John Pring

Benefits and Poverty

A protester in a crime scene outfit crouches by a sign saying universal credit is a crime

August 2, 2018 0

DWP agrees to pay thousands to disabled duo in universal credit court case

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has finally agreed to pay compensation to two disabled men who saw their benefits drastically reduced when they were forced onto the new universal credit. The high court had ruled in June that DWP unlawfully discriminated against the two men, known as TP and AR for legal

Independent Living

Outside view of the council's headquarters

August 2, 2018 0

County council crisis sparks fears for service-users

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Campaigners in Northamptonshire have raised serious concerns about the impact on disabled people of the growing financial crisis enveloping their county council. Northamptonshire County Council announced this week that it will need to find up to £70 million of savings in the current financial year, from a budget of about £440 million. And last

Politics

Penny Mordaunt speaking at a podium at the Global Disability Summit

July 26, 2018 0

Global Disability Summit: Mordaunt retreats from UK’s ‘global leader on rights’ claims

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The international development secretary, Penny Mordaunt, has been forced to retreat from her government’s repeated claims that the UK is a “global leader in disability rights”. Her government has faced anger from the UK disabled people’s movement at its decision to co-host a Global Disability Summit in east London less than a year after

Education

Simone Aspis with her arm around Michelle Daley

July 26, 2018 0

Global Disability Summit: Anger over Mordaunt’s bid to redefine inclusive education

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International development secretary Penny Mordaunt has been labelled a hypocrite and an embarrassment after attempting to redefine inclusive education at the international disability summit she was hosting in east London. Penny Mordaunt’s government was already facing criticism from across the UK disabled people’s movement for its “blatant attempt to divert attention from its own

Transport

More than 30 protesters, including Heidi Alexander and wheelchair-users, with placards about access in front of a sign for Hither Green station

July 26, 2018 0

Figures finally show how government slashed spending on rail access scheme

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New figures released through the Freedom of Information Act have exposed how the government has slashed spending on its rail station access improvement programme over the last five years. The figures show spending on the Access for All scheme fell from as much as £81.1 million in 2013-14 to just £14.6 million last year.

Human Rights

Two women and two men sit in armchairs on a stage

July 26, 2018 0

Global Disability Summit: Disability Rights UK ‘betrayed movement’ with speech

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A national disabled people’s organisation is facing accusations that it “betrayed” the UK disability movement after its deputy chief executive failed to condemn the government’s record on rights at a major international gathering of disabled people. Sue Bott was sharing the stage with a senior government civil servant less than a year after the

Activism and Campaigning

Protesters outside a building with a banner saying UK disability rights abused by UK

July 26, 2018 0

Global Disability Summit: DPAC’s protest festival highlights government hypocrisy

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Disabled activists have held a “festival of resistance” outside an international disability rights event to highlight the “hypocrisy” of it being co-hosted by the UK government. Members of Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) and allies were outside the Here East centre on the Olympic Park in the east London borough of Newham, as hundreds

Human Rights

A large version of the Charter for Change resting against a wall

July 26, 2018 0

Global Disability Summit: DPOs from global south call for new beginning

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Disabled people and their organisations from the global south have called for a “new beginning” in the way that the UN disability convention is implemented and monitored. They were speaking at the Global Disability Summit, a major international disability rights conference co-hosted by the UK government in east London this week. Speaking at the

Activism and Campaigning

Simone Aspis holding her thumb up, next to Michelle Daley at the Civil Society Forum

July 26, 2018 0

Global Disability Summit: Disabled activist praised for highlighting government attacks

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A leading disabled activist has exposed the UK’s record on disability rights in front of an audience of disabled people from across the global south who had been invited to take part in the government’s Global Disability Summit. Simone Aspis drew repeated loud applause from the audience at the Civil Society Forum as she

Politics

John McDonnell talking to a man and two women, one of whom is signing

July 26, 2018 0

Global Disability Summit: McDonnell says government hosting summit is ‘height of hypocrisy’

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Labour’s shadow chancellor has described the UK government’s decision to co-host a Global Disability Summit – less than a year after its record on disability rights was dismantled by the United Nations – as “the height of hypocrisy”. John McDonnell, a long-standing supporter of the disabled people’s anti-cuts movement, was speaking to Disability News

Author John Pring