Join us to protest at the Tory Party Conference on 3rd October in Birmingham

“But David, how come you keep your hands so clean?!”

Crippen’s ‘gloves’ cartoon description – Clegg and Cameron, in matching blue suits, shirts and ties, are in a room together. On the wall beside them is a notice that reads ‘Benefit Cuts Control – directive 326c. Deny any knowledge of deaths, suicides resulting from benefit cuts.’ Cameron is holding a piece of paper on which is written ‘Cuts, cuts, cuts’. Clegg has blood covering his hands and dripping onto the floor. He is saying to Cameron: “But David, how come you keep your hands so clean?!” On the floor by Cameron is an open box of disposable gloves. He is also wearing a pair and there are used ones, covered in blood on the floor around him.

We will have our own disabled people’s section of a legal organised march to protest against Tory Party attacks on disabled people. Please join us and ask others to come too.

When       Sunday, October 3^rd, 2010.

Where     International Convention Centre, Birmingham.

Rally        noon

March     1 p.m.

Disabled people and their lives are under threat

• The Tories have threatened to remove our DLA saying that the number of claimants must be reduced by one-fifth.

• ESA and work capability assessments have been criticised by CAB, disability charities and Disabled People’s Organisations. The government have now said that from October 2010 they will speed up the re-assessment of everyone currently claiming Incapacity Benefit so that 10,000 claimants a week are ‘processed’

• Housing Benefits for all tenants will be reduced. From October 2011 for those 2 million disabled people living in private rented accommodation and from 2013 for anyone living in social housing which is deemed too large for their needs

• There are 1.8 million people households on social housing waiting lists. Currently 1 million children live in overcrowded households

• Already 30% of disabled people live below the poverty line and 1 in 4 families with disabled children cannot afford heating

• The Chartered Institute of Housing has calculated that the cumulative effect of the coalition’s proposals mean that by 2020 every tenant’s Housing Benefit will be too low to cover their rent

• Added to that funding from the Independent Living Fund for care and support has now ceased to all new claimants and any additional needs cannot be met by them

• Social Services budgets are under extreme pressure and nearly all Social Services departments have been told to reduce their budgets by 25% which has an obvious knock-on effect to their provision of care and the amount people need to pay towards this.

Weather permitting we will meet at the fountain in Chamberlain Square at 11.30 am and walk to the ICC together or at the ICC in the room where the rally will take place.
For specific needs to be met in order to attend this protest march contact  – Linda( 01926 842253 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              01926 842253      end_of_the_skype_highlighting), email: linda_burnip@yahoo.co.uk

or Tina (01989 768195), email: tina_hogg@yahoo.co.uk

Information about transport from Chris on 07986 085162