‘Trench warfare’ as DPAC protesters shame Tories outside their conference

Disabled activists have explained why they needed to hold the government to account over its “sickening” and “degrading” cuts by protesting outside last week’s Conservative party conference in Manchester.

The protest, organised by Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), saw disabled people take a central role in the middle of wider anti-austerity protests that took place throughout the event.

Read more here: http://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/trench-warfare-as-dpac-protesters-shame-tories-outside-their-conference/

Election 2015: Tories dodge election hustings on disability

The Conservative party is refusing to defend its record in government on disability issues, after declining invitations to take part in three national, disability-related election hustings.

While the Tories’ coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats, have put up leading politicians to defend the government’s record in two of the hustings – and withdrew from the third due to “unforeseen travel difficulties” – the Conservative party have refused to take part in all three.

 

Read the rest of this article from the Disability News Service here: http://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/election-2015-tories-dodge-election-hustings-on-disability/

Tory plans to axe human rights laws will remove obligation on state to protect its citizens, says Keir Starmer

Conservative plans to axe human rights laws will mean that the state no longer has a duty to take “positive steps” its citizens, according the country’s former top prosecutor

In a clear attack on the Tories – who want to scrap the Human Rights Act – Keir Starmer said that “those who advocate the repeal or replacement of the Human Rights Act should think long and hard about the effect that would have on victims”.

Speaking to law students Cardiff University, Mr Starmer – who was Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013 – said: “It is often thought that civil liberties and human rights are two sides of the same coin.

“They are not. Civil liberties protect the individual from the state by restricting the circumstances in which the state can interfere in the affairs of its citizens.

“Human rights, in contrast, not only protect the individual from the state but also oblige the state, in carefully defined circumstances, to take positive steps to protect its citizens.”

The comments come weeks before the Conservatives are due to set out their plans to replace the Human Rights Act – which is blamed by the Conservative right for confeer with a new British Bill of Rights.

From The Telegraph, 20th Feb 2014: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10652118/Tory-plans-to-axe-human-rights-laws-will-remove-obligation-on-state-to-protect-its-citizens-says-Keir-Starmer.html

 

Iain Duncan Smith targets poor pensioners with plans to scrap free bus passes and winter fuel allowance

Iain Duncan Smith tonight stepped up the Tory war on the poor by turning his sights on society’s most vulnerable.

The penny-pinching Work and Pensions Secretary wants to slash winter fuel allowances for pensioners and scrap their free bus passes and TV licences in a move that would spell misery for millions of people.

His cruel cuts could mean OAPs having to choose between heating their homes or eating as they lose up to £300 in cold weather payments.

And the over-75s would also have to fork out £145 for TV licences.

Mr Duncan Smith’s move finally destroyed any claim the party had to being caring Conservatives.

And it flies in the face of David Cameron’s election pledge to rule out cuts to pensioner ­benefits.

Mr Duncan Smith, whose flagship Universal Credit policy is in chaos, said the Government was discussing whether to put OAP payments into a wider Whitehall cap on welfare spending.

He revealed today: “We need maximum flexibility with the cap. Pretty much all existing ringfences will have to disappear.”

Shadow Chief ­Secretary to the Treasury Chris Leslie said: “There are clearly major divisions within the Government over whether to cap pensioner benefits.

“One minute Downing Street are ruling it out and the next Iain Duncan Smith is ruling it in. It is time for the Government to come clean over what exactly they are going to do with pensioner benefits.”

Mr Duncan Smith’s move will also pile pressure on Mr Cameron to again rule out cuts to pensioner welfare.

The proposed spending cap was announced by George Osborne last year and will be formally set in the Budget later this year. At that time, the Chancellor will also set out which benefits will be included in it.

It will include most welfare payments – including housing benefit, tax credits and income support, Treasury sources said last night. But it will not include pensions or Job Seekers’ Allowance.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/iain-duncan-smith-targets-poor-3109721