Mike Hancock CBE - Liberal Democrat MP for Portsmouth South

1A Albert Road
Southsea
Hampshire
PO5 2SE

Tel: 023 9286 1055
Email: email@mikehancock.co.uk

 Working for You - Always Putting Portsmouth First

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Winter Fuel protest to be taken direct to No. 10

08 March 2010

Mike Hancock, MP will help take a 95 year-old World War veteran's protest over his winter fuel payment direct to the Prime Minister tomorrow, at 10, Downing Street, Tuesday 9th March at 12.30pm.

Mr McGowan of Portsmouth, who is Mike Hancock's constituent, missed out on his winter fuel payment by one day when he moved from accommodation that didn't qualify for the payment to a property that did. In 2007, he moved from a council operated residential home where he wasn't responsible for the winter fuel bill into sheltered accommodation where he was. If he had moved one day earlier he would have qualified for the payment.

He will hand in a letter of protest to the Prime Minister saying that this is over-strict bureaucracy and interpretation of the rules.

If he should receive the payment, Mr McGowan has said that he will very kindly donate it to "Help for Heroes" but he sees it as a matter of principle that his Government should look after him after he fought for his country.

Mr McGowan spent 2,133 days overseas on active service during World War Two.

Mike Hancock said: "We should honour not just today's heroes but yesterday's as well. Mr McGowan didn't count the days in his military service but did what was necessary. If Mr McGowan had known about the rules, no doubt he could have moved a bit earlier. While I appreciate there needs to be the rules, in this case I believe that the Government should give the payment as a goodwill gesture so that Help for Heroes can benefit. Mr McGowan fought for his country. Now his country should recognise his service and that of countless other heroes. And this would be one way of doing it. I am pleased to be able to help my constituent highlight this injustice but I am greatly disappointed that the Government has not acted to help him."

 

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ASA bans ‘misleading’ L’Oréal advert featuring Rachel Weisz
01 February 2012
The ASA ruled that the image used in an advertisement for L’Oréal Paris’ Revitalift Repair 10 was altered to change Rachel Weisz’s complexion, making it appear smoother and more even. It was judged to be in breach of industry code and “misleadingly exaggerated” the performance of the product.

The advertisement has been banned in its current form and the ASA has warned L’Oréal not to use digital retouching to misrepresent the effect of their products.

Commenting, Jo Swinson said:
“The beauty and advertising industries need to stop ripping off consumers with dishonest images. 

“The banning of this advert, along with the previous ASA rulings banning heavily retouched ads featuring Twiggy, Julia Roberts and Christy Turlington, should act as a wake-up call. Thankfully the advertising regulator has again acknowledged the fraudulent nature of excessive retouching.
 
“The Royal College of Psychiatrists has spoken out about the harmful influence of the media on body image and has highlighted the airbrushing and digital enhancement used to portray physical perfection as an area of concern.
 
“There needs to be much more diversity in advertising – different skin colours, body shapes, sizes and ages.  Studies show that people want to see more authenticity from brands.  Images can be aspirational without being faked.

“The Campaign for Body Confidence challenges the narrow ideal of beauty perpetuated by the media and other industries. Tonight the All Party Parliamentary Group on Body Image is hosting a screening of the documentary Miss Representation which explores the impact on society of such an intense focus on women’s appearance, instead of their achievements. 

“The film shows how media misrepresentation and under representation of women results in a leadership gap and the silencing of difference.”