On 11th May 2011 we joined almost ten thousand disabled people marching through London. We lent them support both in the march, and in lobbying MPs throughout the day and since. The purpose of the Hardest Hit March was to say that if rapid cuts do need to be made why are the most vulnerable members of society being targeted for some of the biggest cuts? Why when disabled people face very high living costs already due to special needs, are they facing 20% cuts to their allowances and the abolition of DLA? Why is the Government wasting money on continually assessing people who cannot get any better? And even if all of this is necessary why is the Government not acting to halt the spread of fear and hatred?
The tabloids have spread a very negative image of disabled people. It’s an image of lazy scroungers living off the rest of society when they needn’t. But that image is simply not true for the vast majority. Even Lord Freud accepts that less than 1% of benefits claimants could be in any way fraudulent. The Government have done nothing to challenge, and in fact perpetuated this view of the disabled community. We believe that this is despicable, and must stop now! Disability hate crime is already a big problem. Yet what’s happening today is seeing the disabled community become a segregated community outcast from mainstream society and made to feel vulnerable by its own government.
We followed up action on the Hardest Hit March by speaking on LBC radio about what’s happening, lobbying MPs, and leading a protest outside the BBC. The march was poorly covered by the media, and virtually ignored by the old parties. The Minister for Disabled People even replied with outright lies! In response to assertions that blind people in face high living costs she (Maria Miller MP) said there are more people with drug and alcohol problems receiving high rate DLA than Blind people. But DWP figures for November 2009 show that: 22,200 with ‘drug and alcohol abuse’ problems receive DLA but 69,000 Blind people (see: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/
Since then we have continued to act in a variety of ways. For example the DRP Party Leader Robert Battison has arranged to take part in a ‘big sleepout’, where he will sleep on the streets in the middle of winter in order to raise awareness of: what homeless people go through; how necessary it is that the homelessness figure (400,000 according to Crisis, but rising substantially under the Coalition) is reduced; and how amazing is the work done by charities such as St Basils in Birmingham. St Basils will be the sole recipient of all money raised for this event, and if you want to help then please sponsor us at: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.
This is just a sample of what we’re doing and planning for the future. We believe that we can really make a difference. But if we’re to do so we’ll need your help. Please join the DRP and spend just £5 a year on making sure people hear what we’re saying. Or better yet contact us on compassionate.reform@gmail.com and offer to help. We’re a welcoming bunch and would be very glad to have you on board.
Thanks for reading,
Mark Horler, NEC Member and leader of the Compassionate Reform Group