The DWP’s Green Paper consultation programme hit a new low yesterday when police were called to deal with protestors who wanted to join a half-empty meeting in Manchester.
ITV news filmed protestors from Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) outside the Crown Plaza hotel where the in-person consultation was being held. The protestors wanted to be allowed into the meeting to have their voices heard.
Inside the building, Benefits and Work readers tell us that there were only 10 out of an expected 20 attendees present. DWP staff blamed the protestors outside, claiming they had “scared off” other attendees although there appears to have been absolutely no evidence that this was the case.
One told us the meeting was 40 minutes late starting but still ended on time and that the one DWP representative leading a discussion group ate their lunch during the meeting.
Another reader told us there were approximately 20 DWP representatives at the meeting and that, in the end they let in around 15 of the DPAC protestors in just to make up numbers.
Attendees were split into groups and a DWP representative simply took them through the consultation questions relating to chapters 2-4 of the Green Paper and noted their answers.
One attendee described it as “an exam-like experience”.
The next in-person event is due to take place at an undisclosed location in Plymouth on Tuesday 13 May.
