OT Problems

This rant concerns an Occupational Therapist (OT). Last week I went for a viewing of a wheelchair accessible property. This was the second viewing as the first was conducted sans OT. As it was a lovely spring day the housing officer suggested we wait outside for the OT, who as though to cue pulled up on his bicycle.

Staring at me with something of a quizzical look he asked me how long I’d been using a wheelchair, “About seven or eight years” I gestimated.

“When we met three years ago you weren’t in a wheelchair” replied the increasingly medical model sounding OT.

“Ah, that’s because we met in my current home” I responded “and one of the reasons you were assessing was due to my inability to fully utilise my home due to lack of wheelchair access”.

“In fact you recommended me for a wheelchair standard home over my current mobility standard flat.”

“But you were not using a wheelchair when I visited you last, were you?”

A sense of déjà vu was seeping into this conversation.

“To reiterate. You came to my flat back in 2011. The purpose of the visit to determine whether or not my home could be made accessible for wheelchair use. You measured various areas and launched into all the reasons why it was impossible to structurally alter the property, blah, blah, blah – which as I come from a construction back ground I was fully conversant with; and probably also better qualified.”

Adding to this I told the OT I’d had very bad experiences with OT’s in Lambeth over a number of years. That in the past they have ignored my needs. Indeed on one occasion an OT had conducted an assessment that took two hours to complete. He then copied me in a the assessment report, which turned out to be word-for-word identical to a report made three years earlier, all except he had changed the names.

Anyway, approaching the front door of the property, and stone me if Ove Arup doesn’t come out with another ‘qualified’ statement, remember at this point the front door was still closed:

“The hall is too small for you to make a three-point turn” prejudged he - even though a full turning circle for a wheelchair is not the same as a three-point turn.

The housing officer opened the front door and I entered the flat span around and gave the OT a mental ‘V’ sign.

As you can see achieving a turning circle in a wheelchair is not the same as carrying out a three-point-turn

Things just went down-hill after this. Mr Medical Model put obstruction in the way of obstruction. The doors were too narrow because I pull myself into the room by way of the door frame. This is a habit I have; and I do this at work, in public buildings, whether or not the door widths comply with Approved Document M.

He then picked up on me using my feet to open doors. Well, yes I do. What is the purpose of a kick plate anyway? Especially when the doors are fitted with Perkins door closers.

He persisted in asking me questions and not satisfied with the answer, attempted to get the answer he wanted by couching the question in a different way:

“Do you cook?”

“No. I have problems standing; and with a weakened left arm do not feel confident handling hot pans.”

“How about heating meals in a microwave?”

“Same thing, difficulty safely handling hot dishes.”

“You must make hot drinks, surely?”

“No I don’t. For exactly the same reasons I’ve just made.”

“So who cooks for you?”

“My PAs” – by now I’m getting the right hump.

“Are you his PA?” he asks directing the question at the only other person in the room.

“Yes, I’m one of Seán’s PAs” says my PA.

“Tell me…” and before he could finish the question, my PA interrupts with: “you’d best ask Seán”.

Of course I jumped in and told him to direct any questions about me to me.

At this point he accused me of being blasphemous to Lambeth OTs. Yes, he said ‘blasphemous’! Now I’ve met a good few consultants who fancy themselves as God; and not too few physio’s who are the devil incarnate – only joking Lesley, physio’s are all lurvelllly…

I’m supposed to be signing the tenancy agreement on Wednesday. Wouldn’t be surprised if the OT puts the kibosh on things stating the property is not suitable; and telling the HA that the council will not carry out any adjustments to the place.   

"Sod the 'cradle of humanity'..."

“The worrying thing is that its [Africa] supposed to be the 'cradle of humanity' as the earliest humanoid fossils were found there. Considering that that means that people have lived there longer than anywhere else, the place is remarkably backward in health, education, political stability....in short, all the things the rest of the world have in far better condition. Sod the 'cradle of humanity' - I'd rather have the comforts of 21st century civilization!!!”

A contributor to Facebook

So, far from being the 'cradle of humanity' Africa is reduced to an uncivilised continent that has contributed nothing to the civilising of humanity. That is humanity as measured by someone cosy with the comforts of Western civilisations.

I wasn’t aware that the 21C had been reduced to a single civilisation.

However, that aside for now. Let’s examine the comforts of this century, shall we? What about that darling delight coming our way, Global Warming? On the bad side a great swathes of land submerged in water which will either displace or kill billions. On the good side… there is no good side.

Pollution is already out of control in many of the developed countries on this planet. Now that China, India and Brazil are in the race to produce more goods the use of fossil fuels will rise over-proportionally given the size and scope of these economies.

The real threat of desertifaction of massive areas of the USA and Central Asia; and a creeping southwards of the Sahara Desert in Africa. Attendant on desertification will be reductions and loss of vital water supplies. In volatile regions such as the Levant and Middle East this will exacerbate existing relations between states, relations that are already tenuous or even non-existent in some cases.

Then there’re the other great comforts afforded by 21C civilisation. Neo-liberalism and the growth of greed to ginormous heights. The division of wealth that today sees awning gap the size of the Rift Valley between the rich and poor. Over 1,000,000 people were forced to resort to food banks in the UK, the 7^th richest country on earth, in the past year.

In the world’s richest economy, the USA, 3.5 million citizens experience homelessness in a year. 18% of US citizens have no medical insurance. Some 50 million Americans struggle with hunger at any one time.

Those are the real “…comforts of 21st century civilization!!!”

Finally the very real threat of another war engulfing much of the world is never too far away in this 21C idyll in which we exist. Since it is so backward and that Africa has contributed the least to many of the great achievements of the 21C will this undeserving continent then be excluded from the great comforts such as global warming; air and water pollution; and destruction in a nuclear holocaust?

A Definite Disconnect Between the Wealthy and the Poor

Kate Humble the star of the TV programme, Lambing Live, believes food is too cheaply priced. Humble argues that the public does not value food due to its cheapness and the fact they are disconnected from the farming process.

These are the views of a successful TV presenter who is married to a TV director both of whom also own a 117-acre, ex-council, farm in Trellech, Monmouth. So little fear of food banks for these two.

Kate Humble in the haystack in which she lives with the lambs she purchased  from 'Lambs 'R' Us'

OK, Mz Humble let’s apply your logic generally. Firstly we’ll raise the cost of farm labourers because you do not value them due to their cheapness and the fact you are so disconnected from their financial needs. Then we’ll raise the duty on agricultural diesel, as it’s obvious that you haven’t a clue about the oil industry, thinking that diesel simply comes from a tanker; and you’re totally disconnected from the intricate process of fuel taxation.

Ignorantia legis neminem excusat - unless you're a government Minister

Mrs Miller is the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport; and has been an MP since 2005. This means she has worked in the Westminster village for almost a decade. That’s almost ten years in a job that involves the making and enacting of laws.

Yet, like so many of her parliamentary associates Mrs Miller appears unable to distinguish between right and wrong herself. How is it that MPs, people for whom the law is an intrinsic part of their everyday lives, have such difficulties in understanding their own expenses procedures?

Mrs Miller making her less than contrite apology -
not for claiming £40,000 more than her entitlement,
but for her attitude towards an inquiry into her expenses

As a rule ignorantia legis neminem excusat, unless you’re a government minister. In which case a fraudulent claim in excess of £45,000 can be reduced to a repayment of £5,800; with a less than contrite 30-second long apology that sounded more like a stroppy teenager’s ‘whatever!’

Yet while MPs are allowed to get away with cheating on a vast scale, benefits’ fraud of under £20 K can carry a prison sentence of up to 12 months. There is talk of increasing the sentence for benefits’ fraud to ten years. In supporting such Draconian sentencing the political director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, Jonathan Isaby argues that:

"This is people stealing from taxpayers - stealing from vulnerable people. A message needs to go out that this is unacceptable and increasing sentences will act as a deterrent."

Most of us know the ‘us and them’ model which underpins most areas of life in Britain. All that the Miller case does is to confirm that it extends to Parliament. So Us and Them-ism runs through education, employment, health, housing, welfare, policing, the judiciary and Parliament. Good to know those at the top are able to maintain consistency.

Turn Left, Labour

"Ed Miliband risks losing next election and Unite support, says Len McCluskey

Labour is at a crossroads and may lose union's financial backing if it offers 'pale shade of austerity', general secretary warns"

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/apr/01/ed-miliband-election-unite-financial-support-len-mccluskey

In the 2015 general election voters may feel, 'Why change buses half way through the journey when both buses are headed to the same garage?'

The Labour Party is in need of an epiphany; whilst Ed Milband could do with a road to Damascus experience...and soon!

What did the ILF ever do for me?

The government is using a quite disingenuous argument that continuing with ILF somehow creates a two-tier stream of state care and support. It also argues against the cost of having to administer two different levels of care; and by placing all social care under one authority it would save on administration.

As a recipient of ILF I can testify to the benefits this scheme affords. My local authority has assessed me for social care and support that meets the needs of my personal care, including cooking and some shopping – around an hour for the weekly shop. In addition to this I receive funding for laundry, my condition calls for washing and drying of bed linen and clothes on a daily basis; and I get some a small amount of time for domestic care – housework.

The local authority care package is an essential part of my day-to-day living. Without this means of support my most basic needs, bathing, toileting, cooking, shopping, etc would go undone.

There is more to life than being kept clean, wearing fresh clothes and well fed while living in a nice clean environment. Just as women in struggle have called for ‘Bread for all, but roses too…’, disabled people demand the right to care and support over and above that necessary just to keep us functioning.

With ILF money I can pay PAs to assist me outside of the home. Going swimming can be done on my terms, not me being beholden to friends or family. Similarly I can choose to visit art galleries when I wish to do so. My disability campaigning is not hindered because I’ve nobody to drive me to an event.

ILF goes some way in levelling the playing field.

Without this funding many thousands of disabled people will find it impossible to hold down jobs. A for instance is the length of time local authorities give for support for a morning slot. Invariably the time allocated falls far short of that actually needed to properly support someone’s full care needs.

The work I do, which has me meeting with the public on a daily basis, calls for a certain degree of grooming and smartness. My current local authority time slot, an hour, for a PA to assist me with getting out of bed, toileting, showering, drying and observing areas such as feet, dressing, ironing my clothing, preparing breakfast, drying and cleaning the wet room, and clearing away after my breakfast does not cover these activities.

Without ILF to make up the shortfall I would find it impossible to get ready for work – remember Access to Work only covers the recipient from front door to work and back again.

But even if I did manage to get into work. My life would become a cycle of work to home to bed to work to home to bed with no funding to support any kind of social life. Actually, I’d be one of the more fortunate people as, provided I retain council funding, I’d be going to work and interacting with other people that way.

What of the thousands of disabled ILF users who either can’t get into employment or maybe are unable to work. For many of these people the prospect of social exclusion is a likely outcome. Loneliness will feature high in people’s futures. Some will be forced into residential care.

Over the past few decades disabled people have felt, albeit slowly, inch by achingly inch, a sense of moving forwards. DLA was a recognition of the extra costs met by disabled people in their day-to-day living.

Self-directed support a means to enhance individual’s independence was introduced – sure, it has its bad points.

In 1995 the DDA came into being. Toothless at first. However, Labour gave it a bit of a bite when it set up the Disability Rights Commission in 1998.

As a result more disabled people gained employment. And schemes such as Access to Work have proved a lifeline to thousands of disabled workers – sadly the LibDems are even making cuts here.

Improvements to public transport were coming on line; as well as the Motability car scheme that widened the world for hundreds of thousands of us.   

Yet in four short years we are witnessing a terrible reversal of the gains made in the past thirty or so years. The progress we experienced took countless disabled people from the shadows of exclusion into the sunny neighbourhood of social inclusion. This government is building more walls and barriers that will push us out of the sunshine back into the shadows.

TUDA STATEMENT ON ILF CLOSURE

In November 2013 a successful appeal was made to the High Court to stop the government from closing down the Independent Living Fund (ILF).

The ILF allows around 18,000 disabled people with complex care and support needs the opportunity to more easily interact within the wider community.

On March 6^th it was announced that following an equality impact assessment the government felt confident to justify their decision to close the scheme.

The Trade Union Disability Alliance strongly condemns the government for choosing to take this route.

In taking this course they have:

·       expressed a complete disregard for disabled people;
·       shown an indifference to the Court of Appeal decision; and,
·       flouted the right of independent living that is enshrined as one of the principles in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

TUDA believes that due to postcode lotteries and an ever dwindling public purse that local authorities would not be able to offer the same level of support and care afforded by the ILF.

And that as a result a shortfall in care packages will result in many thousands of disabled people facing a loss of independence which could result in:

·       unemployment;
·       economic exclusion;
·       social exclusion; and,
·       personal loneliness.

Welfare sacrificed in favour of Tory tax cheats

You couldn't make it up, could you; and why isn't the over-concerned tax payer, so beloved of this government, kicking up a storm? 

While I have no issues with the DWP looking to recover monies where fraud is proved, the government must also introduce some balance into the situation. It is known that HMRC fraud officers turn a profit from tax cheats, after all look at the sums of money involved. Yet since coming to power this government has actually cut the number of tax officers.

Conversely, they've increased the numbers of benefit fraud officers who, because they're chasing far less money, are a greater financial burden on the tax payer that this government would have us believe is deserving of value for money.    

This graph firmly nails the lie that we can't afford our welfare system

How much more revenue could the state rake-in were they to reverse the proportion of HMRC to DWP fraud officers. Ah, but that would mean the Tories going after their own, as tax cheats are more likely to be attracted to the Tory ethos of personal greed.

Unite Executive Elections

A big thank you to all the Branches and workplaces that nominated me for the disability seat on Unite's Executive Council. As nobody else stood I return to the executive unopposed. However, I am available to assist other UL candidates during the balloting process of the election.

Finally, well done all those other UL candidates who went through unopposed; and a big well done to all UL candidates for the efforts you've made in gaining such numbers of nominations.

Just another few weeks hard work should I hope see a UL dominated Executive Council.

What a Royal Tosser!

Just spotted this on Twitter. Prince Charles dressed as...well you tell me! What a fucking hoot. Mind you, it's a change from his family's usual fancy dress choice...a Nazi uniform (but of course lots of his cousins wore Nazi uniforms for real).

Where's that facking hookah, I'm gagging for a pull!

Plans to axe Capital Call – make your views known

Transport for London is looking to deprive some of London's disabled TaxiCard users by scrapping Capital Call. Capital Call affords its users the chance for longer subsidised journey's than TaxiCard which, in my experience, will take a user just over 3 miles on two swipes of the card. With Capital Call the user can use as many as five swipes, thus allowing a longer subsidised journey.

Once it's taken away we will automatically lose £200 of subsidised fares per annum; and it's unlikely to be replaced by anything that will benefit people, many of whom, totally depend on this form of door-to-door transport. Thus increasing the likelihood of social exclusion and its attendant impoverishment among disabled Londoners.  

Stop Corporations Using Your Medical Records

Unless you opt out now, care.data will soon store the medical records of everyone in England, yours included, in one giant database.

Our confidential health information will then be shared with companies and other public bodies.

Either follow the link below or contact your GP as soon as possible stating you wish your records to remain confidential.

https://www.faxyourgp.com/about-us

Nazi Tories? No. Just the Same Old Nasty Party...

Tory MP Nadhim Zahawi, remember him? He’s the parliamentarian, one of our law makers who over claimed his MP’s expenses by almost £6,000 in 2013. Apparently, he didn’t realise he needed a separate electricity account to heat his horse riding school stables and a yard manager's mobile home – this being a private business – and charged it all to the taxpayer.

Of course being a Tory MP he is immune from punishment. Just pay back the money and continue promoting austerity policies that kill people.

According to the DWP sanctions are only used as a very last resort; and the rules are made very clear to people. Anyone can appeal a decision.

OK then, explain how the parent of an eight-week-old baby with leukaemia was sanctioned? 

A Closer Look at China and HSBC – Are they Running Out of Cash?

Hasn't the financial sector learned anything from the disastrous collapse of the banking system in 2008? Or didn't casino banking ever go away? But why worry if they're secure in the knowledge that when in trouble the state will bail them out by socialising debt and privatising profits. So the poor are subjected to greater austerity measures while the vampire bankers continue to reap obscene rewards for failure.

Watch out for the fallout across the globe. Then what? An increase in austerity; a witch hunt for scapegoats to blame as the neo-lib governments pander to their mates’ losses. 

“Ukip’s Godfrey Bloom Asks Disabled Student ‘Are You Richard III?’”

On Thursday a Motion that “Post-war Britain has seen too much immigration” was debated at the Oxford Union. Godfrey Bloom, UKIP xenophobe, misogynist and now disablist, was present to support the Motion.

Godfrey Bloom, disablist, racist, misogynist, homophobe (left) and student David Browne at the Oxford Union (right)

Within a few seconds of David Browne, a student opposing the motion, began his opposition Mr Bloom, using a point of order to interrupt Browne, asked in a particularly derisive way “Are you Richard III or not?”

This was a disgraceful slur on Browne, who is disabled; an opportunity for Bloom to score a cheap shot, maybe even faze the young man.

However, David’s rejoinder used Thatcher by stating: "I am always quite flattered when people insist on personal attacks on their opponents as it just demonstrates they have run out of arguments."  

As is so often the situation in environments such as Oxford, instead of the audience expressing its disapproval at such an evidently disablist slur, David Browne seems to have been compelled by convention to take the incident on the chin.

Bloom was able to tell the Channel 4 News that Mr Browne has accepted the comment in good humour; so much so that:” “We enjoyed a good drink and a laugh until one o’clock in the morning on the strength of it.”

However, Mr Browne is reported to have said afterwards: "I didn’t think it was a very nice thing to say. I wasn’t happy with the remark.”

Does David Browne have the right to accept the comment in good humour? Scumbags like Godfrey Bloom open their mouths and spew out disablist, racist, misogynist, homophobic comments safe in the knowledge that they can’t be touched. They peddle their filth with impunity, often backed by papers such as the Daily Hate and Sun and the high priests of hate Richard Littlejohn and Rod Liddle waiting to champion them in the scum press.

David Browne, the longer we allow the Blooms of this world to run roughshod with their mouths or pens; the longer disabled people will have to endure slurs and put downs in reference to their physical appearances. Since you’re not happy with the remark, make a formal complaint. Don’t give Godfrey Bloom free rein to insult and abuse with impunity.

An ‘Agenda of Hope’

This poem is in response to Owen Jones' promise to pen an 'Agenda of Hope' in tomorrow's Independent to counter this government's 'Agenda of Fear'.

An ‘Agenda of Hope’

An ‘Agenda of Hope’ that flies

In the face of all those lies

Half-truths and social dividing

This government’s good at providing.

An ‘Agenda of Hope’ that the press

Take on board and confess

To the lies about austerity

Which they’ve spread with dexterity.

An ‘Agenda of Hope’ that has TV

Presenting the facts for us to see

Without distorting situations

Just to increase viewing populations.

An ‘Agenda of Hope’ that sees us disabled

As humans not to be labelled

Cheats, liars or a waste of breath

Only good to be done to death.

An ‘Agenda of Hope’ that values human life

An agenda to abolish poverty and strife

That puts an end to the torment

Of us, the ninety-nine per cent.

Nick Robinson the BBC's Tory Party Spokesman

"Mr Robinson’s appearance at the ADS annual dinner had been the subject of a formal complaint to the BBC by a leading anti-arms trade pressure group. The Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) wrote to the BBC this week stating that it believed the appearance would compromise the corporation’s impartiality and Mr Robinson’s “reputation for objectivity when reporting developments in the arms industry”.

 The corporation said it “did not accept” the accusation that Mr Robinson’s appearance would compromise his or the BBC’s reputation for impartiality."

Nick Robinson BBC Political Editor's a dyed-in-the-wool Tory who
wouldn't recognise objectivity if presented itself naked lit in neon lights

Oh, what a hoot. The very idea that Nick ‘True-Blue-Through-and-Through’ Robinson has ever reported anything objectively is risible. Robinson has previous. He’s a serial Tory supporter as an ex-President of the Oxford University Conservative Association and ex-president of the Conservative Party youth group- this geezer has form.

Consign ATOS to the dustbin of history

“Outsourcing the assessment of sick, disabled and vulnerable people to a private corporation, especially one with such a disgraceful track record as ATOS, is a scandal. 54% of people in Brighton and Hove who appeal ATOS’s ‘professional’ judgements are successful –yet Ministers have so far refused to take action to get rid of ATOS and their thoroughly discredited Work Capability Assessment.”

The above statement was made by Caroline Lucas, a Green Party MP. However, this observation could have been made by any one of the countless thousands of disability activists created by this government; people who have suffered under at the hands of ATOS unfair and flawed medical assessments.

For years benefits claimants and their supporters have criticised the way in which ATOS conducts its assessments of sick and disabled people for ESA; and this criticism has been vindicated by the number of ATOS decisions that are overturned on appeal in favour of the claimant.

ATOS should be consigned to the dustbin of history as the social welfare killer it is

Yet despite ATOS’s appalling record; the fact that they get so many assessments wrong, they go unpunished.

In what other field of work or service provision, apart from maybe the banking system or Parliament, would such gross failure be tolerated? Indeed, again bankers and MPs excepted, failure on this kind of scale in the private sector would invoke penalty clauses and very likely early termination of contracts; even in the public sector serious questions would be asked, scrutiny committees would investigate ATOS’s abysmal record.

So Caroline, keep up the pressure on this government; and I hope you’ll join the thousands of ‘Anti-ATOS’ demonstrators when they march in Brighton on March 9^th. 

Unemployment figures hide minimum wage, zero hour contracts and underemployment

Today George Osborne has enthused that the fall in unemployment to 7.1 percent is "great news".

Enthusing: "Everyone of those jobs is a family more secure and it's evidence our long term economic plan is working."

http://www.itv.com/news/update/2014-01-22/george-osborne-fall-in-unemployment-is-great-news/

Maybe in the fantasy world of trickle-down Toryshire this is good news. Ordinarily a cut of 167,000 in unemployment figures would be cause for celebration; a ray of hope in an otherwise gloomy economic forecast.

However, what Osborne fails to tell us is that most of those jobs are either on minimum wage, zero hours contracts or part-time (taken up by workers who actually need full time employment). Hardly the kind of jobs that will allow any real growth in economic activity on the part of these starvation wage earners.

Indeed, it will do little to stimulate the economy nor will it greatly reduce the burden on the state as many of the newly employed workers will still be entitled to benefits and tax credits due to the appallingly poor wages they’ll be taking home.

Sadly this reductions will serve only to massage unemployment figures, moving people from one benefit to another. But, it could boost the Tories standing with the electorate as the party that pulled us out of austerity; though I rather fancy the continuing flat-lining economy will be a better indicator of Chancellor Osborne’s mismanagement of our economy.  

Build our way back to economic recovery

House building has this strange effect on the economy as a whole. Now for instance, if we were to initiate a programme of building 1 million houses in the UK this would take multitudes of building workers off the dole as well as boosting the employment of countless underemployed sparks, brickies, chippies and spreads.

Thus, we’d have scores of thousands more workers contributing to the treasury and our flat-lining economy. But it doesn’t end there.

When people move into new homes they buy everything from paint for the ceilings to curtains; they have carpets laid; new kitchens installed; new cutlery crockery is purchased to fill those new kitchen cupboards and drawers; they buy white electrical goods; they go to the DIY store for garden decking…

You get the picture. One million new houses would not only kick-start construction, but would act as a fillip to our almost moribund manufacturing and retail sectors. In addition to this it would put the brakes on the buy to rent speculator, thus brining rents down, especially in the south, to more affordable levels.

If I can work this out then I’m certain that those in ‘the know’ are aware of this very simple piece of economic logic. Therefore it’s safe to come to the conclusion that this government is not interested in:

1.    Reducing unemployment

2.    Reducing underemployment

3.    Creating meaningful jobs in construction

4.    Creating decent jobs in manufacturing

5.    Boosting employment in the retail sector

6.    Controlling the runaway levels of rent in the private rented sector

7.    Building more affordable social or council housing.

Instead it looks suspiciously as though this government like its predecessor is willing to sacrifice jobs in order to drag British workers back to the terms and conditions of the 1920s and 1930s in order that we can compete with the likes of China and India.

Benefits Street: Divide and rule TV

Much of our media has given up reporting situations objectively. At the same time, post-Leveson, they are moaning and griping about any curtailment of their freedom by government. Fair enough. A free press and media is essential in a democracy. The World Press Freedom Committee’s Charter for a Free Press outlines the means to a free press; arguing against censorship and for the independence of news.

What then happens when the press and broadcast media voluntarily jump into bed with governments because it suits their own political agendas? What happens then when they sell off their objective reporting and broadcasting of social issues in order to do the government’s bidding? What then happens to that fine sentiment: “A free press means a free people.”?

Rags such as the Daily Mail feel comfortable in running headlines like: ‘Vile Product of Welfare UK’ in condemnation of Mick Philpott after he was convicted of killing his children in a fire. Directly accusing our welfare state of somehow being complicit in this man’s crime, even fuelling his lifestyle.

Less than 0.5% of DLA claims are found to be incorrect, and this can be as a result of error on the part of the DWP as well as fraudulent claims. Yet the rapacious redtops, especially the Mail and Sun, are penning their poisonous propaganda as though the entire disabled population was cheating the system.

There is definitely a correlation between the rise in disability hate crime and the incessant misreporting of disability benefits fraud in the past few years. Many disabled people are frightened to go out in public due to the escalation in verbal abuse meted out to them by cranks who feed off the vilification and demonization of others.

Programmes such as ‘Benefits Street’ do not serve to inform in an objective way. No they set out to paint a one-sided picture of people living on benefits. Their agenda is to promote the ‘shirkers’ versus ‘strivers’ propaganda that endeavours to pit the working poor against the unemployed poor.

The new spin on the old ‘divide and rule’ politics moves the focus from government failings, including the criminal failings of the banking system and neo-liberal policies, onto communities that successive governments have ignored. Communities starved of investment in employment, education and housing are expected to fall into line overnight; and they’re expected to compete in a job market already crammed to overcapacity.

OK then, if the press and broadcast media have a charter that demands freedom against censorship; that demands that they have independence when reporting the news, then they must give us some guarantees.

1.    That they report issues objectively with balanced view points;

2.    That they endeavour to seek out the facts of the story without giving favour or grace to any one party; and

3.    That they hold government’s up to the naked light of public scrutiny instead of merely printing verbatim government press releases as news.

Freedom of speech is a precious gift that should be well guarded. However, with freedom of speech and reporting comes the obligation of truth and objectivity.  

Seán McGovern's Unite Executive Election Nomination Address

Unite the Union Executive Council Elections 2014-17

Re-election of Seán McGovern to the Disability Sector

Branch: L&E 785 Membership Number: 14171043

Dear Colleague

Here’s a little about bit about me, I’m Seán McGovern, a disabled trade unionist; active in the movement for decades and am seeking your support for the election to the Unite Executive as the Disability Rep, a position I’ve held since its introduction two years ago.

To earn a living I work in the voluntary sector as a direct payments worker which gives me a day-to-day link with disabled people and their issues. I’m also the workplace rep, chair of Unite’s Disabled Members’ Committee, co-chair of the TUC’s Disabled Workers’ Committee and sit on the TUC General Council as the disability rep.

As this government implements greater and more vicious cuts and restrictions on disabled people so there is a greater need for effective fighting back trade unions to protect our rights both inside and outside the workplace.

Over the past years Unite has proved itself a fighting back and democratic union. As a United Left member of Unite, I am proud to have defended and fought for disabled members in the following areas:

·       Producing toolkits to assist workplace reps with mental health in the workplace;

·       Assisting members to receive proper levels of Access to Work;

·       Holding education courses on Negotiating for Reasonable Adjustments in the Workplace;

·       Introducing Disability Policy into Terms and Conditions;

·       Fighting to uphold the right to disability leave;

·       Training members to become Equalities Reps and fighting for statutory rights for these reps;

·       Promoting greater publicity for British Sigh Language (BSL);

·       Promoting Unite’s disability ‘wishlist’ for the Labour Party election manifesto with Liam Byrne from the Shadow DWP;

·       Organising and participating in the massive TUC demonstrations in 2011 & 2012;

·       Giving Unite a greater voice in the disability movement by working with and supporting groups such as DPAC and TUDA; as well as becoming involved with the Peoples’ Assemblies and Unite’s Community Branches.

If elected back onto the Executive I will carry on fighting for equality and justice for disabled people inside and outside the workplace; and I will continue ensure Unite remains a members’ led democratic union. 

There is no Glory in War

To the eager volunteers of 1914 the coin of glory, honour and patriotism was a false promise. There is not enough gold in the vaults of the worlds’ banks to pay for the hurt and suffering endured by those young men whose memories linger over Flanders fields; and whose ‘sacrifices’ have been betrayed a thousand times since. If those responsible for the horrors of the ‘Great’ War built an apology to the dead that reached to the stars it would fall short by an eternity.

Let's let the dead of 1914-18 lie in peace

As we will become all too aware, this year commemorates the 100^th anniversary of what has become euphemistically known as the ‘Great’ War (1914-1918). A conflict that eventually became global being fought across three continents; and involving armed forces from five continents, from over 40 countries. A conflict so horrific as to create around 37 million casualties, 20 million of whom were wounded while a massive 16 million paid with their lives.

While it is not wrong to respect the memory of the dead of wars. It is quite another thing to glory in those deaths. Many on the right, including this current government will do precisely this. They will use 2014 as a time to celebrate the ‘blood sacrifice’ made by millions of men from the Entente armies; a sacrifice necessary to save the world from tyranny. A tyranny created by their kind of people; their class.

Michael Gove, education secretary has already begun banging the martial drum accusing the Left of propagating myths “…designed to belittle Britain and its leaders.”  

In the Daily Mail (now there’s a surprise) he writes:"Our understanding of the war has been overlaid by misunderstandings, and misrepresentations which reflect an, at best, ambiguous attitude to this country and, at worst, an unhappy compulsion on the part of some to denigrate virtues such as patriotism, honour and courage,"

My understanding of that particular war is of young men instilled with a sense of patriotic duty being shot, blown to pieces, maimed, blinded, gassed, driven insane by the incessant noise of heavy artillery bombardments, suffering inhuman deprivations in waterlogged trenches, going over the top only to be mown down by enemy machine-gun fire, wounded and drowning  in the liquid mud of no-man's-land and generally treated as cannon fodder by an uncaring inhumane hierarchy more interested in perfecting the mechanisation and industrialisation of warfare.

Troops marching through poisonous gas to their deaths;
if the gas doesn't get them the deadly rake of machine-gun fire will

There was, and still isn't anything ambiguous about this country's attitude to its working classes. No, working class men were treated as mere fuel to feed the insatiable appetite of people in power. The working classes were back in 1914 used to protect the Empire and the dizzying wealth it afforded the ruling classes. Things haven't changed over the past century. Working class men and women are still sent out to die in remote corners of the world at the behest of capital and neo-liberalism.

So Gove, your take on honour, courage and patriotism are high flown; they are hollow platitudes bestowed upon those deceived into doing your bidding against enemies you and your kind create in order that your class can justify its bellicose raping and pillaging of this planet's resources.

Unions need more political clout

According to a respondent to a piece in the (Thurrock) Echo concerning London Gateway finally agreeing union recognition with Unite: "Unions are of their time... yesterday. Over the decades, they achieved many good things with regards to working conditions and workers rights. Unions are of very little use in todays workforce and only achieve negativity in the workplace. These days they only have political agendas and rarely give a d*mn about individual workers."

Yes, unions have achieved great strides in workers conditions and rights; and this is an ongoing process. Just as with our health we don't hear people saying that medicine has had its day because it has eradicated many of the diseases and conditions that led to premature death among much of the poorer classes. No, we strive to enhance our knowledge and further improve the health of people.

In other words the march of medicine has no limits. Similarly the rights and conditions of working people have no ceiling. As new forms of employment are introduced into the workplace; as modern work applications are brought onto shop floors, offices, building sites, etc; as capitalism strives to retain a greater share of the cake, so new challenges are thrown at workers.

The idea that we, as workers have reached some magical point in our struggle for equity is risible. Across many sectors. Both public and private, wages remain frozen; or if they rise it is below inflation thus in real terms a pay cut. This Con-Dem government, in obeisance to neo-liberalism, has done its damnedest to roll back hard sought and fought for regulations in vital areas such as health and safety; and given another term would drag us back to pre-war conditions.

Which brings me to the final point made by our misled Echo reading Comrade, which is unions having political agendas. There is no pint condemning this person. After all he is only voicing an opinion held by many who don’t understand the purpose of trade unions. Indeed the many who have become so distanced from the political process to feel disenfranchised.

Yes unions do need a political voice, or if you wish ‘agenda’. Those critical of unions flexing their political muscles aren’t as vociferous in condemning the boss class for their outings into the political field. Seemingly, politics is the natural playground, the personal preserve of capital. 

   

How, I wonder, does our friend from the Echo think workers improved their conditions and rights? Does he suppose philanthropic bosses lobbied parliament in order to bring about health and safety measures in the workplace to reduce the working week to five days to pay people a minimum wage.

No, all these measures and more were won by trade union organised workers fighting on behalf of all workers. Sitting back waiting for employers and the capitalist class to understand the concept of fairness in the workplace would be a waste of time, indeed a betrayal to the workers of today, and those who follow tomorrow.

Industrially, politically and socially trade unions have demonstrated that theirs is a progressive agenda. Therefore, rather than having less political input I would argue that trade unions need to have a far greater influence in the political life of this country.      

Scumbag Boris Johnson

With reference to the super rich, wealthy and elitist Mayor of London, Boris Johnson stated: "We should stop any bashing or moaning or preaching or bitching and simply give thanks for the prodigious sums of money that they are contributing to the tax revenues of this country, and that enable us to look after our sick and our elderly and to build roads, railways and schools."

Scumbag Johnson should be starved of all publicity

Johnson further claimed that London's wealthy were a "..."put-upon minority" like homeless people and Irish travellers and should be protected from any further "bullying" from the public..."

And guess what? His statements were met with howls of indignation by people, who should frankly know better.

Boris Johnson is a self-publicist par excellence. He has made a career out of putting people's backs up. It's what he does; and he does it very well.

The best way to treat scum like Johnson is to totally ignore them; starve them of the column inches or minutes of TV or radio time; ignore their tweets and avoid them on other social media sites.

Dennis Skinner

Some years ago speaking in Parliament Dennis Skinner made the following observation:

"Half the Tories opposite are crooks."

The Speaker, as is his wont, calls on Skinner to:

"Please retract."

To which Skinner, quick as you like, ripostes:

"OK, half the Tories opposite aren't crooks."

Dennis Skinner giving someone stick in Parliament

Sure, it's old. But it's still:

1)  True

2)  Or at least half true, and

3)  Hilarious.

Another cheating MP gets off Scott free

It's all too easy these days to make mistakes when calculating the bills for extremely complex electricity usage. Yes, this can entail such intricate operations as reading a five digit number from a digital screen; or for those mathematically minded taking readings from five dials on a mechanical meter.

Very heady stuff. More Einstein than the average eejit could handle. But surely not so hard for a millionaire Tory businessman who has a BSc in Chemical Engineering and co-founded  the international internet-based market research firm YouGov.

So, it's reasonable to expect MP Nadhim Zahawi to be able to properly manage his leccy bill. You'd say it should be piece of piss for someone of his educational attainment. But no. Somehow or other Mr Zahawi got into a muddle when he put in electric bill claims for parliamentary expenses. Apparently he overlooked the fact that he has a stables business attached to his home; and he has been unlawfully claiming parliamentary expenses for a business interest.

Now call me a penny pinching purse-padlocking tightwad, but if my bill fluctuates by more than say 10%-20% over a quarter I'm checking old bills and on the blower to my rapacious supplier asking why and threatening to pull the plug on them - figuratively speaking of course; since they're better placed to literally pull the plug on me!

Through the laughter Cameron says to Zahawi: "You thought £6000 was a normal leccy bill. Behave, it's me you're talking to; not some mug MP on the Enquiries Committee. Best plead ignorance; the MP's defence of choice". 

Yet,  MP Nadhim Zahawi, didn't think it strange that his electricity bills were coming in at nearly £6000; that though his home had a personal meter and the stables and stable manager's mobile home a separate meter; this unconcerned MP didn't think it a bit odd that he was only receiving one bill from his supplier.

Here we go again. A mega rich man who sits in parliament legislating for the rest of us hides behind the defence of ignorance while promising to pay back the money he fiddled. So, when are people who make mistakes with their benefits claims going to be afforded the same get out?

If ignorantia legis neminem excusat holds for one, it should hold for all. So Mr Zahawi stop being a coward using your parliamentary and wealth privilege as cover and resign. You're a wrong 'un, mate. How dare you remain in place as an MP making laws for the rest of us to follow when you have no regard for the very laws that you pass.