Reading Uni P&P lobby MP and hold fundraiser on World AIDS Day

Reading Uni P&P successfully persuaded their MP to sign the Universal Access to AIDS Treatment EDM on World AIDS Day

Keep the promise!

Rachel Reid, from Reading Campaigns Forum, reports:

On Friday 1 December, World AIDS Day, the Reading Student Stop AIDS group met with MP, Rob Wilson, to discuss his views on the AIDS epidemic and urge him to lobby the Government to ensure that there is Universal Access to AIDS Treatment by 2010. In the evening, the group hosted a MasquearAID Ball to raise money to fund campaigning for AIDS treatments and for AIDS charities [including P&P!].

The Reading Stop AIDS Group are part of the P&P network and set out P&P’s aim of a tiny stamp duty on sterling transactions in order to fund AIDS Treatment and Prevention to their MP. Rob Wilson was sceptical of this but informed the students that he would sign the Early Day Motion 107, `Universal Access to HIV Treatment by 2010´. He also agreed to write letters to ministers on the issue and to keep the students informed on the activities of his party regarding the AIDS issue, particularly that of Jeremy Hunt, who has worked a great deal on it. The Stop AIDS Group gave their MP, who is an alumni of Reading University, an information pamphlet on their campaign and will be sending him questions to ask Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State.

The MasquearAID Ball ended a week of awareness-raising on the AIDS issue by the Stop AIDS group. Featuring local band, ‘A Beggar´s Opera’, Midlands band, ‘Days to Zero’ and student DJs Fiona and Woody, the night was great fun!”