... and by the way, I just noticed that my blog has been read over a million - 1,000,000 - times.
1 million times!!!, Every last one of you who read my blog, played a small part in such an extraordinary thing.
A million!! I'm a bit humbled, to be honest.
I can't say much more as am having a bad day, but a "million thank you-s" - one for each and every last one of you.
xx
I bet that was me last night? I was trawling through all of them looking for the actual government spend per year on welfare. Never did find it lol. I kept getting distracted by your amazing blogs.
ReplyDeleteTHANKYOU SUEY you give me the reason to keep fighting these shitty reforms and demonisation of sick people.
More like each read count is a thank you to you! You have inspired so many people to keep fighting, given us the little boost we needed to carry on, and been battling away on the front line for thousands of us who couldn't do it themselves.
ReplyDeleteGlad you got a million views- may you get a million more!
May I echo Lydia's comments: I might have given up had it not been for your Barnabas role. Thank you from teh bottom of my soul! %) xox
DeleteNo, a milion thanks to you
ReplyDeleteYou have been through hell Sue, but you gave me the hope to fight, not just for me but for my children and other members of my family who are also 'health challenged' and due to be 'helped' into work/work related activity (and make the provider a tidy profit or keep the JCP person hitting their sanction targets )
ReplyDeleteA million little sparks make a HUGE flame. To fight all alone isn't an option for us anymore.
You are a true hero, and if there was a medal for 'standing up and being counted' you would be on the podium.
Tls
Hear, hear!
DeleteHear, hear!
DeleteThank you Sue, you are my new hero.
ReplyDeleteNo, thank you!
ReplyDeleteDon't you mean 'Aggrandised'?
ReplyDeleteHumbled, Aggrandised, much depends on the reader I'm sure.
DeleteThanks for all the work you do Sue. Easily the best site for finding stuff out and being able to comment.
ReplyDeleteSorry you are so poorly at the moment.
If you need a laugh, did you see "The Revolution Will be Televised" on BBC3 last night. Political satire at its best and ballsiest.
Confronting armed guards at Blairs house takes some guts. We should have a campaign for production of their "charity" for the taxpayers T shirts "GBOFMUC" re bankers: (Give back our fg money you c***s)
Made me laugh and SO surprised the BEEB, usually known for sucking up to the Tories, let this go out.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00vqgx5/The_Revolution_Will_Be_Televised_Episode_1/
Sue,
ReplyDeleteI read you most days and find your blog inspiring. I do not feel so alone. Thanks for all your efforts and look after your own health, please.
Mike
I haven't read it a million times .... do you have to??
ReplyDeleteITV1 is broadcasting a programme focussing on "Disability Hate Crime", The "Tonight" programme is called "Don't Hate Us", and is being shown at 7.30 PM on ITV1 Thursday 23/08/12, (later today)
ReplyDeleteTls
I thought this was a fairly measured programme. The non-appearnace of Maria Miller is not surprising - she is only accountable to her nazi bosses not the people who pay her wages.
DeleteSerious journalism about disability on tv is rare. There needs to be more although in the current political climate I'm unsure about whether it would make a difference. I do not see the Paralympics making any difference.
Maria Miller finds talking to disabled people extremely difficult as do most of the government front bench
Deletelike the royal family if they know you have a disability they wont talk to you and like the queens cousins and prince Phillip's mother you will be kept out of sight out of mind all your life
sad but true people in power do not like speaking to disabled people "fact" so it's going to be very difficult for the public attitude to change
you have to remember when has any mp or lord said anything nice towards us on tv or radio with warmth in their voice
the answer is never which of all things is the most disgusting part of living in the uk
Excellent job, oppps, better not say that as the bast------ will stop whatever. Your doing a great piece of work ahaaaaa, there I go again.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, thanks for the site, it is a thing of value for many of us..
A million thanks to you Sue, and also all the other struggling,brave people who comment on this wonderful blog.
ReplyDeleteA good letter from DPAC in the Guardian today:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/aug/22/disabled-paralympics-plight
also, from UKuncut press release:
http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/blog/press-release-former-paralympian-joins-activists-to-target-atos
tonight ITV 7.30pm Disabled hate crimes
ReplyDeleteThank you for all those who have highlighted tonight's programme. This is what it should all be about, focussing on reality. Please can we get away from personalities now? Yes, any movement needs 'figureheads' but this can be a distraction. There are a million battles still to be fought.
ReplyDelete"Tonight" -"Don't Hate Us" link for those who missed it.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.itv.com/itvplayer/video/?Filter=323748
Maria Miller, the Minister for disabled people refused to appear on the programme. In a statement she said:
ReplyDelete"WE KNOW THAT MOST CLAIMANTS ARE HONEST"
More than can be said for government ministers, then.
The government are to blame for hate crime they make the laws they give the vulnerable a hard time and the sick members of the public regretfully feed of this and also go on to give the sick and disabled a hard time
ReplyDeleteThe government need to speak out and show concern and care for the sick and disabled and do all they can so that they show they care and not speak in a way as if their scrounging and making them jump through hoops to get the benefits which are rightfully theirs
no political party in the UK is interested in achieving what you want - all are too interested in self gain - so I don't think your ideals will be realised.
DeleteTheir first self interest is in getting elected.
DeleteWith the sick, disabled and unemployed all being treated as scapegoats by this government and all put through media attacks and dishonest treatment, that's 5 million votes up for grabs. Plus those of their families.
As this carnage goes on, more and more people and their partners, children, parents, friends see what they are being put through. The message is now also getting out to the wider public despite the government's attempts to suppress and distort information. The more intelligent realise this system will apply to them too if they get made redundant or become sick or an illness or injury disables THEM.
They court the granny vote. But they are sadly mistaken if they think the disabled and their families are stupid or don't vote.
ANY political party that wants to win the next election NEEDS us on their side. We won't sell out for cheap, vague promises or be misled by a man who so shamelessly used his disabled child to reassure us for votes.
We are legion. They are few. They should be very afraid of US.
Hi Sue and all readers of this blog
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to let you know that a new socio-political movement has just started to oppose the current corruption. What you’re doing is a fantastic job. But campaigning against the abuses of the current lot won’t replace them with something else, and that needs a new political movement, that can form a new national political party in time for the next election. Alarmingly, all new parties or political movements started in Britain since the year 2000 have been far-right ones.
This has changed. There’s a new movement just started, for a decent, just and equal Britain. Go to www.jandesociety.com and read all about it! There’s a manifesto for replacing the domination of the leader and group principles with the rule of law and social equality, and a suggested British Declaration of Human rights. There are discussion forums, and email addresses to send ideas and contributions.
You may be most interested in the manifesto section entitled 'The Safety Net', all about opposing the attacks on benefit claimants and replacing this abuse with a fair society. But there's more than just benefit attack to fight - all areas of Britain have been hijacked. We need to get together.
You Sue and all readers of this blog are all on the same side as what we’re trying to achieve, and all of us on this side need to get organised with real political opposition! We’d love to have you on board. Let us know what you think!
Alistair
The Just and Equal Society Movement
...at the risk of sounding paranoid, this could be a far-right plot designed to split the Labour vote in 2015 allowing Satan's Little Helpers (Cameron,Clegg,Osborne,Grayling et al) another 5 years in power so that they can continue with their immoral,unethical (and probably illegal)slaughter of the innocents whilst continuing to privatise absolutely everything in order to line their own pockets and those of their chums in banking etc. I'll be voting Labour -- better the devil you know.
Deletethis is a last minute plea to all atos paralympians - don't go, refuse to participate, show the nation how 'brave' you really are and get rid of the atos scum
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid that message will fall on deaf ears.
DeleteThose participating in the games have the same mentality as that of the government
Paralympic Torchbearer Danny Gleeson hopes his story inspires others to get on with their lives ...and that goes for all of them without any thinking of why it might not be possible to go forward for many disabled people
in my mind those in the games and supporting the games are just playing the typical uk card and that's one of selfishness as no one sane and normal would be supporting this government crackdown leading to the death of disabled people and at the end of the day who cares that you can do something faster or fire a rifle more accurately then your fellow disabled peers
the whole thing is a complete nonsense and i have a complementary ticket for the opening and have turned it down as there is no way that i from the bank of england will be sucked in like the likes of Tanni Grey-Thompson etc
she was born disabled but made a name for herself and has forgotten about the financial stress placed on her fellow disabled citizens like the charities they speak rubbish on behalf of those that they purport to serve all they do is to keep in the same bed as the government and toe the line as if they don’t the little money that the government give them would be stopped
the public need to wake up these games are just a bunch of disabled people on a mission of glory and with much regret it saddens me
it would be far better that the disabled participating in the games got together and managed a project as there fit and well that would enrich the lives of all disabled people everywhere and forget about their own selfish glory
I agree with you entirely Nick. If I was in their position, I would far rather be remembered for speaking out against the assault on all disabled people, their rights, dignity and all the worry, stress and deaths caused. What is a gold medal for doing something quicker than someone else worth compared with that?
DeleteDid you see this article where a few Paaralympians say they couldn't do what they've done or continue with their lives after the Paralympics without DLA?
They are supporting the very company that is going to take it away from them. They are not only selfish, they are ignorant too. They don't seem to know or care what is happening to others, but after the glory is over they will be shocked to find it is their turn in the firing line. Since they can obviously self propel a wheelchair more than 50 m repeatedly, they will lose the mobility DLA that ennabled them to buy their wheelchair in the first place.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/aug/23/paralympians-state-help-disabled-benefits-cut?commentpage=last#end-of-comments
Where is the Parkinson's egg and spoon race?
DeleteWhere is the Ehler Dahnlos how many dislocations can you get walking to the bathroom challenge?
Where is the who can take the least morphine today competition?
Where is the how many voices did you hear today competition?
Where is the how many times can you be incontinent in 24 hours race?
What about the how much sleep can you go without before hallucinating competition?
Where is the how many empty cardboard boxes can you move before your arms stop working challenge?
Where is the blind obstacle course down an unknown high street with open manhole covers race?
Where is the can I chew solid food today competition?
Where is the how long can you go before you fall down with a seizure competition.
And my personal favourite, how long can you stay up before you have to crawl back to bed challenge.
There's having a disability that can be worked around and then there's being dis-abled.
Thanks
DeleteThe bottom line in this is that if you are participating in the games however small you will lose all of your DLA and that is a fact as from next year
If you are attending the games and you’re disabled your car details will be checked and this will go against you at any tribunal that you may face in the future and you to will end up losing your DLA
My personal advice is to be like the bbc and to give the Paralympics a wide berth and not to go down the route of David Cameron and the government as saying how wonderful and remarkable they all are and then stab them in the back next year in taking away there DLA
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED SO STAY AWAY
and dont think that the likes of disabled Tanni Grey-Thompson in the lords will speak up for you and save you she wont you'll be sunk up the creak without a paddle
DeleteOh really? I suggest you check your facts before you start slating Tanni. She has spearheaded a consultation, with the Children's society and Disability Rights UK, into the effects of the welfare reform act and how universal credit will push more disabled people into abject poverty. I suggest you go to the Citizens Advice website and perhaps you can contribute to the online questionnaire she is using to gather evidence.
Deleteshe had her chance to deliver a resounding speech in the lords in favour of keeping DLA and to make sure that ESA was working correctly and was fit for purpose and to have highlighted that the system was floored resulting in sick and disabled people had taken their own lives.
DeleteShe failed miserably in this task and that's fact had sue been in the lords we would have fared much better
As it is the lords have failed the sick and disabled miserably and it's been left to sue and her sick friends to pick up the pieces
As for going to a Citizens Advice website and contributing I would say that it's a bit late in the day for that as the damage to some families has already been done
These reforms don’t forget do not affect the likes of Tanni and had they done you can be sure she would have been a hell of a more vocal and not that of a mouse and stayed pretty silent
I have on a large hard drive all of the political debates that have been broadcast on tv from the house of commons and lords over the past 4 years with regards the welfare reform bills and I’ll let you know when I detect something positive and not like up to now a load of humbug and waffle from all of the main players across the board
Tanni no doubt is a very nice person but as for speaking out for the sick and disabled in a way like sue does tanni falls way short of the mark as do all of the charities as when their purporting to speak on behalf of the sick and disabled they all sound as if their talking about pets and are well detached in tone leading to a couldn't care less attitude
You need to be a strong speaker with a good solid all round knowledge if you are seriously going to speak on behalf of the sick and disabled and not like as now with everyone speaking and looking the fool
You only have to look at the descriptors to see what a farce the whole welfare reform bill has become
No one sane can ever take those descriptors seriously and only a fool would try to do so
Thing is, whilst I agree with much of what you say I am always put off by your pessimistic conclusions. You are a modern day Jeremiad, complacent in your prophesies of doom but never offering an alternative vision. There are many of us out here trying to change things; we're not all puppets of the state.
DeleteThat is regrettable in being a Jeremiad, but personally i think it's good to have someone well detached and only going on what i have seen and heard on the parliament channel only
DeleteAs i have said if i see or hear anything positive and constructive great but to date nothing just a load of old waffle
The main players David Cameron /Maria miller/Chris Grayling,/ David Freud, Baron Freud who i know well for many years and IDS are not what i would call suitable candidates for looking after the sick and disabled interests
If any of them tried to look after the sick or disabled in a care home for example for a job they would be turned down flat as none of them neither sound or look the part and lastly none of them are qualified in any shape or form to undertake that role and never could be
To my mind they look and sound like a walking nightmare and the least seen and heard from them the better and for those that have tragically died and to their families I say I’m desperately sorry for you from the bottom of my heart and I think I speak for the majority that read this blog
Should at some point I get a whiff of light of positive light of my understanding of what is needed then I will indeed let you all know until then we will all have to press on the best way we can
i have posted my alternative vision many times in the past and have no wish to keep repeating it for the benefit of the Anonymous posters
Deletesorry about that
if sue wants to find my alternative vision then no doubt she will find it and highlight it for you
Well I agree with you on one point at least; I can't imagine Cameron, Osborne and Freud as care workers either. Nightmarish thought.
Delete
ReplyDeleteAt last! The message is getting through!
38 degrees have finally just started a petition against Atos and the unfair WCA's.
"the tests aren't working" and are "causing huge numbers of people hardship and distess"
It says atos should be fined for incorrect decisions and the tests made fairer:
Sign here:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/fine-atos-when-it-fails?source=twitter-link#petition
Please retweet if you can. Lets's get thousands to sign.
do I get a gold medal if I sign this?
DeleteNo, but you might help save someone's life.
DeleteIt's up to you which you think is more valuable.