Labour attacks disability rights

Mark Jansen

The focus of New Labour’s newest assault is people with disabilities, as the government draws up proposals to slash £750 million from disability benefits.

Up until now New Labour have had an easy ride, being able to force through parliament anything they like with barely a whimper of opposition from supposedly left MPs (not a single Labour MP was prepared to vote against the Asylum and Immigration Bill at its second reading).

Refusal

Alistair Darling’s refusal to accept any amendments to the current proposals may have laid the basis for the most significant rebellion within the Labour ranks to date.

A dozen national charities have withdrawn from the governments Disability Benefits Forum, complaining that they have simply been used to give credibility to a government policy that they disagree with, whilst the government has refused to take any notice of their input into the forum.

Organisations such as RNIB, Scope, the National Association of CABs and the Royal National Institute for Deaf people no longer feel they can participate in the government forum.

Some 67 Labour MPs have stated their opposition to two key points to the Welfare reform Bill: the means testing of benefits for anyone with a pension of over £50 per week, and the ending of Incapacity Benefit for anyone who hasn’t paid National Insurance for two years.

Tories

Many disabled people have already been forced off benefits through counter-reforms under the Tories and the introduction of the hated All Works Test.

Whilst it is encouraging that a number of Labour MPs have stated their opposition to the government, Darling has said that he will not back down.

It is absolutely vital that a mass campaign is built to ensure that the MPs vote against the Bill, that can win the support of a much wider layer of MPs and that can force the government to back down.

The Disability Action Network is already preparing to campaign against the bill with direct action tactics. Disability organisations, Trade Unions, Labour Parties and Benefits Rights organisations can form a powerful alliance that could force a retreat.