menu

Nancy Platts elected Chair of Brighton, Hove and District Labour Party

Nancy Platts, Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven at the General Election has been elected Chair of Brighton, Hove and District Labour Party.

Nancy Platts
Nancy Platts

THE local Labour Party has a membership of over 2,000, covers the area from Portslade to Peacehaven and everywhere in between.

The meeting was attended by hundreds of local members.

Nancy Platts said: “I am very honoured to be elected by the local Party to lead our fast growing membership. I am determined to remain a strong voice for the thousands of people who voted for a Labour government that would have tackled the rising culture of low pay and job insecurity that is leaving people using food banks and sleeping on our streets. We have achieved a position of strength by taking control of the Council and even from opposition nationally we can still make a difference to people’s lives and be a positive advocate for change within our communities.” 

Nancy Platts takes over from Melanie Davies, who stood down as Chair after serving a two-year term

She continued: “I want to thank the outgoing Chair and Exec for their hard work throughout a very busy election period and I am personally very appreciative of their support.”

Nancy was pipped at the post by just 690 votes at the recent General Election by Simon Kirby the sitting Conservative MP for Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven. It was the second disappointing loss for Nancy after she lost out to Caroline Lucas in 2010 by 1252 votes in Brighton Pavilion constituency.

 

 

 

 

The challenge of policing Brighton Pride in 2015

As Pride approaches James Ledward talks to Chief Superintendent Nev Kemp about the challenges, in the present economic climate, of policing Brighton Pride and the Pride Village Party in 2015.

Chief Superintendent Nev Kemp
Chief Superintendent Nev Kemp

CHIEF Superintendent Nev Kemp was appointed Divisional Commander for Brighton and Hove in 2013, seventeen years after joining the police. On becoming Division Commander he took on the role of the forces LGBT Champion.

As the Gold Commander policing Pride it is his responsibility to deliver a safe event, not only for the LGBT community, but also for local residents and visitors to the city. He understands the economic importance of Pride to the City of Brighton and Hove and most importantly to the Rainbow Fund who receive £1 a head from every ticket sold to distribute to LGBT/HIV organisations providing effective front line services to the LGBT community in Brighton and Hove.

However, in 2013 problems emerged during the Pride Village Party. His feedback from police officers was that the event was darker and less safe than in previous years. Officers reported that the tone of the event was less friendly and that areas of the Pride Village Party were at times dangerous and threatening.

A new approach to the Village Party was required and an agreement was reached to work in partnership with the Pride organisers, the City Council and other agencies to produce and deliver a paid for Pride Village Party event in 2014 that was safer for everyone and would give visitors to the city a positive impression of Brighton and Hove.

Commander Kemp said: “I spoke to a police officer last year who said this is now a great event, and if off duty, he could now come and would really enjoy it, whereas the previous year it felt unsafe.

“Pride is one of the most challenging events we deliver in Brighton and Hove. For Sussex Police it is up there with the Lewes Bonfire, except there are many more people at Pride with estimates of up to 160,000 revellers on the streets.

“With Pride, there are a number of events that go on throughout the day stretching officers shifts. We need to refresh our numbers which means we use a lot of officers and need to bring some in from outside Sussex to provide cover.

“Drugs are quite a big challenge, especially when they are mixed with alcohol and last year in particular nitrous oxide legal highs proved to be a big problem. We seized thousands of capsules, the difficulty we had is that it is not illegal to sell them to people over 18, so we had to use a really old bit of legislation, which we don’t often use, the Pedlars Act of 1881, to stop them being sold. If people selling the canisters didn’t have a Pedlars License we were able to use that as the grounds to seize their stock.

“For example there was one young girl who the consultant on duty at the Sussex County Hospital A & E thought was going to die. She had taken nitrous oxide and drunk alcohol. Her survival was touch and go.

“For Sussex Police it is not about preventing people at Pride having fun. We are never going to say don’t drink, but last year the combination of nitrous oxide and alcohol, did worry us. We did what we could, and seized thousands of capsules. This year we will be doing exactly the same.

“Another fairly big challenge for us was the issue of ‘respect’ for people, including police officers on duty. During the day sexual assaults were going unreported, including on some of the uniformed security staff and police officers on duty. I have not only a responsibility for the public but also for my own officers, so this year I would like to see more emphasis on respecting people’s boundaries. From a policing perspective officers involved tell me Pride is a great event and they really want to support it. We don’t want to cause upset by being kill joys but on the other-hand people are entitled not to be groped and grabbed during the event.

“The officers we use on the day are a mixture of specialist public order and general neighbourhood policing officers. I spoke to some officers last year who had worked on Pride for the first time. Most of them really enjoyed the day and were more concerned that they had been on their feet 15 hours with only a bite to eat at the start of the day.

“Pride generally has a great atmosphere and people are really pleased to see the police marching on the Pride Parade. For my officers it is a unique experience and those officers from outside Sussex are often quite goggle eyed at the scale of Pride, what goes on and the general carnival atmosphere.

“Last year my daughters who are 15 and 16 came, they absolutely loved it and want to come again this year. I personally would like one year not to police it and just go with my family and enjoy Pride with them.

“The safety of people at Pride is really important and that does cost money from the police budget.

“In terms of partnership working, I have got a very good relationship with Pride and they have been very responsive to concerns raised in the post event agency debrief.

“This year for the first time I have tried to agree with Pride how things are going to look over at least the next three years, rather than doing it just a year at a time.

“Now that Pride is a ticketed and paid for event we have guidelines to follow and are required to charge for elements of the services we provide when we are policing inside Preston Park and the Pride Village Party.

“This will not include officers who are working in plain clothes, identifying people who are trying to steal people’s bags and that sort of thing. 

“The Association of Chief Police officers (ACPO) have guidance which says if an event is ticketed 100% of the policing costs should be charged. 

“I want Pride to be a success because I think it is brilliant for the city. It is one of the best things that happens and the last thing I want is to do anything that undermines its success. However, on the other hand my budgets have been hugely reduced this year.

The Pride organisers work very hard, do a very good job and deserve to be rewarded for their efforts like everyone else.”


Personal Safety Tips at Pride from Sussex Police

Pride should be a fun and joyous occasion for everyone attending the various different celebration and parties during the weekend. Unfortunately that is not always the case as a minority of people spoil the fun by acting inappropriately and sometimes even breaking the law whilst doing so.

Sussex Police ask that everyone plays their part in keeping Pride a safe and enjoyable event. We can all do this by respecting one another.

Respecting the dignity of our various identities and presentations. This means celebrating who we are rather than calling strangers hurtful names. Everyone has a place at Pride including transgender and bisexual people.

Respecting our physical boundaries. It is never acceptable to touch another person without their consent, especially in a sexual manner. Groping is a criminal offence regardless of who it is; whether this is your friend, someone you’ve just met, or even a police officer. Consent is very sexy!

Respect your own body. Take care to know your own limits. Pride isn’t a contest on how much you consume. It’s no fun to not remember the day before and even less to end it in A&E.

Top tips:

♦ The telephone signal in the Preston Park and elsewhere in the city can get jammed so contacting friends becomes difficult. Make plans beforehand and stick to them

♦ Stay with friends you trust.

♦ Don’t accept drinks from strangers or take substances you can’t verify what it is.

If things go wrong:

♦ Seek out help. Police are on hand to assist but may need to refer you onto a designated team or place where you can report crime, hate crime or any other issue you might have. Call 999 in an emergency or 101 if it’s less urgent.

♦ If you don’t feel able to speak to police, you can also report hate incidents to the LGBT Community Safety Forum at the Access Tent at the south end of Preston Park. You can also talk to them after the event on 01273 231189.

THT calls for wider review on blood donor selection criteria

During National Blood Week (June 8 -14, 2015) the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) is calling on the new government to undertake a fresh review into blood donor selection criteria.

Terrence HIggins Trust

THE UK’s largest sexual health and HIV charity supported the outcomes of the 2011 review on the grounds that the decision was based on the best scientific evidence available then, and the charity urged everybody to abide by the new regulations at the time.

Dr Shaun Griffin
Dr Shaun Griffin

Dr Shaun Griffin, Executive Director of External Affairs, Terrence Higgins’ Trust, said: “It would seem that at a time when the NHS is facing a much publicised challenge because of a lack of blood donors, with figures plummeting 40 per cent in the last decade, a wider review into all the current restrictions may be timely help to address this.

“There has been no review into the lifetime ban for people who have previously been involved in sex work or who have previously injected drugs. It is inequitable and illogical for former sex workers and former injecting drug users to be treated differently from others. 

“Therefore there should be a review of all the current restrictions including  the deferral period for men who have sex with men, so that we have the most appropriate restrictions based on the best available evidence. As with 2011 we will support any policy decisions that are based on the best available evidence.

“It  may well be that some of the restrictions need to be retained, but we must ensure that it is still the appropriate restriction according to the evidence. A fresh, wider, review can guarantee this.”

The current regulatory decisions and restrictions are based on profiling the risks associated with behaviours to ensure a safe blood supply for those receiving blood transfusions.

THT would like to see the same regulations for all – but retains the stance that this can only realistically be attained when risks of HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) transmission are reduced to the same level as that of most heterosexuals.

The 12 month restriction of four years ago, means that men who have been sexually active with men, and women who had been sexually active with men who had also been sexually active with men, in the previous 12 months, would be unable to donate blood. This decision was based on the best available evidence at the time and as a result of higher risks of blood borne viruses within these groups.

The risks being that men who have sex with men in the UK are at far greater risk than any other population, per sexual encounter, of acquiring a variety of infections such as syphilis, hepatitis B and C and, most of all, HIV.

For more information about THT, click here:

 

Pride in London anounce biggest ever Pride Arts Festival

Over 25 events will take place over 30 venues across the capital during London Pride Week, June 21 – 28.

Pride in London Arts FestivalPRIDE in London, the annual festival championing the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT+) community in London has announced its biggest ever Pride in London Arts Festival, which will launch with a special Q&A Screening of the award-winning film Pride, starring Bill Nighy and Imelda Staunton, at the Clapham Picturehouse on Sunday, June 21.

The Pride in London Arts Festival will take place between June 21-28, showcasing the diverse artistic and cultural presence that the LGBT+ community has in London.

Spanning over thirty venues, Pride in London Arts Festival offers a programme representative of the city’s strong cultural heritage through many genres: from verbatim theatre to the visual arts, classical music concerts to open discussion forum events, cabaret and film screenings, sing-a-longs and much more.

 

The festival will officially launch with the screening of 2014 hit movie Pride at Clapham Picturehouse on Sunday, June 21, followed by a Q&A with LGSM (Lesbians & Gays Support the Miners), Wandsworth LGBT Forum and Out at Clapham.

Other events taking place as part of the festival include:

♦  The Fourth Choir and Meridian Sinfonia will present Baroque Summer Solstice in Eaton Square

♦  A special offer for Pride supporters to see Flight at Investec Holland Park Opera

♦  Facing East in Concert at Lyric Theatre – a new musical following an upstanding American Mormon couple who unexpectedly meet their son’s partner whilst dealing with his death

♦  Celia Delaney reflects on the desperation of being a 40-something singleton in modern London

♦  The Machine will try to explore what it means to be gay in 2015 at Tristan Bates Theatre in Covent Garden

♦  A queer history quiz will buzz together with the Peter Tatchell Foundation in Southwark

♦  Gender identity workshop for children and parents in Camden

♦  Let’s Talk about Gay Sex and Drugs event will take place again this year at Ku Klub in Chinatown

♦  A free one hour tour of the Victoria and Albert Museum LGBTQ collections

♦  Homage to Marlene Dietrich with Terry Sanderson will be on at the Cinema Museum in Elephant and Castle

♦  The London Gay Symphony Orchestra will present the perfect post-pride event the day after the parade in Holborn

♦  Family Futures in Islington will make an introduction to LGBT adoption

♦  A 50th anniversary Sound of Music Sing-Along Party in a fancy dress will be hosted at L’Escargot in Soho

For a full list of events taking place within the Pride in London Arts Festival, click here:

 

X