Disabled People's Week of Action - today's Westminster activities

From DPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts)


Four themed ‘blocks’ will meet at 4 Government departments, central to the lives of disabled people. After handing over our demands, blocks will then move towards Parliament where we will formally launch the UK Disabled People’s Manifesto and present our demands to our elected representatives.

 Choose your ‘block’ and meet at 12.45pm at one of:

 Department for Education to oppose government attacks on inclusive education and a return to segregation

(SanctuaryBuildings, 20 Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3BT)

 Department of Energy and Climate Change if you’re angry about the numbers of disabled people living in fuel poverty while the energy companies rake in ever growing profits

(3 Whitehall Pl, City of Westminster, SW1A 2AW)

 Department for Transport to challenge inaccessible transport, the opening of new inaccessible stations for Crossrail and proposed cuts to rail staff further reducing customer assistance

(Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Rd, London SW1P 4DR)

 Department of Health to defend our NHS and demand our right to levels of social care support enabling choice, control, dignity and independence

(Richmond House, 79 Whitehall, London SW1A 2NS)

LOBBY OF PARLIAMENT:

5 – 6pm – launch of the UK Disabled People’s Manifesto

in Westminster.

 Four themed ‘blocks’ will meet at 4 Government departments, central to the lives of disabled people. After handing over our demands, blocks will then move towards Parliament where we will formally launch the UK Disabled People’s Manifesto and present our demands to our elected representatives.

 Choose your ‘block’ and meet at 12.45pm at one of:

 Department for Education to oppose government attacks on inclusive education and a return to segregation

(SanctuaryBuildings, 20 Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3BT)

 Department of Energy and Climate Change if you’re angry about the numbers of disabled people living in fuel poverty while the energy companies rake in ever growing profits

(3 Whitehall Pl, City of Westminster, SW1A 2AW)

 Department for Transport to challenge inaccessible transport, the opening of new inaccessible stations for Crossrail and proposed cuts to rail staff further reducing customer assistance

(Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Rd, London SW1P 4DR)

 Department of Health to defend our NHS and demand our right to levels of social care support enabling choice, control, dignity and independence

(Richmond House, 79 Whitehall, London SW1A 2NS)

LOBBY OF PARLIAMENT:

5 – 6pm – launch of the UK Disabled People’s Manifesto

- See more at: http://dpac.uk.net/2013/08/reclaiming-our-futures-freedom-drive-4th-september/#sthash.11I4Gr4y.dpuf

Caroline Lucas warns that 'chilling' gagging bill could limit campaigns against racist and extremist parties

The House of Commons passed the general principles of the 'gagging bill' by 62 votes today. It will now go to detailed scrutiny at Committee stage.. This is what Caroline Lucas, Green MP, wrote about it on her blog.

The  ‘Lobbying Bill’, due its second reading today, would have horrifying implications for the way politics – and political campaigning –  are practised in this country.  Outrageously, it would suppress a range of legitimate voices, while doing very little to expose the murky world of lobbying.

It’s very much a bill of three distinct parts – one broadly welcome but inadequate, one of significant concern, and one plain sinister.

Part One of the Bill would set up a register of lobbyists.  I’ve been calling for this for some time, and it’s long overdue.  People have a right to know about the various different influences on the decisions being made on their behalf.  But whereas other parts of the Bill go too far, this one doesn’t go far enough.   As it’s worded, only a small proportion of the people meeting with ministers and officials, many of them from powerful companies,  would be defined as lobbyists.   Instead of restricting itself to the very narrow group of “consultant lobbyists”, the scope of the Bill should be much wider, so that it shines a light on the way lobbying works.

 As the Unlock Democracy group is arguing, the legislation should do far more to improve transparency, particularly around the financial aspects of lobbying.  For example, the amount paid to lobbyists by clients should be in the public domain, as should information on anypublic office they have held in the past five years.  And the registrar should be required to report to Parliament each year on the administration of the Act. 

Part Three of the Bill – which has been interpreted as an attempt by the Government to embarrass Labour over its candidate selection processes –  imposes new requirements on unions.    Their obligations to provide membership information to the independent regulator, who would gain new powers, would be further tightened.   Unions have very legitimate concerns that this would create another barrier to the right to take industrial action.  Whether this is deliberate or an unintended consequence, it’s worrying.

But it’s Part Two of the Bill that alarms me the most.  By imposing a quite astonishing range of  requirements on campaigning organisations in the run-up to elections, it would effectively shut down legitimate voices seeking to raise awareness on issues of legitimate public interest, whether it’s on NHS reform, housing policy, or wildlife conservation.   Campaign spending limits for “third party” organisations – such as charities and pressure groups – would be drastically cut, and the definition of what constitutes campaigning broadened.

And there would be new forms of regulation for organisations lobbying on issues at constituency level.
Some of the potential implications of this are frankly terrifying.   In the months preceding an election, it would be harder for campaigners to criticise the policies of a particular political party.  Organisations would have to deal with a new bureaucracy, and  be obliged to constantly ask whether they could continue many of their day-to-day activities.

Perhaps most worryingly, the power to stand up against racist or extremist parties could be curtailed.  So we’d have the perverse situation where the BNP, which as a political party would be exempt from these rules, would be protected, whereas the activities of those campaigning against them would be severely restricted.

We can’t allow this to happen.  I’ve co-sponsored a reasoned amendment to the Bill, and next week will be hosting a meeting with representatives of Unite, Hope not Hate and other affected organisations so they can put their concerns to MPs ahead of the Bill’s committee stage.

They are right to be concerned.  In the name of transparency, the Government has published a frankly chilling Bill which would effectively suppress the debate that it is essential in a healthy democracy.

Local authorities must be permitted to build new schools to provide extra places

Today's publicity about the shortage of primary school places once again underlines the sheer stupidity of the Government's policy. Michael Gove's obsession with his ideological free school and academies policy means that local authorities are not allowed to build new schools. Instead they have to rely on free school providers or academy sponsors moving into their area or expansion of schools which are often already on crowded sites.

Labour should have been  campaigning vigorously for LAs to be given the finance and right to build new schools where there is a shortage of primary places. Unfortunately Stephen Twigg's lack of drive and his ambivalent attitude towards free schools has meant that the case has not been powerfully made.

Local authorities have the local knowledge to plan new schools where they are most needed and the expertise and resources to ensure that such schools are fit for purpose, have access to school support services and are professionally staffed so that they hit the ground running.  Free schools, even if they happen to be provided in areas of shortage (and many are not), do not have these guarantees.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide education and parents have a legal duty to ensure that their children attend school. Gove's policy, despite all his protestations, is actually thwarting both and in the process damaging children.

Brent misses short-list for Mayor's 'mini-Holland' cycling funding

Sadly Brent failed to be short-listed for the Mayor of London's  'mini-Holland' cycling funding despite a comprehensive bid out forward by the borough using many of the ideas provided by the Brent Cyclists Group.
 
The shortlisted boroughs (in alphabetical order) are Bexley, Ealing, Enfield, Kingston, Merton and Newham. Richmond and Waltham Forest are also shortlisted subject to addressing certain gaps in their initial proposals.
 
The three or four winners, to be announced early next year, will benefit from very high levels of spending concentrated on relatively small areas to make them, over time, into places every bit as cycle-friendly as their Dutch equivalents. The £100 million will be shared between them, though not necessarily equally.

 Brent will still receive some funding but not at the level of the winning boroughs.

The three or four winners, to be announced early next year, will benefit from very high levels of spending concentrated on relatively small areas to make them, over time, into places every bit as cycle-friendly as their Dutch equivalents. The £100 million will be shared between them, though not necessarily equally.

The shortlisted boroughs (in alphabetical order) are Bexley, Ealing, Enfield, Kingston, Merton and Newham. Richmond and Waltham Forest are also shortlisted subject to addressing certain gaps in their initial proposals.
- See more at: http://www.london.gov.uk/media/mayor-press-releases/2013/09/mayor-shortlists-eight-boroughs-to-go-dutch-in-100m-mini-holland#sthash.ncm5bJdb.dpuf

The three or four winners, to be announced early next year, will benefit from very high levels of spending concentrated on relatively small areas to make them, over time, into places every bit as cycle-friendly as their Dutch equivalents. The £100 million will be shared between them, though not necessarily equally.

The shortlisted boroughs (in alphabetical order) are Bexley, Ealing, Enfield, Kingston, Merton and Newham. Richmond and Waltham Forest are also shortlisted subject to addressing certain gaps in their initial proposals.
- See more at: http://www.london.gov.uk/media/mayor-press-releases/2013/09/mayor-shortlists-eight-boroughs-to-go-dutch-in-100m-mini-holland#sthash.ncm5bJdb.dpuf

BBC occupied by disabled activists over inaccurate and unbalanced reporting

Statement from Disabled People Against Cuts
 
Disabled activists from grassroots campaigns Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), Black Triangle and Mental Health Resistance Network have occupied the BBC building in London to protest against the role the media are playing in worsening attitudes towards disabled people and a complete failure to give space to the realities of what this government are doing to disabled people.

Ironically just last week the BBC reported on a research report by Scope which highlighted how things have got worse for disabled people since the Paralympics, but the BBC themselves have contributed to this situation by a lack of balanced or accurate reporting. In fact their coverage of the research angered disabled people by spectacularly failing to draw any links between the worsening conditions disabled people are facing and government policy.

Despite the fact that Iain Duncan Smith has been pulled up before the Work and Pensions Select Committee for misrepresentation and manipulation of figures and statistics, the BBC continues to report information released by the DWP as fact.

This resulted in a situation over Easter weekend where disabled people, about to face an austerity Armageddon with benefits and income essential for their survival brutally slashed away, also had to contend with national media coverage that encouraged a view of us as benefit scroungers and cheats. 

It has since been proven that information released by the DWP ahead of the changes in April such as the figures for all of those who had supposedly stopped ineligible claims for incapacity benefit due to the tightening up of the benefit system, were misrepresentations with no basis in evidence. Just the smallest amount of research would have revealed to the BBC that they were about to report lies as objective fact.

 In addition to the misrepresented figures and statistics which the BBC promoted, further weight was given to the government’s propaganda by the succession of government ministers who were then given air time to continue to peddle their falsheoods. Where people were invited on to present an alternative view, they were non-disabled people from national charities. Firstly these people do not represent us, and secondly there are many more informed disabled campaigners who could have exposed the lies and misrepresentations.

Time and again the government and front bench Ministers have lied to justify policies which are causing the deaths of disabled people. Only last week the Disability News Service has had to raise formal complaints against the DWP press office for deliberately presenting false information about the level of spending on disability in the UK. Meanwhile the situation in the UK has gained international notoriety. The UN are currently in the UK to investigate and report on what the UK is doing through its housing policies. Solidarity protests outside the British Embassy have been organised by supporters in Canada.

Yet time and again the BBC have not only failed to report on what is happening but to contribute to public ignorance of what is going and to inflame hostility with questions such as “Why can’t disabled people take their fair share?” It is well evidenced that disabled people are bearing the brunt of austerity measures with those with the highest level of support need being hit nineteen times harder than the average citizen. To even put the question why can’t we take our fair share is damaging and in contempt of disabled people’s basic rights to be treated with respect and free from hostility.

Disabled activists from grassroots campaigns Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), Black Triangle and Mental Health Resistance Network have occupied the BBC building in London to protest against the role the media are playing in worsening attitudes towards disabled people and a complete failure to give space to the realities of what this government are doing to disabled people.
Ironically just last week the BBC reported on a research report by Scope which highlighted how things have got worse for disabled people since the Paralympics, but the BBC themselves have contributed to this situation by a lack of balanced or accurate reporting. In fact their coverage of the research angered disabled people by spectacularly failing to draw any links between the worsening conditions disabled people are facing and government policy.
Despite the fact that Iain Duncan Smith has been pulled up before the Work and Pensions Select Committee for misrepresentation and manipulation of figures and statistics, the BBC continues to report information released by the DWP as fact.
This resulted in a situation over Easter weekend where disabled people, about to face an austerity armageddon with benefits and income essential for their survival brutally slashed away, also had to contend with national media coverage that encouraged a view of us as benefit scroungers and cheats. It has since been proven that information released by the DWP ahead of the changes in April such as the figures for all of those who had supposedly stopped ineligible claims for incapacity benefit due to the tightening up of the benefit system, were misrepresentations with no basis in evidence. Just the smallest amount of research would have revealed to the BBC that they were about to report lies as objective fact. In addition to the misrepresented figures and statistics which the BBC promoted, further weight was given to the government’s propaganda by the succession of government ministers who were then given air time to continue to peddle their falsheoods. Where people were invited on to present an alternative view, they were non-disabled people from national charities. Firstly these people do not represent us, and secondly there are many more informed disabled campaigners who could have exposed the lies and misrepresentations.
Time and again the government and front bench Ministers have lied to justify policies which are causing the deaths of disabled people. Only last week the Disability News Service has had to raise formal complaints against the DWP press office for deliberately presenting false information about the level of spending on disability in the UK. Meanwhile the situation in the UK has gained international notoriety. The UN are currently in the UK to investigate and report on what the UK is doing through its housing policies. Solidarity protests outside the British Embassy have been organised by supporters in Canada.
Yet time and again the BBC have not only failed to report on what is happening but to contribute to public ignorance of what is going and to inflame hostility with questions such as “Why can’t disabled people take their fair share?” It is well evidenced that disabled people are bearing the brunt of austerity measures with those with the highest level of support need being hit nineteen times harder than the average citizen. To even put the question why can’t we take our fair share is damaging and in contempt of disabled people’s basic rights to be treated with respect and free from hostility.
- See more at: http://dpac.uk.net/2013/09/for-immmediate-release-dpac-do-the-bbc/#sthash.tXXXA2Ec.ACAnlW3w.dpuf

Disabled activists from grassroots campaigns Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), Black Triangle and Mental Health Resistance Network have occupied the BBC building in London to protest against the role the media are playing in worsening attitudes towards disabled people and a complete failure to give space to the realities of what this government are doing to disabled people.
Ironically just last week the BBC reported on a research report by Scope which highlighted how things have got worse for disabled people since the Paralympics, but the BBC themselves have contributed to this situation by a lack of balanced or accurate reporting. In fact their coverage of the research angered disabled people by spectacularly failing to draw any links between the worsening conditions disabled people are facing and government policy.
Despite the fact that Iain Duncan Smith has been pulled up before the Work and Pensions Select Committee for misrepresentation and manipulation of figures and statistics, the BBC continues to report information released by the DWP as fact.
This resulted in a situation over Easter weekend where disabled people, about to face an austerity armageddon with benefits and income essential for their survival brutally slashed away, also had to contend with national media coverage that encouraged a view of us as benefit scroungers and cheats. It has since been proven that information released by the DWP ahead of the changes in April such as the figures for all of those who had supposedly stopped ineligible claims for incapacity benefit due to the tightening up of the benefit system, were misrepresentations with no basis in evidence. Just the smallest amount of research would have revealed to the BBC that they were about to report lies as objective fact. In addition to the misrepresented figures and statistics which the BBC promoted, further weight was given to the government’s propaganda by the succession of government ministers who were then given air time to continue to peddle their falsheoods. Where people were invited on to present an alternative view, they were non-disabled people from national charities. Firstly these people do not represent us, and secondly there are many more informed disabled campaigners who could have exposed the lies and misrepresentations.
Time and again the government and front bench Ministers have lied to justify policies which are causing the deaths of disabled people. Only last week the Disability News Service has had to raise formal complaints against the DWP press office for deliberately presenting false information about the level of spending on disability in the UK. Meanwhile the situation in the UK has gained international notoriety. The UN are currently in the UK to investigate and report on what the UK is doing through its housing policies. Solidarity protests outside the British Embassy have been organised by supporters in Canada.
Yet time and again the BBC have not only failed to report on what is happening but to contribute to public ignorance of what is going and to inflame hostility with questions such as “Why can’t disabled people take their fair share?” It is well evidenced that disabled people are bearing the brunt of austerity measures with those with the highest level of support need being hit nineteen times harder than the average citizen. To even put the question why can’t we take our fair share is damaging and in contempt of disabled people’s basic rights to be treated with respect and free from hostility.
- See more at: http://dpac.uk.net/2013/09/for-immmediate-release-dpac-do-the-bbc/#sthash.tXXXA2Ec.FwrX7Hdn.dpuf

Syria Public Meeting tomorrow in Queen's Park

In view of the recent House of Commons vote and the developing situation regarding chemical weapons and military intervention, this Labour Party meeting should be of interest to readers of all political parties and none:

This public event will look to provide a 101 guide to the situation in Syria – how did the conflict evolve? what is happening on the ground? what should Britain’s response to the crisis be?

Any donations raised on the night will go to ‘Save the Children’s’ Syria response.


Chair –

Tulip Siddiq - Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Hampstead and Kilburn. She is a Camden Councillor and the Cabinet Member for Culture and Communities.

Panel –

Cllr. James Denselow -Queen’s Park Councillor, Research Associate at the Foreign Policy Centre, has worked and lived extensively in the Middle East including in Syria.

John Lloyd – Contributing Editor, Financial Times

Dr Sundar Thava - Practising NHS medical doctor and medico-legal expert for the Charity: “Freedom from Torture”.

Ivana Bartoletti - London Labour candidate for the 2014 European elections, member of the exec of the Fabian Society and Deputy Director of the Fabian Women’s Network

Venue –
St. Anne’s Brondesbury 125 Salusbury Road NW6 6RG

Aussie Greens could 'Abbott proof' Australia's future - Natalie Bennett

As voting for expatriate Australians and visitors continued at Australia House in London, the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales offered her best wishes to the Australian Greens in the election that will be held on Saturday.

Natalie Bennett said: “I’ve been hearing good reports about the turnout of Greens voters on the Strand.

“The Australian Greens are offering a vision for the future of a more humane, equal and sustainable country. Their offerings particularly on community energy, with a strong anti-poverty benefits with a focus on
decent welfare,  and on decent treatment for asylum-seekers are beacons.

“The Senate vote is going to be particularly important, with a vote for the Greens offering the chance to ‘Abbott-proof’Australia’s future, with the power of the proportional vote ensuring that the views of a wide range of Australians are represented. [Natalie was referring to the economically environmentally disastrous policies promoted by conservative lead and election favourite Tony Abbott.]

“Lower house MP Adam Bandt has been a strong force since he was elected shortly after Britain’s first Green MP Caroline Lucas, and I hope that he’ll not only keep his seat in Melbourne, but be joined by other Green MPs.

“As a former resident of inner Sydney, I have followed the campaign of Hall Greenland for Grayndler with particular interest, and I wish him, and all of the Greens candidates, the best of luck in the coming days.”

Note: Voting continues at the Strand, and at Australian embassies and consulates around the world, until Friday.

Save Our Sulivan school is a child-centred campaign that deserves our whole-hearted support

Outside Hammersmith Town Hall

Parents, pupils, teachers and governors  lobbied the Hammersmith and Fulham Council at Hammersmith Town Hall this evening to try and save Sulivan Primary School. 'Save Our Hospitals' campaigner were there in  support.

The Council want to  move the pupils to nearby New Kings School to enable a Free School for 800 boys to take over the Sulivan site. The sting in the tail of this proposal is that New King's has decided to become an academy with private sponsorship, contrary to the values of Sulivan Primary.

The 'consultation' took place, as so many do, when people were away for the long summer holiday.

The campaign website describes Sulivan School LINK:

• It is rated ‘GOOD WITH OUTSTANDING FEATURES’
• It is full in nursery and reception – 299 parents have chosen Sulivan
• It has earned some of its highest results ever in recent years with amazing achievement and progress
  
• It is a small, beautiful school with lovely grounds including large play areas and an outdoor science laboratory

The demonstration began at 5.30pm at this last Cabinet before the consultation.  The Council had refused to hear a delegation on technical grounds but eventually they were given 5 minutes to present their case

It is clear from the comments that have been circulating on Twitter @SaveOurSulivan  that Sulivan is exactly the sort of small, family-centred , creative school that we in the Green Party favour and it is great to see it getting such vociferous support from parents. They deserve maximum support.

Here are some of the Twitter comments:

'Learning for life' -and Learning outside!! Lets keep it that way! 

 we have wonderful courgette flowers in the sulivan school garden ready for eating - yum yum - how many schools can report that!

'oh what a perfect place, we want to keep it our Sulivan school' name the song!!

Sulivan children bake cookies to help save their school! @lbhf council can't say no to a cookie baked with such love 

 Amazing Gardens for exploring, cooking, science and conservation. Children don't want bricks - they want EARTH

 Sulivan is one of the top performing primaries in @lbhf - and in high demand. Closing us makes ZERO sense.

 @jamieoliver we cook fab meals from kitchen garden for the children and they also have their own kitchen - we even cook for the Lycee

  Twicktor Meldrew ‏@twicktormeldrew 31 Aug
Not in my Borough, but I'll mention @SaveOurSulivan. @LBHF want to shut Sulivan Primary School to open another lardy di da free school!

 Very sad to try and remove the opportunities Sulivan gives to poor local children of all cultures. #shameful

 Our chn learn science, data collecting, conservation. Some @hfconscllrs see this 'too good 4 our chn' - we don't

 Children in portacabins so that the property can be fixed up at our cost and given away to a private school chain

 Local children in #fulham are petitioning to save their school! Support the youth of the community - help Save Sulivan