On 30 January 1948 Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated.
This day is also known as Martyrs' Day, 'Shaheed Diwas'
or 'Sarvodaya Day' and is observed across India to honour those who sacrificed their lives for the nation.

I laid a wreath at Gandhiji's statue in Parliament Square with HE Vikram Doraiswami the High Commissioner for India and Lord Megnad Desai.

This 15th poem by Narsi Mehta, 'Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye Je', written in Old Gujarati, was adopted by Mahatma Gandhi into the roster of prayers routinely sung at the Sabarmati ashram.

Holocaust Memorial Day is the international day on 27 January to commemorate the Holocaust - the murder of 6 million Jews. Millions more people were murdered through the Nazi persecution of non-Jewish groups such as those with disabilities and Roma.  It is marked in thousands of communities across the country, with the UK Ceremony as the focal point, and the national moment to Light the Darkness.

I lit a candle to mark the day and to remember that this year it is 80 years on from the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, antisemitism (anti-Jewish hatred) is at an all-time high,  anti-Muslim hatred has also risen. Holocaust Memorial Day shows us where prejudice, fear and hatred can lead if they become normalised, and then encouraged and Holocaust Memorial Day Trust’s Light the Darkness national moment was at 8 pm on 27 January.

HMDT’s 80 Candles for 80 Years

This year a special project marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, is 80 candles for 80 years. 80 community groups learnt about individuals who were persecuted by the Nazis.

HMD 2025: For a better future

Through striving for a society free of identity-based hostility and persecution, we can learn from the Holocaust and from recent genocides - for a better future. For more information: https://hmd.org.uk/resource/take-action-for-a-better-future/

 

 

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) states that an estimated 12 billion plastic drinks bottles and 14 billion metal drinks cans are used in the UK every year.

A key environmental protection scheme was debated on 21 January 2025, approving the Deposit Scheme for Drinks Containers (England and Northern Ireland) Regulations 2024. 

With current recycling rates in the UK at around 65-82%, it is estimated that approximately 4 billion plastic bottles and 2.5 billion cans per year are not recycled, ending up as litter or in residual waste. According to Defra, plastic bottles and metal cans make up around 55% of all litter.

The Regulations will establish a Deposit Return Scheme  for plastic bottles and metal drinks cans, launching on 1 October 2027. It will be managed by a new body, the Deposit Management Organisation.

The regulations were approved with the following result: Ayes 352, Noes 75

On 21 January 2025 the House met at report stage to debate the Armed Forces Commissioner Bill. The  Bill will establish the role and functions of the Armed Forces Commissioner and to provide them with the powers and duties required to carry out those functions, strengthening support for Armed Forces communities and improving service life. There were three amendments moved by the opposition:

Amendment 9 - The amendment would enable the Commissioner to include matters relating to pensions and other such benefits, including death in service benefits, in their investigation of service welfare matters.  Ayes 192, Noes 338

Amendment 10 - This amendment would enable the Commissioner to include matters relating to the wellbeing of, and provision of support to, the children, families and other dependants of serving and former members of the armed forces in the Commissioner’s investigation of service welfare matters.  Ayes 191, Noes 338

Amendment 2 would require the Commissioner to take specific action to consider and address welfare issues facing service personnel from minority groups. Ayes 76, Noes 349

The Bill was then read for the third time and passed without a division.

The British Liver Trust hosted a 'Love Your Liver' event in Parliament on 21 January 2025, as part of their roadshow across the country raising awareness of liver disease. The roadshow includes a free liver scan, using a FibroScan which tests how stiff your liver is, as a healthy liver is soft. 

Liver disease is only found when it is quite advanced. This means treatment is less likely to work, but most cases of liver disease could be prevented. The British Liver Trust have resources on alcohol guidelines, healthy eating and viral hepatitis on their website: https://britishlivertrust.org.uk/information-and-support/