite this, from 15 April, the Government will give you no choice but to put biofuel in your car. 2.5% of all of the fuel sold at UK garages will be biofuel - already added to the petrol or diesel you put in your tank. And these plans are just the beginning. The current target is for the proportion of biofuels in our tanks to increase to 5% by 2010, and talks are underway in Europe that could lead to us being forced to use even more.

Key points: 

• Biofuels production is destroying important habitats and threatening many species
• The government are going to start putting biofuels into normal petrol from 15 April 2008
• You can help suspend the launch of biofuels on UK forecourts until they can be guaranteed to be sustainable
• Take action by using our form to e-mail Ruth Kelly, the Secretary of State for Transport