Here is a summary of my work for Brighton Pavilion locally and in Parliament from April 11-17. As always, please do not hesitate to get in touch if you need my help with anything.

Big Debate at Sussex University

On Thursday I was one of the panellists at a fascinating EU debate at Sussex University. It was great to see so many students come to listen to the discussion - over 1000 registered to come. I hope that young people across the UK show the same enthusiasm for this key political event in the coming months – their voices must be heard in this Referendum - and that they all register to vote!

As I said in the debate reclaiming the future won't be easy – and reforming the EU's institutions is only the start of the process. But with the alternative being sitting on the sidelines , it's up to young people to work together to reimagine the kind of Europe they want and then fight for it. They mustn't let older generations steal that chance away from them and allow Britain to sleepwalk into isolation.

I wrote about why Young People are key in the EU debate here: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/eu-young-people-must-not-sit-by-older-generations-let-britain-sleepwalk-into-brexit-1548191

Panama Papers

On Monday I tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament calling for the network of destructive tax havens to be shut down. My EDM - a form of Parliamentary petition which can be signed by MPs - followed the leak of 11.5 million files from one of the world's largest offshore law firms.

It criticised the Prime Minister for intervening to weaken EU tax avoidance rules, and calls on him to list all investments he has held since first being elected as a Member of Parliament.

In Prime Minister's Question Time I directly confronted David Cameron over the fact that the UK office of Mossack Fonseca – the law firm from which the Panama Papers were leaked – hasn’t yet had a visit from the police, and there’s a real risk that evidence could be destroyed which could help in any further exposure of potential wrongdoing. Though the Police are independent from the Government I thought it important to raise the issue in Parliament and ask Cameron for his views.

You can watch the exchange here: https://www.facebook.com/carolinelucas.page/videos/vb.8948360263/1015344...

NHS Under Threat from Tories, not the EU

The Leave Campaign in the EU Referendum has a habit of peddling mistruths. Their latest misleading claim is that the NHS would be better off if we left the EU – there is simply no evidence that this is the case, and plenty to the contrary. 

In a piece I wrote for the Huffington Post I explained that the real threat to our health service is a Tory Government obsessed with privatisation. You only have to look at the recent history of our Health Service to see where the real danger lies. Starting a quarter of a century ago a marketplace was introduced into the NHS - a process which was accelerated by the last Labour Government and put into overdrive by the Coalition with the Health and Social Care Act of 2012.

My comments were also covered in the Daily Mail and other news outlets. 

Ethical Investment at Sussex University

The University of Sussex has announced the approval of a new socially responsible investment policy which could see it pulling hundreds of thousands of pounds from oil, mining and arms companies.

The University is set to instruct fund managers to invest in firms that promote human rights, protect the environment and climate and support an end to international conflict from this summer. It’s great to see the University pushing ahead with a forward thinking investment policy.

Not only does the policy look to shift investment away from dirty fossil fuels but it also seeks to promote beneficial investment in community schemes, and firms with good employment practices.

This change of policy is thanks to the incredible campaigning of students at Sussex, and the inspiring Sussex Fossil Free campaign.

I hope that other public bodies, like Brighton and Hove City Council, follow in the university’s footsteps and make sure their investment policy is fit for the future.

You can read more about the Fossil Free Sussex campaign here: https://www.facebook.com/fossilfreesussex/

Democratic Participation

Last week I spoke at an event in Parliament about revitalising British democracy. The event marked the launch of a report about citizens’ assemblies – a way for people to be more involved in the decision-making that affects their lives. 

It’s key that we demonstrate a genuine commitment to real democracy and embody the principle that power flows upwards from the people, not down from a centralised state.

We need to strike a healthier balance between our tiers of Government, communities need to be more empowered. And that doesn’t mean giving people power – it means facilitating them to take power. This is a subtle but important difference, which has implications for everything from our education system to digital inclusion.

You can read more about citizens’ assemblies here: http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/blog/democracy-matters-why-we%E2%80%99re-launching-our-own-citizens%E2%80%99-assemblies

Palace Pier

The Pier in Brighton has a new owner, the Eclectic Bar Group. I hope that the new bosses keep to their promise to protect jobs, and also invest in the pier for the future. The Pier is part of what makes Brighton so special – and I’m looking forward to seeing how the new owners work to preserve the best of our traditions and innovate for the future.

I’m also really pleased to be backing a campaign for the pier to be reconnected to its history by adopting its former name ‘Palace Pier’. Hundreds of people have already signed a petition backing the change – You can do so here: http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/14423099.Palace_Pier_petition_reaches_1_500_signatures/

Contaminated Blood

Last week I spoke briefly in Parliament about a Government plan to cut payments to people with haemophilia who were infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) or HIV in the NHS contaminated blood scandal.

The Haemophilia Society and campaign groups for those infected and their families say the proposals will bring big cuts to payments at a time when the Scottish government is considering huge increases for those infected in the scandal in the 1970s and 1980s.

You can read the full debate here: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2016-04-12a.240.2&s=Caroline+Lucas#g241.7