[ssf] Coalition Against the Welfare Reform Bill - Manchester Demonstration

JasonGmail lejasonman at googlemail.com
Wed Sep 20 21:33:13 BST 2006


Hi all, there is transport going across to Manchester from Sheffield next
Monday for this demo, ring 07956384142 to book and for more info...

Stroll, Roll and Rally against the Welfare Reform Bill!

Next Monday, 25th September, the Coalition Against the Welfare Reform Bill
will be Strolling and Rolling across Manchester to lobby the Labour Party
Conference.

All Roads lead to Manchester for disabled people protesting about the
Government's Welfare Reform Bill.

Disabled people, their organisations and their allies from across the U.K
are gearing up for the 'Stroll, Roll and Rally' against the Welfare Reform
Bill in Manchester on September 25th.  Co-coordinated by the Coalition
against The Welfare Reform Bill (CAWRB), planning for the Stroll, Roll and
rally continues apace. John McDonnell, the high profile Labour MP who has
recently launched his bid for the Labour leadership is joining the
demonstration, along with with the national officer of the NUS Disabled
Campaign, Alex Kemp and Simone Aspis of the British Council of Disabled
People (BCDP).

The Bill will see disabled people be threatened with the loss of benefits
and pushed into unsuitable work or medical treatments. The bill fails to
address major issues such as incorrect medical assessments, discrimination
by employers, a lack of support and a lack of trust. The bill will also see
housing benefit abolished, a major issue for many disabled people. Alex
Kemp, NUS Disabled Students' Officer says:
"We are very concerned about the Welfare Reforms proposed by New Labour.  We
know that implementation of these reforms would lead to further abject
poverty for disabled people.  We know that disabled people will be forced
into work that they cannot do and do not want to do.  Its about the
government sat up and realised that, as disabled people, we know what is
best for us - we are the experts on our own lives".

The Coalition is a wide and diverse grouping, the new coalition comprises
many different user led disability groups: it includes the British Council
of Disabled People (BCODP) which represents some 80 groups run by disabled
people in the UK which between them have a total membership of around
350,000 disabled people, UK Coalition of People living with HIV and AIDs,
National Union of Journalists (Disabled Members' Council), Spinal Injury
Association, Disabled Peoples Action Network (DAN), People First, National
Union of Students Disabled Students (NUS DS) campaign, Trade Union
Disability Alliance, Spinal Injury Association Network, Developmental Adult
Neuro-Diversity Association, People First, Alliance for Inclusive Education,
Hull and East Riding Mental Health Action Group (MHAG), Greater Manchester
Coalition of Disabled People, Sheffield Welfare Action Network and many
more.

The Stroll and Roll will start at 3pm from Exchange Square, (opposite
Arndale Centre) on Corporation St

There will be a rally/static protest from 4 pm at the G-MEX centre on Lower
Mosley St (Labour Party Conference
Location)

The demonstrations will be followed by a Labour Party Conference Fringe
Meeting and Launch of the CAWRB, 8pm in the Chetham Suite at the Novatel
Hotel, Portland St

e-mail: cawrb at welfare-reform.org.uk
http://www.welfare-reform.org.uk/
Coalition Against the Welfare Reform Bill



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