10,000 Cuts and Counting

Yesterday around 50 protesters gathered by the Clock Tower in Leicester to remember those whose have died and those still suffering as a result of the Government’s assault on the vulnerable, most particularly the disabled. A number of people effected by the Government’s assault on the disabled gave moving testimony to the gathered crowd, on a freezing, albeit sunny afternoon.

Poems were read and songs sung togther; and then the determined group slowly marched through town to lay a wreath outside of the Atos (mis)assessment centre on Halford Street. A memorial service was held outside the Atos centre to draw attention to the thousands of needless deaths that have resulted because of the Government and media-assisted scapegoating of the disabled community.

The memorial remembered those more than 10, 600 people who have died shortly after undergoing the Atos Work Capability Assessment — the degrading test used by the Con-Dem Government to assess the needs of people receiving benefits related to disability and ill health.

Of course, the Atos Assessments are just part of much wider attack on the idea that most people in Britain support: that we should build a community which meets the needs of all. But sadly our local Labour Council also support the onslaught against Leicester’s most vulnerable residents. The latest of their many attacks including the Council’s latest bid to close the much needed Douglas Bader Centre in St Matthew’s (to help save this centre sign this petition here).

The Labour-run Leicester City Council has failed to oppose the implementation of the hated bedroom tax, choosing instead to enforce a regressive tax on the poor, knowing full well that the majority of those effected are disabled. Therefore if you want to help pressure our useless Council to take positive action to support the vulnerable then join Unite Community and the Leicestershire Anti-Bedroom Tax Federation outside the Town Hall at 4.30pm this Tuesday to lobby the Council’s latest housing scrutiny commission meeting.

Unite Community and the Leicestershire Anti-Bedroom Tax Federation will be taking this opportunity to hand over a petition to the Council which calls for them to implement a non-eviction policy for all tenants who have fallen into arrears because of the bedroom tax.