Last weekend started with the amazingly busy, noisy and colourful Trans Pride Brighton.
It was great to see a huge turnout – someone told me there were 22,000 people spread out over the entire day!
I and other Labour colleagues including Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP joined the march from Jubilee Library to Brunswick Square – and I stayed to listen to some music and have a chat with a few of our residents.
This long-awaited “in person” return of Trans Pride was hugely successful and well organised.
Anyone wanting to donate funds towards next year’s event can do so here.
On Sunday, I joined a small “Stop Rwanda” demo organised by Care 4 Calais, and listened to speeches from Care 4 Calais, Detention Action, Brighton and Hove Trades Council and Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP about the cruelty of the government’s deportation policy.
The suffering of refugees and asylum-seekers awaiting decision is unimaginable. I’m sure many readers are aware that none of the candidates for the prime ministerial race have spoken against this policy which is in effect punishing people who have arrived on our shores seeking sanctuary.
They claim this is a popular policy. I would very strongly refute that claim. That is not the British people I have come to know in my 45 years in this country.
I do hope that the legal action now rescheduled for September is successful and stops this cruel and unusual policy. You can keep in touch with the campaign at https://care4calais.org.
I’m writing this article just after the worst of the heatwave seems to have passed us by and I hope that you have all kept yourselves safe and have looked after each other out there.
Please continue to be careful, particularly when swimming in the sea, which is still cold compared to air temperatures.
There have been a number of fatalities up and down the country and our sea can be treacherous and has dangerous tides and currents.
But let me take this opportunity to give our wonderful seafront officers and lifeguards a shout out – you are doing a great job, even if I complain to you at times!
Councillor Carmen Appich is the joint leader of the Labour opposition on Brighton and Hove City Council.
Why haven’t labour said they would revoke the Rwanda scheme then? Seems like classic labour opposing it where they think that’s the popular position but refusing to do anything about it.
It also seems bizarre labour have only just discovered Trans Pride which has been going on for 10 years now – you’ve never been there before. I guess it’s an election year coming up though?
Trans issues are not new, a bit like the black rights movement, and I guess millions of people across the world were not there at the start of the black lives matter movement. Were you? Let’s support all who support trans rights and on a local political issue, it was fantastic to see Labour winning support this week for a whole raft of initiatives to support gender equality in the city and protect the safety of women and girls.
So the Argus said hundreds turned up for Trans Pride and Councilor Appich claims 22,000 which is right?
Once again, it’s open season on which party (the Greens or Momentum) can big themselves up on who is the most right-on and woke. This just strengthens the argument for having Independent councillors, who will do what is best for residents and businesses, and not bleat on about how righteous they are
How about dealing with local issues councillor?