Stop the Eton looters. Stop Welfare Reform.

Dear friends

Help us to defeat the Welfare Reform Bill in its last stages this week. The MPs will vote on Lords’ amendments on Wednesday 1 February.

The movement against the Bill is full of purpose and creativity. The disability/UK Uncut blockade at Oxford Circus on Saturday was fantastic: see video here!
Many people spoke about their pain, fear and determination to stop this looting by the 1% of some of the most vulnerable among the 99%.

There are many demonstrations, vigils, Twitter campaigns, blogs and Facebook pages opposing the Bill. Some people have been shocked that a Prime Minister who lost his disabled child could harm other disabled children and their carers. But he and his rich friends don’t care about any of us.

They intend to use their majority to overturn what we have won at the Lords. They think they can manipulate voters to be on their side. They are going all out to set low-waged workers against claimants. They want us to forget who the real looters are: the bankers, corporations and politicians who continue to pay themselves huge salaries and bonuses while the rest of us lose our jobs and our benefits.

Unwaged or low waged, we are the same people. Many of us were employed before illness or disability struck and we had to claim benefits. Many of us in waged work depend on benefits to subsidise our low wages and high rents. Many of us are in insecure jobs: employed one day, claimants the next. What will happen to us if we lose our jobs and there is no welfare? We are all victims of the 1% who are getting richer as we get poorer.

We refuse to go back to Dickensian days. We refuse to go back to begging and destitution. We refuse to suffer and die for their profits.

Things we can do:

Flood all MPs’ inboxes -- Tory, Lib Dem, Labour -- with emails saying why you object and why you’ll never vote for them if this Bill is passed. Even a few lines will let them know how much the Bill is hated and how worried they should be. Find their email addresses on the Global Women’s Strike website.

Contact radio call-ins & the daily papers which attack welfare benefits for our families and children. Tell them about your situation or your loved ones.

Complain to the BBC You & Yours on their anti-welfare of children stance, listen to it again. Complain

Join us at Vigils and Lobbies opposite Parliament Old Palace Yard, 1-3pm Tues 31 Jan & Wed 1 Feb.

AND at Friday 3 Feb demo against Atos which is notorious for throwing sick and disabled people off benefits. In solidarity with Nottingham demo.
1-2pm at Atos head office, Triton Square NW1 3HG. Tubes Euston Sq, Warren St.
 

We are people with disabilities, single mothers, claimants, pensioners, asylum seekers, immigrants, students, housewives and other activists……..

For more information:
Single Mothers’ Self-Defence smsd@allwomencount.net
WinVisible win@winvisible.org
Tel: 020 7482 2496