No Mad Laws

Gypsy and Traveller campaigner are campaigning against the legal aid bill currently making it's way through parliament because it will remove the right to legal aid for all Gypsies and Travellers living on unauthorised sites - an estimated 25% of the population.

Chris Johnson of the Travellers Advice Team says: "Some 25% of the Gypsy and Traveller population who live in caravans in England and Wales are either on unauthorised encampments or unauthorised developments and, therefore, many of those people will be directly affected by these proposals.  At CLP we estimate that at least 75% of our ‘accommodation cases’ for our Gypsy and Traveller clients would no longer be within scope."

"As is, of course, well known, the Gypsy and Traveller community are one of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities in the England and Wales in terms of health, education and discrimination and it is almost universally accepted that these disadvantages and problems would be addressed if there was adequate site provision. "

A campaign is already underway under the title of No Mad Laws. There is an online petition that people can access at:

http://www.petitiononline.co.uk/petition/no-mad-laws/3062

If you sign it please make sure you respond to the verification e-mail you will get otherwise your signature will not be counted. There is also a paper petition that can be obtained from the Travellers Advice Team (see below).

Read Chris's blog here on Travellers Times Online and read the following article on the Guardian website:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2011/jul/13/criminalise-squatting-targets-gypsies?CMP=twt_gu