What can we do Now?

So, as you may have heard, the welfare reform bill will go back to the Commons on Wednesday 1st Feb. That's just one day after the third and final reading of the bill in the Lords.

We are all beyond exhausted. Many of us have made ourselves terribly unwell as we fought the worst aspects of the bill. It seems a cruelty to have to prepare for the commons so quickly, but in a fight that has been unpleasant and cruel all the way through, we should expect no less.

It means that spartaci across the internet must summon up a few more ounces of effort for a little while longer.

Since the Responsible Reform report was launched, we now have a Facebook page and a website. People with their own ideas and plans can join the groups and help with many projects - from going through the new PIP thresholds to writing emails. Do take a look if you have some energy to help.

Today, I'm working on a template email that the wonderful people at Church Poverty Action are designing for us. You will simply have to put in your postcode and a letter tailored to your own particular MP will appear. If you can personalise it with your own experiences of ESA or PIP, all the better, but I should have the template for you to use very soon.

In the meantime, it would be very helpful indeed if you wrote to your local paper. They usually have an email address you can use to send letters to the editor. If you feel able to call up and see if they would like a short article, all the better, but many people don't yet know what the welfare reform bill will mean to them, so something very simple pointing out the changes and urging people to contact their MP would be a good start.

Local press have more impact than we might think. MPs worry when they see their local papers full of objections to a particular policy. Their first responsibility is to their constituents and if majorities are tight, pressure can have more effect than in a national paper.

We have a network now that covers most of the country, so let's see how many letters we can get published before next week.

You may have noticed that Scope have joined forces with 38 Degrees to produce an email campaign asking MPs not to use parliamentary privilege to override the amendments to the bill. If you are on their mailing list, please do take a moment to join the action.

Finally, today, a letter to the Guardian from 50 LibDem candidates urges their MPs to let the amendments stand too. We are no longer alone and even the mainstream press are putting pressure on parliamentarians that simply wasn't there a few weeks ago.

We might be exhausted, we might feel that we cannot go on, but this was always going to be a battle we would have to fight to the wire. The very fact we are fighting for amendments at all is a miracle. Good luck Spartaci!! Not long now and every last shred of effort you can find might make the difference.