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Over 100 people attend mass lobby of parliament

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Disabled activists travelled from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to lobby their MPs over the Pathways to Work Green paper, the Disability News Service reports.

As many as 40 MPs held meetings with constituents, including former Conservative work and pensions secretary Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Daisy Cooper, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats; and former Green party leader Sian Berry.

But others did not turn up, including Ellie Reeves, chair of the Labour party and sister of chancellor Rachel Reeves. Housing minister Matthew Pennycook was another no-show.

According to Disability Rights UK, the lobby was organised by the Coalition Against Benefit Cuts, Disabled People Against Cuts, Disability Rights UK, Well Adapt, Inclusion London and SIC.  

With over 100 people attending it was one of the largest lobbies by the disabled community in over a decade.

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Pixelmum
    · 1 days ago
    Another interesting article today...

    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      sara
      · 17 hours ago
      @tintack
      @tintac, good to know we're ahead of the game, you and I: 2 days ago under the B&W article "Are Tories set to vote against Green Paper cuts?" :

      Me
      "...I wonder whether we should up the anti by inviting even the sympathetic and rebel mps to pressure their unsympathetic colleagues into supporting us and voting against the green paper. With enough momentum things could turn from mps being afraid to defy the whip to their being afraid of voting on the losing side - if the vote goes against the cuts."

      You
      "I certainly see nothing wrong with asking a sympathetic MP to try to persuade their colleagues to vote the right way.

      I think we're already past the point at which threats from the whips carry much force... What can they do - threaten to withdraw the whip from all of them? Clearly not.

      That's why the momentum needs to be maintained: the more MPs are willing to rebel the less power the whips have...it''s essential to keep up the pressure on Labour MPs.



    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      tintack
      · 19 hours ago
      @Pixelmum
      I saw an interesting quote yesterday from an unnamed Labour source who said that after the local election results, "a lot of people have decided they're more frightened of the voters thanĀ  the whips". We definitely need to keep up the pressure on Labour MPs to hold their nerve and vote against the cuts. A rebellion that gets into three figures might well be enough to defeat the government.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    keepingitreal
    · 1 days ago
    Marti. Lewis points out "the estimated 700,000 eligible people who were not claiming pension credit".

    When they do, the cost will far outweigh any savings on wfa. Messing with that was a total shot in the foot for Labour.

    Lewis on welfare cuts:

    ā€œWhen you take a payment away from people with no other income, the biggest problem is what do you do, how do you transition them to a new lower income when prices are going up? The answer is you canā€™t.ā€

    You can't, prime minister, you can't.

    https://www.google.co.uk/url?q=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/martin-lewis-winter-fuel-payments-starmer-pip-b2756502.html&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiahJD7-LqNAxW-VUEAHe4hFi8Q0PADegQIChAL&usg=AOvVaw2kNB50iM6l2-hRqZL70Z5g
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    SLB
    · 1 days ago
    My brain sometimes looks at figures and can't work them out properly.Ā  So can someone confirm I'm right here?

    A Labour MP has 5000 votes and a Green MP (for sake of argument) has 4000 votes.Ā Ā 
    There are 1000 PIP recipients, and they all voted Labour.Ā Ā 
    If 501 of that 1000 PIP claimaints switch to the Green MP, then the Green MP has won. (4499 vs 4501).Ā Ā 

    We heard these figures of how many PIP claimants in each constituency, but I've only just realised only half of them have to change their vote for the Labour MP to lose their seat.Ā  Are my sums correct?Ā  If so, that means even Liz Kendall is at risk of losing hers in 2029.Ā 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      rtbcpart2
      · 23 hours ago
      @SLB My post was a reply to yours, mainly, SLB. No disrespect, Yorkie Bard.Ā 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      rtbcpart2
      · 1 days ago
      @Yorkie Bard There is an incomprehensible number of numbers (!) flying about and I've stopped trying to comprehend or cross check them. All I know is how I would be affected, before, then after state pension age if the cuts were to go ahead, and I trust there are others who are across their own situation who know how they would be affected.

      I am able to conclude that things would be bad for a great number and for every single soul whose suffering makes up that number it's a world of pain.

      That said, I continue to delight in this - albeit imprecise - number, that for more than 200 Labour mps their majorities are smaller than the number of PIP claimants in their constituency.

      That's the most embarrassing revelation of just how feckless they are, and their reaction to that great big oops has been a joy to behold. Never mind the plight of - how many disabled is it? - rebel to save yourselves, you lazy greedy freeloaders.Ā Ā 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Yorkie Bard
      · 1 days ago
      @SLB SLB, if your assumptions about way that the 1000 PIP claimants vote is correct, then your calculations are spot on!Ā 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    SLB
    · 1 days ago
    Just when you thought things were getting better, we get this news story from the BBC, which doesn't sound very hopeful.Ā 

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp3q7584v07o

    One MP they talked to, Alex Ballinger, is in favour of the PIP cuts.Ā  So, I sent Mr. Ballinger a post on X which reads as follows:

    Let's talk aboutĀ Ā @AlexBallingerMP

    Mr Ballinger is the Labour MP for Halesowen. His majority at the election was 4,364. There are 5,945 people claiming Daily Living #PIP in Mr. Ballinger's constituency.
    Ā 
    Mr. Ballinger told the BBC that he thinks the most important thing about the #disabilitybenefits cuts is the support to get people into work. But those that CAN'T work are going to lose Ā£8400 (or more) from their yearly income. And even those that do find work are going to need to earn Ā£17,000 a year in order to get back what they have lost through benefits because of the UC tapering system.

    Here's a bit of common sense - disabled people are not likely to work full time, even if they find a job that they can do at all.
    Ā 
    How exactly do you think that's right, Mr Ballinger? And do you even understand the benefits system and the proposed changes? It certainly reads as if you don't. And how am I and thousands like me meant to live on less than a third of our current income? The #Disabled are NOT collatoral damage for the failed economic policies of your party or the Tories.

    Perhaps more important than all of that for Mr. Ballinger is just how he intends to keep his seat in 2029 when his majority is considerably less than the amount of people in his constituency on PIP that he is plunging into poverty?

    I have to confess that I have started double-checking myself when sending posts on X right now, as it's easy to say something you really don't mean.Ā  There's a thin line between harassment and making your point in the bluntest way possible, and I am getting concerned that I'm approaching it - and I really don't want to cross it.Ā  That's not what I'm about - although I do feel harrassed by the Labour MPs in many respects, who want to take away our lives.Ā  Because with that money gone, we don't have lives, we have an existence.Ā 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Gingin
      · 15 hours ago
      @Moose I said this to Ed Davey when he called me before PMQs. I made a point to say that MPs should not be voting on this without a proper understanding. He agreed that they probably donā€™t understand yet. We still have work to do on this, friends.Ā 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Frances
      · 15 hours ago
      @Moose I agree. Educating people about welfare is our greatest challenge. It's just not widely understood how the proposed changes would impact claimants. That's why the least the government should have done is wait for the impact statement before holding the vote, and perhaps why they did not
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Moose
      · 17 hours ago
      @SLB The problem is the benefits system is so complex. Unless someone has ever had dealings with it then itā€™s impossible to get a proper understanding of it. Most MPs have probable never had persons dealing with it hence their poor understanding of it. Iā€™m concerned that MPs will be voting on something they are clueless about.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Gingin
      · 19 hours ago
      @SLB SLB, one again youā€™ve hit the points with pinpoint accuracy and flourish, and I donā€™t think youā€™ve ventured into harassment at all. Brilliant post, I hope you go viral- again
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      tintack
      · 1 days ago
      @SLB I don't think there's anything wrong with the message you sent to Ballinger. There is nothing wrong with being blunt as long as you stick to facts - and you did. Asking him a question like how you're supposed to live on a third of your current income is perfectly reasonable, as is asking him to justify that. In fact it's more than reasonable: it's essential to have this sort of thing pointed out to MPs like him so they know exactly what the impact will be on real people. Similarly, pointing out that people will lose literally thousands of pounds a year is also reasonable - because it's true. Ballinger and those like him need to have these facts pointed out to them and asked to justify them. Obviously you have to be careful and not cross the line into being abusive, because then he'll just ignore you, but as long your messages are factual, blunt is good.Ā 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    rookie
    · 1 days ago
    The government is jittery, apparently. Welcome to our world.

    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      tintack
      · 1 days ago
      @naheegan
      "Is it 'dire' by definition or is that a polite word for something more descriptively extreme."

      If the cuts go ahead many people, me included, won't have enough money to cover even the bare essentials required for survival. I think that qualifies as dire. MPs like Alex Ballinger think it qualifies as "a bit of encouragement".
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      naheegan
      · 1 days ago
      @tintack If beating with a stick is encouragement... good grief.

      Is it 'dire' by definition or is that a polite word for something more descriptively extreme.Ā Ā 

      I have recently been all over theĀ Joseph Rowntree Foundation site, doing a lot of reading. I've wanted to include verified stats in any online comments I make. There's a wealth of info, stats being one that are worth inclusion in many current conversations and letters to MPs.

      One recent report, UK Poverty 2025, makes a statement that is obvious to claimants, but intentionally omitted by government spokebots and is consistently unreported by the media:

      "the basic rate of UC is even below destitution thresholds."

      To intentionally reduce financial assistance to those living below destitution thresholds is an unforgivable level of cruelty. I knew this, as we all do, yet was still shocked at seeing this shameful truth in print.



    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Yorkie Bard
      · 1 days ago
      @rookie And sounds like JD Vance?
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Yorkie Bard
      · 1 days ago
      @rookie Yes rookie, but don't you think that Alex Ballinger both looks likeĀ JD Vance?
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      tintack
      · 1 days ago
      @rookie "For Alex Ballinger, who was elected as Labour MP for Halesowen last year, his party is about "increasing opportunities for the most vulnerable people in society".

      "We're about improving life outcomes and being ambitious for those people who maybe need a bit more encouragement," he said."

      And apparently Ballinger believes the best way to "increase opportunities for the most vulnerable in society" is to give them "a bit more encouragement" - by plunging them into dire poverty. "Labour values" indeed.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    CaroA
    · 1 days ago
    https://cathoughtsdotblog.wordpress.com/2025/05/23/privileged-but-unprocessed-how-elite-education-and-unacknowledged-loss-created-a-cruel-welfare-state

    Sorry if anyone is interested this link should work the last one didn't!

    Things just got personal......

    Ive written a longer piece exploring how personal histories of our leaders and elite education may have shaped decades of brutal welfare policy. Please feel free to post elsewhere.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Welsh val
      · 1 days ago
      @Helen Galloway Exactly right Helen GallowayĀ 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Old Mother
      · 1 days ago
      @CaroA Good read. Interesting links. On reading your blog I feel we need a different type in politics representing fairness and equality for all rather, than self-service for the few.Ā 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Old Mother
      · 1 days ago
      @Helen Galloway So agree. Pointless talking about caring. Ā Go for where they are unlawfulĀ 
      Or the money. They practice managerialism - point out their fiscal failings. Ā 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      James
      · 1 days ago
      @Helen Galloway They are sociopathsĀ 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Helen Galloway
      · 1 days ago
      @CaroA They donā€™t like weakness they despise it. You have to be thick skinned and highly confident but you still can have humanity look at Jeremy Corbyn . These automatonā€™s left all that behind and I Ā think they care more about themselves their careers than helping people. So when we deal with people like that you wonā€™t get anywhere appealing to a better nature that isnā€™t there. Itā€™s defeating them any way you can when they make errors fail or donā€™t follow processes properly.Ā 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    gingin
    · 1 days ago
    More wheeling and dealing around the child benefit cap to present themselves as having an ounce of humanity. Apparently, once disabled children grow into disabled adults they can be cast aside and left to survive on thin air.Ā 

    https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/may/23/no-10-delays-child-poverty-plan-despite-tens-of-thousands-more-hardship
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Cathedral city
    · 1 days ago
    Today Liz Kendall doubled down on the cuts and said she will not 'resile' despite opposition.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      rtbcpart2
      · 1 days ago
      @tintack šŸ˜Æ I should have thought of that šŸ˜‚
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      tintack
      · 1 days ago
      @SLB Further to my last comment: is the vote on the green paper or the white paper? I'm assuming it would not be on the white paper yet as the "consultation" on the green paper hasn't even finished yet. It's hard to see how they could produce a white paper for a vote when the green paper consulation is still ongoing. If the vote is on the white paper that's not great, but the fact remains that the WFA climbdown shows that a policy passing doesn't necessarily mean it will remain intact.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      tintack
      · 1 days ago
      @SLB
      It would be great if the vote goes ahead and they lose it. That said, even if it passes, it will probably only do so with a significant Labour rebellion. It's important to remember that the vote, if it happens, will only be on the green paper. So if there is a big backbench rebellion, all will not be lost. The WFA cut was passed and they spent months saying they wouldn't back down......and now they're backing down.

      This is likely to be a long fight and I suspect a key date will be next May with the next round of local elections and the Scottish and Welsh elections. I think it is essential that Labour gets hammered at those elections by parties to its left. Kendall is currently saying the disability cuts have to go ahead in order to fight Reform, so she is explicitly saying that Labour losing votes to Reform is a justification for the cuts. That ought to be more than enough to dissuade anyone on here who is toying with voting Reform from doing so.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      tintack
      · 1 days ago
      @rtbcpart2 That's a terrible slur against the wicked witch community.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      SLB
      · 1 days ago
      @tintack My own personal prediction is that the introduction of the white paper will be delayed (it was already meant to have been in May), and then just before recess for the summer they announce a change of heart - hoping it will be forgotten over the summer months when there's little to no politics on TV.Ā 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Ann
    · 2 days ago
    Just shows what senior labour members think of the importance of these cuts to disabled people by not being bothered to turn up. This mass lobby was brilliant, it's showing the government that we won't lie down and be trampled on. Hopefully the tide is beginning to turn......Ā 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    tintack
    · 2 days ago
    "But others did not turn up, including Ellie Reeves, chair of the Labour party and sister of chancellor Rachel Reeves."

    How completely shocking and in no way predictable.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    CaroA
    · 2 days ago

    Well done the protesters.....šŸ‘

    Things just got personal......

    Ive written a longer piece exploring how personal histories of our leaders and elite education may have shaped decades of brutal welfare policy.Ā  Please feel free to post elsewhere if you like.





  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Gingin
    · 2 days ago
    I hope to join this demo tomorrow, itā€™s the only one thatā€™s been remotely close to me. For more into see DPAC on FB. Please join if you can:

    1pm Saturday 24th May 2025

    Aneurin Bevan Statue, Queen Street, Cardiff

    Partnered with Donā€™t Call Me Special and Cardiff Peopleā€™s Assembly

    Members of the newly formed Cardiff & Valleys Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) will be showing support on the day and letting people know about the 3rd June lobby of the Cardiff disability cuts consultation.

    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Gingin
      · 2 days ago
      @Gingin Thereā€™ll also be a demo outside the consultation In Cardiff on 3rd June (info on DPAC site) and as Iā€™m attending that Iā€™ll prob do the demo the same day instead of tomorrow. If anyone can come, please do add to the numbers on either or both dates!Ā 

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