• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About DNS
  • Subscribe to DNS
  • Advertise with DNS
  • Support DNS
  • Contact DNS

Disability News Service

the country's only news agency specialising in disability issues

  • Home
  • Independent Living
    • Arts, Culture and Sport
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Housing
    • Transport
  • Activism & Campaigning
  • Benefits & Poverty
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
You are here: Home / News Archive / Government spending review: Disabled people ‘will take to the streets’

Government spending review: Disabled people ‘will take to the streets’

By guest on 31st October 2010 Category: News Archive

Listen

Activists have pledged that disabled people will take to the streets to protest at the impact of the government’s programme of spending cuts.

The pledge came from campaigners who took part in a protest march in Birmingham during the Conservative party conference.

There were also protests in Westminster on Wednesday as the chancellor, George Osborne, unveiled the coalition government’s spending review.

Linda Burnip, a founding member of the new campaign group Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), said disabled people were being “disproportionately affected” by the cuts to benefits and local government spending, and pledged further protest action by disabled activists.

She took part in the protests outside parliament this week, and helped deliver letters to both Conservative and Liberal Democrat party headquarters, warning of the consequences of the cuts for disabled people.

The letters featured black triangles, symbolising fears that the cuts will lead to disabled people losing their lives.

Many disabled people have threatened to kill themselves if their care packages or benefits are reduced as a result of spending cuts.

But Burnip said many disabled people would also die through neglect because of cuts to care and support.

She said: “I think the problem is that they do not really understand how it affects disabled people and they will be responsible for the deaths of a lot of disabled people if they go ahead with all these policies.”

Anne Kane, policy manager for Inclusion London, said: “I think people will protest and Inclusion London will be protesting along with them.

“What else can you do when government ignores opinion and introduces savage cuts on an unprecedented scale? People will protest and they should protest.

“We will certainly want to work with disabled people’s organisations and disabled people campaigning for disabled people’s rights and others who stand to be affected by these attacks on benefits and the welfare state.”

Sam Brackenbury, a DPAC member who took part in the Birmingham protest, said: “When laws become unjust, when government becomes unjust, resistance becomes a duty.”

He also promised further protests by disabled activists, and added: “As far as I can see the only thing we can do is hit the streets, stop the traffic, do what we have got to do.”

He said if disabled people did not protest, many of them would end up homeless and living on the streets, so protesting was about “survival”.

21 October 2010

Share this post:

Share on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on WhatsAppShare on Reddit

Related

‘Muddled’ blue badge reforms ‘are to blame for renewal delays’
6th February 2015
UN debate will be reminder of true inclusive education
6th February 2015
IDS breaks pledge on PIP waiting-times, as tens of thousands still queue for months
30th January 2015

Primary Sidebar

Image shows a man wearing glasses sitting by an open laptop The text reads: Free Career Support for Disabled People Our services include: 1-2-1 Coaching Online Career Resources Find Support near you Search for Inclusive Jobs Career Events and Workshops Visit the Evenbreak Career Hive today to find out how we can help you

Access

Latest Stories

Grenfell: Call for action over government’s ‘deplorable’ decision on evacuation plans

‘Severely neglected’ man found dead, three months after DWP assessment

Government brands DNS ‘vexatious’ for trying to obtain info on 90 DWP deaths

Government’s ‘milestone’ disability jobs stats ‘are meaningless when it comes to equality’

Concern over offensive LGBT+ comments at access awards event

Universal credit boss defends years of misleading information

Discrimination could be a cause of increased risk of Covid death, says ONS

Access to Work in crisis as figures show ‘massive’ waiting-list

Queen’s speech: Activists’ message to Patel over new protest bill: ‘We fight on’

Queen’s speech: Six bills that may change disabled people’s lives, for better and for worse

Advice and Information

The Department for Work and Pensions: Deaths, cover-up, and a toxic 30-year legacy

Readspeaker

Footer

The International Standard Serial Number for Disability News Service is: ISSN 2398-8924

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site map
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2022 Disability News Service

Site development by A Bright Clear Web