Labour

Benefits and Poverty

October 11, 2018 0

Anger and dismay after Labour back-tracks on pledge to scrap universal credit

Labour has infuriated its own disabled members by backtracking on a public pledge by the shadow chancellor that the party would scrap universal credit if it won the next general election. John McDonnell drew widespread praise when he told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday that universal credit was a “shambles” and “iniquitous” and added:

Activism and Campaigning

A woman sits on a couch and holds up her hands, beneath a tweet about the safe space

October 4, 2018 0

Labour activist ‘violated’ by journalist’s safe space tweet welcomes ban

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A disabled activist who was left “humiliated and violated” by the actions of a high-profile journalist who mocked a “safe space” used by disabled people at last week’s Labour conference has praised the decision to ban her from next year’s event. TalkRADIO presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer has been told by the Labour party that she

Human Rights

A tweet by Julia Hartley-Brewer which includes a sign saying 'safe space'

September 27, 2018 0

Labour conference: Right-wing journalist faces ban call after ‘safe space’ video

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Disabled party members are calling on Labour to ban a prominent right-wing journalist from future events after she posted a video on social media mocking the provision of a “safe space” used by disabled people at this week’s party conference. The party has told Disability News Service (DNS) that the behaviour of Julia Hartley-Brewer

Politics

September 27, 2018 0

Labour conference: De Cordova calls for a ‘Labour alternative’ to universal credit

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Labour’s shadow minister for disabled people has called on her party to come up with its own alternative to the government’s flawed universal credit benefit system. Marsha de Cordova (pictured) moved further this week than any of her shadow frontbench colleagues at Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool towards the idea of scrapping universal credit

Activism and Campaigning

September 27, 2018 0

Labour conference: Anger at party’s failure to pledge to scrap universal credit

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Labour is facing mounting anger from disabled anti-cuts activists over its refusal to call for the government’s universal credit benefit system to be scrapped. Much of the anger has been directed at shadow work and pensions secretary Margaret Greenwood, who instead of pledging to scrap universal credit – at Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool

Benefits and Poverty

Conference delegates watch a speech, with big screens showing the speaker

September 27, 2018 0

Labour conference: Members call on party to ‘stop and scrap’ universal credit

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Disabled Labour members have used the annual conference to demand that their party calls on the government to scrap its “toxic” universal credit benefit system. Labour’s position has been to call on the government to stop the rollout of universal credit – which merges six working-age benefits into one – and to “fix” it.

Politics

September 27, 2018 0

Labour conference: Anger as party awards unions half of votes for disability elections

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Disabled members of the Labour party are angry that new plans to elect a disabled representative to a key party body will see half of the votes in the election given to unions. Members of the executive of Disability Labour, which is affiliated to the party, want to see elections for the new seat

Activism and Campaigning

Eight people, including four wheelchair-users smiling at the camera

September 27, 2018 0

Labour conference: Fringes hear call for ideas on how to resist years of oppression

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Disabled Labour supporters have described some of the ways in which left-wing activists could push back against years of government austerity, oppression and attacks on inclusion. They were speaking at two events taking place on the fringes of this week’s Labour conference in Liverpool, both organised by disabled researchers and campaigners Dr Paul Darke

Benefits and Poverty

Dave Allan speaking in front of a screen saying stop and scrap universal credit

September 20, 2018 0

TUC piles pressure on Labour with vote to scrap universal credit

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Trade unions have voted at their annual congress to call on the Labour party to shift its stance on universal credit and promise to scrap the controversial benefit system. The annual TUC Congress approved a motion last week that had already been passed by disabled trade unionists at May’s TUC Disabled Workers’ Conference. The

Politics

September 20, 2018 0

Lib Dem conference: Party anger over DPAC’s ‘don’t vote Lib Dem’ call

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Two leading disabled Liberal Democrats have criticised anti-cuts activists over their public call for disabled people not to vote for their party. Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) published a high-profile message on social media this week during the party’s annual conference in Brighton, warning that disabled people “won’t forget” and “won’t forgive” its junior

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