Friday 14 September 2012

Opinions From Spartacii Please....

This won't be eloquent or interesting, I just need a crowd-source decision.

Although I still don't get any actual money-pay, most people who ask me to speak at conferences or hold breakout sessions now pay my expenses. Luckily, this means I haven't had to use any of the left over Spartacus fund for ages. (My blagging skills appear to be second only to Kaliya Franklin's but no-one will EVER match her ability to charm)

With the political conference season fast approaching, I will be on a panel at Lib Dem conference in Brighton discussing social care with Paul Burstow, and I will be going to Manchester for the Labour conference on the Monday and Tuesday. 

Many thanks to those already supporting my ability to lobby by paying for those expenses.

However, I wanted  to ask you all if you thought it was a good idea for me to spend some of the remaining funds on extending my stay in Manchester a further two days, so that I can be there for the entire Labour Conference?

I usually feel that some of my most effective moments, politically, have been at conference where access to ministers, advisers, journos and wonks is wall-to-wall for 4 days.

It will however probably mean two more nights in the hotel and they won't be cheap during conference week. I haven't got a figure yet, but I imagine over £100 a night for two nights. My travel is covered already by those hosting the fringe events I'll be attending.

Although it's probably too late in the day, I would still like to get a pass into the secure zone, and if I'm able to, I will have to pay for that too. Obviously, if any other opportunities come up between now and then to get these expenses paid for too, I'll grab it, but otherwise, I'd really like your opinions on whether you think it's a good use of the funds or not?

Do leave comments below if you can, but if the infamous nightmare that is my comment thread won't let you, you can tweet me @suey2y or let me know on Facebbok (Sue Marsh)

Either way, I'll be doing my absolute best for you all on the Monday and Tuesday and hopefully, I can cause a few stirs again - just like last year when Kali and I handbagged poor Ed quite so spectacularly ;)






169 comments:

  1. Good idea Sue - would fully support you on those suggestions. Angela

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  2. Please do use the money - and don't scrimp on a cheap room, you'll need some comfort and rest to function well.

    Thank you so much for doing this. I wish I could offer more time or energy but it's a bit short at the moment.

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  3. Heads up from me.

    Best Wishes,Peter Benson.

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  4. I fully support you Sue, spend what you have to to get access and stay etc. You do such an important job for us all xxxxxxxx

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  5. Yes. Total agreement from me. Margo

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  6. Do it. I trust your judgement on the best way to use the money and it seems an effective thing to do.

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  7. heads up from me also sue just regret i cant be there with you

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  8. Fully behind you so it's a yes from me. X

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  9. Yes, go ahead. I don't expect much from the Labour front bench, but given the role of their backbenchers in the recent ESA debate and some 'noises off' from the likes of Denis Macshane (of all people), I think it's a wise choice of funds to work on this pressure point. Who knows, they may even crack?

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  10. I think this is an eminently sensible idea - with limited funds need to use them where we will be most effective,even if that cost is comparatively high. Can't think of anything more important than changing Labour views.

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  11. Friendlydragonspouse14 September 2012 at 12:26

    I'd say yes. Would offer to put you up, but don't have a spare bed at the moment!

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  12. As for Manchester - I live pretty close. I mean, one train journey of 6 minutes away (9 walking to the station) and of course, the stupidity of not being able to catch a train from here between 4 & 6pm unless you go back one station, cross the bridge and then get the train there to... ah you see how confusing that is? (my friend did this last year.. hard to explain, but yeah.. I thought it was hilarious that I could wave her off twice *LOL*)
    I have the room if you wish to stay, I honestly do not mind at all. I'm serious!!
    So don't go wasting your money on fancy hotel rooms. I've done this more times I can shake a wet stick at.
    I'm on twitter (@audiocoffee) give us a shout as I've got my account protected (long story!)
    I might as well be of some use to you :-D
    I also belong to a media group, so I can report on stuff if necessary as I have all the right gear.
    The offer is there. :-D

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  13. My answer would be yes, most particularly if the time could be spent getting the enormity of the crisis over the WCA over to journalists to write about.This issue has to be the priority at the moment as it is causing so much devastation, increased illness and death. This must not be allowed to continue. MPs, GPs and charities and the media are all complicit in not dealing with the enormity of this, so any way of geting this across would be money well spent.

    This survey of GPs needs much more publicity. 84% of GPs say they have patients presenting with mental health problems caused by the WCA.

    6% of GPs say they have patients who have attempted or committed suicide as a result of the WCA.

    I cannot find totally reliable info on the number of GPs but I believe it to be in the region of 35000. If the GPs who responded only had ONE patient each, this means 2,100 people have attempted or committed suicide as a result. This is state sanctioned murder, nothing less.

    http://www.rethink.org/how_we_can_help/news_and_media/national_press_releases/new_gp_survey_shows.html

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    Replies
    1. Wow, THAT'S a brilliant little truth-nugget. I'd read the report, but missed the 6% figure - that's shocking!

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    2. Go for it - The more people made aware of the critical situation disabled people are facing, the more likely we are to change opinions. You should have a good welcome from the Labour Party - but it will be actions we need from them, not just pats on the head.

      Delete
  14. Yes Sue, go for it, do whatever you have to,it's a totally appropriate use for the funds. Good luck, and please please don't kill yourself off by overdoing it....adrenalin+ lack of spoons= no spoons at all, as if you didn't know all too well..
    Thank you so much for doing this.

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  15. You will be representing all of us Sue so yes do spend the money. Good luck!

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  16. This page of stories from people going through WCA or DLA testing could give you some useful ammunition Sue. I read it last night and was so shocked. At least 3 people talking about suicide as their only way out, people who have lost their homes, a constant thread through all stories that Atos HCP's blatantly LIED on their medical eports and also another feature I have noticed a lot recently - people losing their DLA on renewal when the law has not yet changed. Often becaue the results of the ESA medical are being used to deny pre-existing and valid DLA claims. This cannot be legal, surely?

    Statistics are valuable but the human stories are haert breaking and undeniably a terrible injustice.

    http://www.dpac.uk.net/2012/02/a-request-to-anyone-who-has-been-stripped-of-their-benefits-by-atos-or-lost-dla/

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    1. Yes there is so much ammunition, ie tales of massive injustice and heartbreak. Also:

      http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/leap-in-disabled-hate-crimes-shows-need-for-paralympics-effect-8135729.html

      Charities have blamed the Government's rhetoric on benefit fraud to justify disability benefit cuts for a rise in public hostility to disabled people.

      Also, some face-to-face answers by our politicians about the iniquitous influence of the medical insurance industry and "disability denial".

      http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/sep/12/private-firms-disability-assessment-regime

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    2. Agree totally Findlow.

      We must have Ed's views on the influence of UNUM and the biopsychosocial model of disability expounded by the likes of Ansel Maylward and Wessely. After all Labour were key in bringing them all in at the Woodstock Conference in 2002. Does he support their efforts to deny disability and illness exist and the destruction of the welfare state?
      Isn't this a classic and major example of his supposed criticism of "predator" capitalism?

      We need answers. To me, he seems to be coasting on the belief that the poor, the sick and disabled will vote Labour anyway as being marginally "less bad". He needs to be told he will have to do a hell of a lot more than that to get my vote and I suspect that of millions of others who see the whole political system as corrupt and in need of a total washout.

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    3. Er, I meant Mansel Aylward, obviously. Must be pill time...

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    4. Hi Anonymous at 13.15

      We raised exactly that issue in the #spartacusreport - I thought journos wld love it, but it was largely ignored.

      I think you're right that MUCH more information shd be being gathered on what happens to clients who "fall through the net" after being declared fit for work/no longer eligible for DLA.

      We had proof in two letters ppl emailed AND the support of CAB to prove they were already sharing information between ESA and DLA. Although the wrb hadn't even passed and the consultation clearly asked for opinions on whether they shd share info between ESA and DLA - supposedly it hadn't been decided, yet they're doing it anyway.

      Par for the course, really. I'm certain it must break some kind of rule/law somewhere though

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    5. I think Margaret Hodge MP was asking to hear from people who felt they had lost their DLA based on an ESA assessment. It cannot be legal since the two benefits are governed by entirely different legislation. The criteria for DLA have not changed (yet) so anyone who was elibible before and their conditions remains the same or worse should in law still be eligible.
      Plus the obvious fact that being declared fit for work is no barrier to also being eligible to claim DLA. The goal posts have already been moved, even before the descroptors for PIP have been finalised, never mind enshrined in law.

      Delete
  17. Sue, I'm new(ish) to your blog but already in awe at how much time and effort you're putting into the fight against this heartless Government.

    Like the other commenters above, I would say don't hesitate to utilise whatever is at your disposal, be it funds, practical help or accomodation.

    I, for one, limited in my own resources, can only wish you the best of luck and a add a hearty "go for it" in support.

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  18. Please ask Ed Milliband this:
    Given that his mother - a human right campaigner - survived the holocaust due to protection provided by others and his grandparents escaped with his father to safety in England during World War 11,why is he so quiet at speaking out about the scrounger/faker rhetoric in the media and the persecution of the sick and disabled? Does he see no parallels?

    Without the willingness of the British State to protect the vulnerable, he would not have even been born, nevermind come to the potential position of becoming the Prime Minister of the country that gave his family refuge. Does he not think the severely ill and disabled deserve the same protection in their own land that was so freely offered to him? His silence is deafening and Liam Byrne is hardly reliable or outspoken. Does he want our votes or does he prefer to hedge his bets with Daily Mail readers? APOLICY would be nice.

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    1. Good point. As for Liam Byrne, I seem to remember a speech he made known as Beveridge 2, which appeared to hold out some hope for sick and disabled people. Does he still stand by this?

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    2. Hi Findlow

      I think "Lab" as a party intended Beveridge 2 to be the start of a new attitude towards disability and welfare in general.

      Although from our side of the fence it seems like frustratingly too little, I AM encouraged by the baby steps Lab seem to be trying to make.

      Whether it's all just smoke and mirrors and easily broken pledges or a real shift remains very very much to be seen.

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    3. Yes, I hope we are right to be encouraged - I certainly am when I hear MPs like the wonderful John McDonnell (WISH he was PM!). But I worry that Ed Milliband is in such a difficult position, in that the slavering tabloids, not to mention the ConDems themselves, will be ready to pounce and call him pro-scrounger or some such crap, as soon as he does anything actually humane!
      Anyway, many of us have asked you to raise questions, questions take energy,so do also take care of your precarious health...

      Delete
  19. Absolutely, yes... Who wouldn't want to contribute to the cost of seeing Ed stuck in a corner for two days while Sue works him over?

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  20. Definitely, definitely stay on for the whole shabang, Sue!
    It's too good an opportunity to be missed...
    And definitely stay in the hotel if that will be easier for you energywise...x cathy

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  21. You are not a CAMPAIGNER, you are a writer. I would prefer you didn't use this money for lobbying (campaigning). Just give the money to a well deserved charity.

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    1. Lol, a point I so often make myself.

      I also always point out that I'm a lobbyist before I'm even a writer. Politics runs through my bones since I was old enough to remember.

      As we haven't had to use any of the #spartacusreport funds on expenses for so long, the money is just sitting there.

      If you made a donation and would like it refunded, please do say - it's perfectly understandable if some would rather their money was that which enabled us to launch the report as per the original plan.

      Otherwise, I'll wait to see how ppl feel over 24 hrs or so here and make the most democratic decision I can once lots of ppl have had the chance to respond.

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    2. The money came from us - the long time users of this blog.

      Campaigning for justice for the sick and disabled by any means possible IS our charity.

      Perhaps you would like to tell us if YOU actually contributed to any of the funds in question? I suspect not, since it was raised for lobbying and campaigning purposes.

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    3. That is not why I, or anyone else for that matter donated money in the first place. Charities have had their chance to represent us and many have sold us out and done nothing but harm to the sick and disabled, even signing up for free WRAG Workfare victims to exploit, disgusting. I gave money to be used to FIGHT this evil government. Sue isn't just a writer she is a fighter. Like it or not her name is recognised and people are listening to her, whether they like it or not. She has good media connections, what more could we want? I say spend the dosh Sue, keep a good record of the expenses for the inevitable witch hunt and don't forget expenses are not to re-decorate your Duck house, TV porn, or silk cushions like our MPs! Not having to fit everything into 2 days and allowing a bit of breathing space will enable you to keep going and not crash and burn in 48 hours.
      I will give more money when necessary.
      Tls

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    4. Sue emphatically told me on her last blog post that she was NOT a campaigner. Sue blows with the prevailing windbags.

      How can she possibly plan this in advance with such a fluctuating condition? It makes absolutely no sense.

      But I'm guessing she had prior contact with supporters before she posted this, to make sure she got a favourable response.

      (Lobbying) Campaigning with the hope to influence a vote.

      She's not the right person to campaign for the Disabled, she's much more interested in her own selfish political goals. You'll find this out in time.

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    5. Anonymous, I suspect you are just interested in derailing the thread and being a nuisance. Not big, not clever.

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    6. I'm interested in justice for the Disabled. Not subsidizing a wannabe MP to go hob nobbing in expensive hotels with people who don't give a fuck and never will.

      You might not have noticed, but the Spartacus campaign didn't help the Disabled, in fact it suited the Tories, it became so condensed and dictatorial that millions of Disabled have been unheard.

      Take a trip to the shitholes in Manchester or Birmingham Sue, go into the flats of the sick and disabled, take photo's, make a short video, write about what you see. It'll have 100,000x more impact than going to conferences.

      People will be delighted to see that. Blog it, pitch your trip to the Guardian, get the real story told. Not just the Woods family, the even more dysfunctional, the isolated, the forgotten.

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    7. So, if you object to Sue's campaigning for the disabled, why don't YOU do it? I'm sure we'd all like to hear what your problems with the Welfare Reform Bill are. You could start by putting a name to all your posts instead of pretending to be different people. We are sick, not stupid you know.

      What is your brilliant plan? Have you succesfully obtained ESA or had your DLA renewed. Do tell us.

      You didn't answer the question: Did you contribute to the funds? If you didn't I suggest you have no vote in their disposal.

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    8. I did put a name to my posts but Sue deleted them and said I was making capital from them. I haven't the slightest idea what she was talking about.

      If anything it Welfare Reform and it's shambles have been well documented by thousands of fantastic writers and intellectuals all over Britain.

      I don't see a need to document problems with welfare reform, when they are blatantly obvious. I could quite honestly take a good guess and say most Disabled people feel exactly the same way about the policies, and they now hope and pray the government U-Turns on some of them. Or lessens the impact.

      We have so many intellectual Disabled people at keyboards, and they are all doing a fantastic job, in fact I have never witnessed so many well educated people brilliantly highlighting the plight facing the Disabled. But surely we need to take other paths now.

      As a matter of fact I donated twice to the fund, but that wasn't something I actually wanted to tell. It's not important to me to take back what I gave, but it's important to me the direction Sue has taken things.

      No good will come of these conferences, none. People only go to promote themselves, not a cause.

      Sue said in her last blog post Spartacus was over, it was ended, and it was time to move on, but today her Heading reads Opinions from Spartacii Please. Easily argued because of the Donated money, but it's deeper than that, it's about promoting herself now.

      Make up your mind Sue, are you a Disabled campaigner? or a woman who wants to get herself elected using any means possible? Or a writer? Or just a bullshitter?

      Delete
    9. Accept that it could be said that now you are in receipt of DLA, you could be used to point out how, you write, you travel, you campaign and yet you still have DLA etc., It WILL be said.

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    10. Can we have some proof that Sue is in this for her own ends? No, you can't provide any can you! You're twisting everything she has said and done out of some spiteful or possibly political agenda!

      You haven't the first clue about campaigning or activism. From the sound of your comments you are neither well educated or well informed. You state there are other "intellectual Disabled people at keyboards" but does Sue not fit into this category?

      Most of the rest of the tripe you spout is conjecture or some sort of inverted snobbery - is it down to Sue being middle class in your eyes?

      I would like to hear your ideas about how to campaign against Government or Party policy and then see how you get on by putting it into action. I'd wager a bet that you'd have as much of a clue as your daft comments suggest!!

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    11. Dear Anonymous. No-one deleted your name. Stop lying.

      DLA is not means tested and is available to people who work. Get your facts right before you come on here spouting your vitriol.

      Delete
    12. She deleted my posts, not my name. So I have chosen to remain anon, because disagreeing with the woman's motives will lead to isolation and being ostracised.

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    13. Uh, "elected"? She can't do a full-time job, or a part-time one by the sounds of it; what could she possibly get elected to?

      This kind of activity is precisely what I personally donated for, Sue. There is no way in hell I'd want my donation given to an "appropriate charity", even if one could be found these days. As far as I'm concerned, use it to go ahead and confront some people. Kaliya's excellent attempt last year should have made headlines; we have to keep trying to get politicians' shame into the news.

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    14. @Gordom Blimey

      Gordon, have you proof that Sue is not in this for her own ends?

      I don't have a clue about campaigning, you are absolutely correct but Sue has emphatically stated she is not a campaigner.

      And yes, I did credit Sue many times for her work on the Responsible Reform Report, and I fully believed she was dedicated to the Disabled people of the UK.

      After much reflection, and recent posts from Sue, the last post where she deleted many good peoples comments in a very partisan manner became worrying. Then little comments on twitter about liking that fucker Lord Coe who would skin the Disabled alive if he could, and gives his full support to Nazi Atos certainly raised my concern levels.

      There was also a notable aura of grandiosity when she wrote about matters concerning the disabled, and there was definitely an enormous lack or complete absence of anything wrote in support of the most isolated and poorest Disabled. Sue had picked up the gauntlet for only those she had an affiliation with.

      We all know silence is one of the most violent forms of protest, and Sue's silence on Disabilities concerning alcoholism and drug abuse, not to mention the majority of afflictions that burden the poorest Disabled became deafening.

      I don't believe the Disability itself matters to Sue, but more the person who has it, where they abode, and why they became ill. Sue in this respect is the snob. And I believe she would sell out half of those in receipt of Disability Benefits if she could protect the other half she "believes" deserve it.

      I also believe her ambition and motive is not much to do with Disability, rather it is about her career in Politics but Disability is a good platform to launch herself from. She has failed thus far in Politics, but Disability might be the Goose that laid the Golden egg. Sue wants to be an MP. And we all know about them.

      And Gordon, I have already posted my ideas.



      Delete
    15. For someone who is disabled and "needs" DLA and all the other benefits she receives, Sue certainly manages to get around a lot. T.V interviews, political conferences, holidays, olympic games etc., could be replaced by obtaining, at least, part time work.

      These are serious issues that need to be clarified.

      Delete
    16. sue is heath wise like Baroness Campbell of Surbiton DBE a bit hit and mis or like me with many parts but some not working but none the less ill

      I myself feel that sue is the right person to lead the fight for the sick and disabled people of the uk

      i hope she could make it in to politics but her health would never allow her we are very lucky to have her at all as she could so easily have died over the past year with her condition which in all probability will never recover fully

      to everyone here who doubts her good intentions is very wrong and by a wide mark so do please remember that when posting

      if you don't like her then stay away there are many peoples lives at steak and have only got sue for help and support and that is all

      everyone should be rallying around sue as she heads off ill into the conference with the labour party

      As i say there's a lot at steak here and it's vitally important that we all pull together and support her on this the big one which is the welfare for the sick and disabled people of the uk

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    17. To be perfectly honest, I think Sue fell in love with Chris Grayling that time on Newsnight. She has quite a fetish for that guy.

      She's trying to make her way up the greasy pole so she can frolic about the HoC and get into some steamy debates with Chris.

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    18. Well I don't kno about that, but for someone who is so ill she certainly spends a lot of time dashing about here, there and everywhere!!!!!

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    19. Agree totally, but then what are you supposed to do sit at home all day and wait for the next cheque to arrive. Just wanted to add that was in hospital feeling like shit then all of a sudden over to france for holiday. Something just aint quite right here. My own views.

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  22. just remember sue in that the death toll is getting high from people dying from being found fit for work from their illness or committing suicide from the ongoing stress of filling in forms etc and that he that's Ed is just as much to blame for these deaths as he has known of them as his secretary has told me that

    This should be the focus of the conference the deaths and for a very good reason there are many involved at senior government level and Whitehall along with the DWP and ATOS who have abused their powers and along without the right sort of supervision of the staff have allowed people to die in a untimely way

    The overall level of these deaths as i say is getting high and i believe when the true figures are released there will be many shock waves sent out around the world


    the government keeping a lid on these deaths can not be sustained in the long term we only have to look at history in which virtually all of the governments that have had any type of policy that has led to the deaths of it's people have always have had a bloody end themselves and it's no good Ed trying to turn a blind eye as in law he is classed as an accomplice as he knows that people have died and stayed quite

    he should have gone to the police in the very beginning on when he become first aware that the welfare reform bill was floored and that people were dying as a result

    this would have cleared him in the first place the government would then have had to put the safeguards in place and all would have been well

    this hasn't happened and at this time we are in uncharted waters.

    the sick and disabled can and have had their lives ripped away from them at any time leaving there families in a state of grief by there untimely deaths and when at some point this all sinks in as it will surely do all hell will break loose in the press and only then will the public truly know of the magnitude of abuse that has gone on over the past 4 years

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    1. one further thing sue is that you need to make all of those at the conference more aware of your blog i feel that it needs to have much higher profile in going forward and as always good luck and hope all goes well for you and you can enjoy yourself as best you can

      Delete
  23. Whilst I would prefer the money be used for Nandos, I have to accept that this is a better idea, just.

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  24. I think my last attempt to reply got itself lost but yes, go for it Sue. This will be a major opportunity to see whether they are going to be on our side or if they are going to casually dismiss the truth about the hardship and abject misery being caused. Please don't overdo things and find somewhere nice to stay. Being in a good place is a must when we are away from our usual comfort zones and when you are working so hard for everybody you should not scrimp on being comfortable - that is a necessity not an option.

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  25. A yes from me! like you say it's often those quiet one to one moments with a "real" sick and disabled person who can truly express the horrors of the system that things start to change.

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  26. I say go for it. It's an opportunity not to be missed to force them to face up to the fact the "most vulnerable" aren't being looked after.

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  27. Absolutely, we know you will do a fantastic job ;-)

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  28. I think it might be a good idea to donate the rest of the funds to a deserving charity who are able to give some real help to disabled people who are going through the WCA process. The C A B are always looking for funds

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    Replies
    1. Isn't the point of campaigning and attending the Party Confernces to get the WCA stopped? Then there would be no need for the CAB to help people through a totally sick process.

      Delete
    2. Sadly the charities have been part of the problem, co-opted or/and supine: during one of the L/P Conferences in Manchester, the Disability Hub organised by the Disability Alliance was sponsored by Serco, who now run welfare to work projects..

      Delete
  29. Please, Please use the money you are our voice.

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  30. The Anonymous posters,saying don't use the fund are probably from Tory Central Office,were stealing,sorry getting as much in expenses as possible is normal for them.

    We all know about Westminster Politicians and the never ending trough in which they sink there snouts,they think everyone is the same as them.

    First they ignore you,then they fight you,then you win.

    Best Wishes,Peter Benson.

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  31. I agree with Anonymous, the funds should be donated to a good cause

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    Replies
    1. Nandos.

      If it's not going on helping Sue affect policy(and my understanding is that is what our goal has been all along), then we should at least go to Nandos with it.

      I really like Nandos.

      Delete
  32. I fully agree, my 365 days are done and my physical and mental health are going down the tubes.
    I was lucky enough to get 7hrs work a week, but feel presured to say yes to extra hours to try to make up for the money lost. Guess what? I am going backwards in my hard fought recovery. no suprises there really.I was not fit to work but not ill enough to meet the support group criteria. I dont want to have to ask my hubby for money every week but more than that i dont want to be a burden.

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  33. I'd say ahead and use it Sue. There aren't many chances to get this sort of contact.

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  34. As someone who has today received the dreaded 'transfer from IB to ESA' letter I say go for it Sue. I personally think you are putting yourself at risk by attending (you know, if you can get to Manchester and attend a conference then you are well enough to work) but you know what you are doing.
    It is important that the sick and disabled know how politics work, and there is no harm in giving a politician a handbagging or two.
    Crikey - I even have my local Conservative AM on my side (I haven't told him I hate the Tories LOL).

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  35. Sue
    Good to hear you again!
    Thank you for asking - and of course this is an appropriate use of the fund.
    You totally 'get it' about the appalling and cruel mess that is welfare reform, you are our voice, go ahead and use it to the absolute best of your ability.
    Try and get them to listen - and promise some action.
    As an earlier post said, there are plenty of back bench MPs who must be heartily sick (no pun intended)of seeing clearly ill and disabled people queue up outside their surgeries to try and get an explanation for the nonsense being promulgated by the DWP.
    Power to your elbow, your stick, your energy, but above all your VOICE to get the message over!
    Right sermon over.
    All the best.
    Cheerio

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  36. Hey, I donated for you to campaign, so you go campaign. Do what you do best. ;)

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    Replies
    1. She's not a Campaigner. I repeat she is not a Campaigner!

      Delete
    2. I have to agree about the not being a campaigner, i donated to the report and believed it was the best course of action. but of late sue has become silent whether this has anything to do with Sue getting DLA i dont know. Sue was once very vocal and in your face but of late neither. Again this could be down to being ill i dont know. I got sick of the ME ME shit a long time ago.

      Delete
    3. I never said she was a campaigner. I said I donated for her to campaign, and that I want her to go campaign. I also insinuated that it was what she did best, and I stand by that, having been following her blog for over two years and seeing every little bit of hard work she's put into campaigning.

      Whether or not you think she's a 'campaigner' is up to you, but it has no bearing on what you're replying to. (I'm assuming here that the word 'campaigner' has connotations other than simply being a noun for anyone who campaigns about anything, because otherwise neither your statement nor mine make any sense)

      Delete
    4. SUE'S QUIET BECAUSE SHE'S TRYING NOT TO DIE - AGAIN
      SHE NEEDS SURGERY - AGAIN

      FNGN - These people have a specific axe to grind. I know who they both are and why they're both making these very pathetic attempts to discredit me.

      The campaigner thing is because I made the point on a previous thread that I'm a writer before I'm a disability campaigner. They don't like that because someone pulled the dummy out of their mouths somewhere else and rather than get on with doing something themselves, they'd rather spend their time coming here and being cruel. The massive irony is it proves absolutely 100% that decisions taken elsewhere were the right ones.

      Delete
    5. Will you be buying nice new red shoes with the funds for the conference Sue?

      You wouldn't want Kaliya to steal all the thunder with her sexy Ohh La La! French Resistance Hooker Heels!

      Delete
    6. By the way Sue, you did not say you were a writer before you were a Disability campaigner, that is a complete lie. You stated without ambiguity and emphatically that you are NOT a campaigner. You put those words in Capitals.

      Now suddenly you are a Campaigner, but a writer first. But you'll blow with the prevailing windbags in whatever direction you feel you should to satisfy that ego.

      But I hope something good comes out of the conferences, and not just a rambling blog post about Hotel accommodation and all the very influential persons you will tell us gave you an ear.

      And if so many ill and frightened people want to put their trust in you, I hope you don't let them down. They don't deserve that.

      Delete
    7. "Sue is quiet because she is trying not to die again"

      "She needs surgery again"

      Probably hyperbole - Remember Karl! also hyperbole.

      Perhaps she should stay at home to preserve her strength for surgery,and not rush to every politicical platform and every TV appearance that she possibly can.

      Delete
    8. Or maybe you should stop judging other by your own standards and accept that some people DO push themselves above and beyond in order to help others.

      Delete
    9. You mean disabled people who go out to work instead of using the benefit system for a second wage?

      Delete
  37. Yes, please, Sue. I donated and I'd be delighted if you felt able to use it helping you to be at the conference(s).
    Love, Peta

    ReplyDelete
  38. Sue had her mind made up to attend before she even wrote the Post, talk about sheeple. Lol.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Dear Sue, please ignore all the bitter divisive comments. You have my full trust and I'm sure that of most of your readers. I am so grateful to you for giving a voice to sufferers of invisible debilitating illness. I'm thrilled to think you'll be fighting our corner at the party conferences in the way only you can. Of course you must use the funds to make the most of the opportunities.
    Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  40. I agree with the majority of posters on here Sue, do what you do best, we all know from your blogs, what tremendous work you do on behalf of all of us that don't have your opportunity to effect change, you don't NEED to donate money for your campaigning/lobbying...what you give in time/effort/energy/knowledge/wisdom/effectiveness..as well as being a wife and a mother..is worth more than any amount of money. I Salute you Sue...Your a Heroine for our Time..and I don't begrudge you a penny from the funds (which I also contributed a little towards) Ignore the naysayers Sue..go and do what YOU do BEST...BUT..don't over stretch yourself for that extra interview..take the time you need to be rested also...there are other days..and this battle tho far from won..is far from over..God Speed..

    ReplyDelete
  41. Hi Sue, think that's good idea, I live close to city centre of manchester, & I work for the council so please let me know if I can help you out at all during your stay.DM me on twitter you follow me. If you can get a room, the best hotels for access, service & closesness to conference hall are probably Raddison Hotel on Peter Street (my favourite had a lovely pool), the Midland Hotel or Jury's Inn. Hope all goes well. Lorna

    ReplyDelete
  42. http://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/index.php/2012/09/former-dwp-medical-boss-makes-wca-pledge-to-protesters/


    No problem, you can use whats left imho, i donated and want it to be used,

    btw, Mansel Aylward was doorstepped tonight at the global Disability Management Conference(Workfare, BPS model, Unum, AToS, etc) by campaigners who gave him a copy of the open letter to the Guardian challenging the brutal WCA.
    His views can be read in the link, he says he knows little about it, yeah right, and is losing interests in the BPS model,yeah right...

    don't trust him...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. About as far as i could throw him....

      Delete
    2. Too right - utterly untrustworthy. I suspect he's just trying to cover his back, probably too late, in the face of the indisputable, international and peer-reviwed evidence about the biological aetiology of ME.

      http://blacktrianglecampaign.org/2012/09/15/dwpunumatos-scandal-me-the-bps-model-how-aylwards-statements-to-black-triangle-dpac-are-contradicted-by-earlier-pronouncements/

      Delete
    3. Oh dear, oh dear, look at this:

      http://blog.unum.co.uk/news-and-views/good-luck-to-sophia-warner/

      Paralympic athlete Sophia Warner was sponsored by UNUM........

      Oh dear.

      Delete
  43. One-legged Paralympian ‘not disabled enough’ for benefits

    http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/one-legged-paralympian-not-disabled-enough-benefits-145101435.html

    ReplyDelete
  44. Sue - do what you think is best with this.

    And as for that nasty little troll- if refer to me, and those who think like me as sheeple again, and I'll give you a damn good poke in the eye with my walking stick.

    ReplyDelete
  45. I have to say, i'm a little worried about the Labour party. They haven't exactly condemmed the coalitions treatment of the sick and disabled, unless of coarse i missed it. If they're thinking that we have nowhere else to go, then they can think again.

    ReplyDelete
  46. I say use the funds if it enables you to take part in the conference and allows you to get access to the people that can help us. Having extra days means you have to push yourself harder, I know, so I'm grateful that you are willing to do it. Good luck in finding people who will listen AND act.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Well of course .You have to be in it to win it and you become the eyes and ears and the voice so why not..And tell these so called MPs from all of us if they want to know what effects thier bloody meddling is having on us all all they have to do is get out aand ask or wait until election time cos they sure as hell will find out then.tell em we dont take too kindly to any of it and in at the end of a long long lisst is this soddin localism bill dreamt up by that Pickles fool..NO NO NO bloody NO..election time will be our time and if they are not scared yet they aint bloody listening.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Troll troll troll troll troll trolllllll aawaaay all you feckers want say what you want its a free country...dont make you right though does it but why dont you loudmouthed gobshites get up and do it all yourselfs as you ALL seem to think you are far more capable to do it....either put up or shut the fuck up....if only one person gets in thier faces its better than non and as far as the charities are concerned well sucking at the govts tit is where they are at as far as i can see which wouldnt be such a joke if it wasnt OUR money in the first place that they are so scared of losing so dont expect any big noise from them..they have had long enough and said and done sweet fa so get real.I dont care if sue is middle class working class are made of glass who cares you are all playing in to the govt divide and rule game so shut it and fight..remember what john lennon said you'r all fuckin peasants as far as i can see and he was right THEY think we are so dont play the game...kick em all in to touch at election time BUT TELL EM whats gonna happen.Remember Haines face in Question Time when that bloke said you might have forgot us but we will remember you..he nearly cried and thats what THEY all need to be told help us or get yer coat when the time comes...They dont like it up em folks...meanwhile less of the divisive bollocks..see a troll slap a troll...

    ReplyDelete
  49. Your eloquence is very impressive!! Strange phrase "our money" as it is MY money that is given to you and your ilk.

    Anyone who has a different opinion is a "troll" -strange sort of democracy!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So sorry but it IS our money, most of us paid into the National Insurance system so that should we be unable to work we would be provided for, many of us worked until the pain and/or increasing loss of function made work no longer viable and every citizen pays tax, everyone pays indirect taxes and some us pay income tax, including those of us who use their DLA to enable them to work.

      And supporting those for whom work will never be an option is the mark of a compassionate society, perhaps you have an alternative, you would not be the first person but look where it led him.

      Sue, I donated to the fund and am more than happy for you to use the money wherever you believe that it will most effective

      Delete
    2. "You and your ilk"...

      Nice. Very classy. What a human being you are.

      Here's hoping you never have to rely on help from anyone else in order to survive.

      Delete
    3. Look by OUR money i meant of course the money we pay in tax or are you so stupid you dont get that part.As for democrcacy well you are partaking in it by running your mouth off on here..try that in any dictatroship you care to mention and see what happens.Now you may well want to check out the piece in the Mirror today about Osbournes little tax avoidance scheme..i say little but its clearly not..and maybe you could use your err talents to go after him eh..Of course you could always come and meet some of us face to face to discuss your points of view but you wont have the bottle for that will you as you seem to prefer to be a coward and hide behind your anon tag...oh and i wasnt trying to be eloquent as you put it as i really dont see the point with dickeads like you.Sterotype away as thats all you seem to know and if as Sue says you are but one of two people coming on here to have a go at her jog on troll nobody cares what you think as we all know you will have done nothing to fight back.All trolls are cowards and if you dont agree ..well Whatever...back under your rock now

      Delete
  50. Sue - the money was donated to continue the fight, IMHO.

    I think you should use it to make what you want to do possible, and if that involves some comfort while you work so hard on our behalf, that's fine.

    I would hate it if you made yourself ill again just for the want of a room for the night or transport.

    Please do what you think is right, and what the majority of posters here seem to want - what you and your compatriots have achieved so far is astonishing, and the only concern I would have is your health.

    The anonymous poster who appears to be judging your motives can be ignored - it seems that most agree that you should do what you propose.

    Go for it - but take good care of yourself.

    ReplyDelete
  51. the funds were given in good faith and as i am from the establishment i would suggest those that read this blog get behind sue and support her fully in what she is doing and not try to pick holes in what she is doing on our behalf

    I judge her to be spot on and that is all she needs to know as i am completely independent from her if she mucks up i would tell her way before she mucked up as that was my speciality in my work before my retirement in the bank of england

    since my retirement thing have fallen down in this country to a level that has surpassed everything that i have ever stood for and are now at a dangerous crossroads

    The politics of today are utter garbage and it's no wonder that all of the evils are on permanent display throughout most countries of the world

    The likes of david cameron and co had they been born where i grew up in south east london they in all probability wouldn't even be alive today as back in the sixties if you weren't decent you were a target and any attack however small on a sick or disabled person the chances are you would be forced to live elsewhere

    sadly those days are over and the vulnerable can be abused at any time be it in their home or in a care home and for those that live alone it's living hell

    The head of charities today are the same as mp's and not interested and both groups should never be trusted as they are just in it for themselves and always have been selfish to the core the vast majority of them

    if i was able to attend the conference with sue you would see me win any argument or point hands down as i am to well versed in sickness and disability and there is nothing i dont know or have not seen before that and the fact that the mp's know nothing about the subject i would lose them in any debate within around 10 minutes if that

    i know many top surgeons to back up what I'm saying for good measure that and my de meaner and tone it would be a stroll in the park

    sue will do her best she needs to stick to the facts the deaths with a full up to date list of all those that have died in circumstances where the DWP and ATOS have been responsible or played a part and not get sidelined like bbc / press journalists






    ReplyDelete
  52. For someone who worked in the Bank of England your spelling; grammar; punctuation and general standard of English is atrocious!

    I would suggest that everyone calculates exactly how much they have paid into the system via National Insurance, and then calculates exactly how much they have received in benefits; doctor's appointments; hospital visits, medication etc. It does not need an accountant to realize that the figures do not balance.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. well lucky that's not what they were after they didn't wont someone with an English degree they happened to wont someone who could cut through all of the bull like lord sugar for example. And as my family have been at the bank with my son to follow for the past 80 years i seamed to have done ok with a good world class reference

      my speeches were world class and without notes and were always my own not like politicians of today with speech writers

      thankfully i can read in many languages and it has never held me back in fact the complete opposite plus the fact I'm only one of a few who can speak on many topics across the board to many audiences worldwide and i have a title for good measure not that would be the slightest of interest to you

      Delete
    2. And I would suggest that you look up the word "insurance" in a dictionary.

      And when you have done that, that you calculate exactly how much you have paid to the Exchequer in tax and NI since you started work if you are in employment, after all we have no proof of that, and then calculate exactly how much your free healthcare and education has cost.

      It does not need an accountant to realise that the figures will not balance. Neither is it necessary to be a sociologist to recognise that you quite clearly do not understand how the Welfare State, which includes free education and healthcare, was conceived and operates.

      Delete
    3. Sorry, Nick, I should have indicated that my reply was to Anonymous @ 16 September 00.02.

      Delete
    4. Anon 00.02 ARE atrocious, tsk

      Delete
    5. As singular nouns were immediately followed by the collective term of "General Standard of English" - the phrase "is atrocious" is correct.

      "Your general standard of English are atrocious" I think not!!!! Tsk tsk tsk!



      Delete
  53. a few things i dont get about the benefit crowd

    why is it those on benefits are more obese and smoke and drink more than anyone else? what does their money go to?? also if benefit are so bad why are they so desperate to stay on them and the idea of working sends them into a cold sweat?

    also where is it written in law that someone should get something for nothing without earning it?

    also what are the difference between benefit hunters and the royal family? they both have no jobs, live off the state and expect everything to be handed to them on a plate??

    the benefits of a single mom with 2-3 kids equate to an pre-tax income of £35k who says benefits dont pay and are those that work fools with pride??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dan, I was in the Royal Navy for 25 years, after that I was a Mountain Leader and Team Leader of a Mountain Rescue Team, ironically taking a severe fall whilst training 4 years ago.

      Since then, I have put on a lot of weight, it's hard not to after living such an active life. Oh, and I smoke. I'm always trying to give up, but have yet to succeed.

      I believe I have paid my fair share of tax and National Insurance in my life. I now am wholly dependant on benefits. I was divorced and now live alone in a one bedroom flat, and I get housing benefit, ESA and DLA. I also receive a modest Pension, but that goes towards my ESA.

      I can honestly say this without ambiguity, getting enough medical supportive evidence, the DWP losing my evidence, then appeals for DLA has been the hardest time of my entire life. Suicide looms large in my mind, because I KNOW that I can't work. If they send me, I will die, and yes, the thought of it does break me out into a sweat.

      I'm in this with everyone else. I had a beautiful life. I'm obese and I drink and I smoke, I eat crap, but it's not what I ever wanted. It's what life is, and what I am, and a continual battle of acceptance.

      If you saw me, you would think I was a lazy fat man all my life who didn't take care of himself. You would stereotype me like you just did with 5 to 11 million souls.

      You pay taxes, but who the hell are you to make people feel so shit about themselves that your comment might be the last thing they read?

      Our Great Country was not broken by anyone on welfare, My Mother had to use the welfare state, and she was never brought to her knees in shame for that. It made her Proud to be English. You know why they voted Churchill out straight after the war? Because he was cruel to the poor, that's why.

      Don't hate men like me Dan, I didn't steal the wealth from England, we all know the people who did got away with it. Don;t hate children born into poverty, they might fight for you someday.

      People can only work with what they have, and I don't just mean money. You have no idea how many of our ex combatants are drinking themselves to death, living in bedsits, or the street. Men who had the potential for Great futures, but other things triggered their brains into depression.

      Humanity is not mechanical, it's not a statistic, it's human life, and you should value it, because you can't judge anyone without walking first in their shoes. Every story is unique Dan, and successive Governments have bolstered up the handouts, ever since Mrs.Thatcher took away the little bottle of milk per child.

      Very few people will fiddle this system Dan, I swear that to you, it's no mean feat to get benefits even when you need them most. I'm appealing to another side of you, that most men have, the side that enjoys giving. The giving hand will never want. Don't help them murder people Dan.

      Delete
    2. The only way the benefit could be at the 35K level with only 2 or 3 kids is if disability benefits at very high levels can push it up that far. I'm not even sure that's possible. I am a single mum with 3 children- two of whom get maximum level of care and the lower level of mobility and one gets middle rate care and lower mobility and I'm still thousands of pounds away from the 35K mark. If disability benefits can push it that high then they will not be living in luxury with it- having a disability is expensive. Unfortunately you can't choose to get rid of it.

      Delete
  54. Poor Dan. Doesn't understand the concept of a closed question. In other words, one in which you imply the answer within the framing of the question and the delineated prejudice of its assumptions. Tosser.

    ReplyDelete
  55. Nick - Dream on!!! I would have thought you would have to have ben at least literate.

    Annie - I thought, as we are so frequently reminded on this blog, that there is no "free" education or "free" healthcare. We are told that "I paid my National Insurance for this" although I doubt if most posters have paid any.

    I am perfectly aware of how much I am, and always have, paid out in National Insurance, Taxes etc., but I note that you have not included all the benefits paid out in your equation, possibly to you and yours, after all we have no proof that you are not claiming any benefits.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous @ 16 September 2012 02:05,

      I have never stated nor implied that I do not claim benefits, I would have thought that it was clear had you bothered to read the comments that I too am disabled and in receipt of disability benefits, I did use the word "us" in the context of contributing towards our benefits. But I would hardly expect people who parrot the ignorant pejudices of the comments found in the tabloids to bother to properly read the other comments, nor to engage in reasoned debate, nor to research their subject, their one objective is to denigrate and disrupt, they are the cyber equivalent of the members of the public who abuse us on the streets but they cowardly hide behind the anonymity of a computer screen.

      I suggest that anyone who thinks that it is clever to cause disruption to an excellent, informed and articulate blog does their homework rather than relying on the selective use of statistics, etc. by politicians intent on dismantling the Welfare State, right-wing think tanks and columnists who are too lazy or incompetent or have a particular political axe to grind to check their facts. You could start with the DWP statistical and research publications from which much of this selective information is derived, the full picture tells a very different story.

      And when you have done your research, including on the mechanisms by which the Welfare State in this country operates, I suggest that you then research what happens in countries which do not have a Welfare State or which have a limited Welfare State such as the US, and ask yourselves whether you want to live in a society which experiences the social ills which the failure to support our fellow citizens results in.

      Perhaps you are willing to live in cities bordered by favelas or to live in gated communities to protect yourselves from people who have no alternative other to resort to crime to support themselves and their families or to see disease, need and homelessness on your streets, refusal to support the poorest and weakest members of society comes at a price.

      Perhaps you are willing to deny those in need in order to feed your greed for things which you want and aspire to, if so what a sad indictment of our society.

      Delete
    2. yes it is odd me not being literate with my English grammar but in all honesty the only people who have ever picked up on it throughout my life have been what i would call and i cant really think of the right word but being honest it's the people who only ever see bad in others never the greatness

      As i say people like you highlighting another persons weaknesses is never a good thing very bad form but then i have been to many countries in my life and the uk is far the worst for this trait in what you have highlighted

      living in the uk that on it's own will make many people depressed especially with people like you living near by that is the underlying cause of depression living around negativity and doom and people always putting you down

      I'm lucky i live around great people even my mp likes me says I'm a great leader of people nice that coming from a political party i loath

      anyhow that's enough about me the thread's about how sue will get on at the labour conference and think she do her best in what will be difficult circumstances

      Delete
    3. Anon @2.05,

      So, you pay your taxes and National Insurance.
      Most people on here were taxpayers before severe ilness or accident took the lives they had away from them. The transition from IB to ESA through the process of a much condemned medical is what should be making you angry.Even the BMA has demanded it is ended immediately. Is the opinion of all the medics in the country not good enough for you?
      Incapacity Benefit, by definition, can ONLY be claimed by people who HAVE worked and paid sufficient National Insurance to qualify for it.People just like YOU.

      As a taxpayer, are you not offended that this government has called all British workers "lazy"? Are you lazy? That they have claimed that the British work the fewest hours, when any fact check will show you, Britain has among the highest working hours?
      Are you not worried that your employer will now have the right to fire you at will,for not being "productive" enough, or just because they don't like you? And that your right to any compensation to keep food in your mouth will be denied? If you are self-employed, are you not concerned that under Universal Credit, you will be required to file details of your income online at least once a month,including that of any employees. If you run a small business are you not disgusted that three times now, billions of pounds of your tax have been supplied to banks to lend to you,but that so far none of them have done so? Are you not disgusted that your tax money has bailed out the reckless and irresponsible gambling by banks which has caused a global economic crisis and YOU are being made to pay for it. Are you not furious that the price of petrol that gets you to work has been fixed by the futures markets at artifically high prices,that 60% of the cost you pay at the pumps is government tax? Are you not angry, that while the richest have become richer since the banking crisis, wages are at their lowest level as a proportion of GDP since the late seventies? Are you not angry that the pension you paid in for has become almost worthless and that you will have to keep working until at least 68?Do you not mind that while you carry on paying your tax, those earning the most got a tax cut? Are you not concerned that Corporations you give your hard earned mney to every day, pay less tax than you do? Do you not care that there is £13 TRILLION pounds sitting untaxed in offshore bank accounts, while you slog your guts out to pay off the defecit? Are you not angry, that after years of paying all that National Insurance, if you or a member of your family gets sick or has an accident that prevents you from working, the most help you will now get will be about £90 a week FOR ONE YEAR ONLY and then only if you pass a medical test that only requires you to have one working finger to push a button? When you are lying in your hospital bed,coming to terms with what has happened to you, would you not be outraged that the DWP will DEMAND that you attend for a work assessment and that you apply for a job, where nothing your Consultants say will be taken into account? You clearly have no idea what is happening in the real world. You have clearly fallen for all the misinformation drip fed to you on purpose by the government through the media. Try checking some facts next time a Minister tells you ANYTHING and see how many times they are telling you lies.
      It seems to me you are attacking the wrong people. Those on this thread for the last 2 years are in a fight for their very lives. This means that the fight is for your life or a member of your family too. Because one day, maybe today, you will have an accident, or a member of your family will be diagnosed with a terrible illness. The support you ASSUME will be there for you, because you are GENUINE, of course, you will find is NOT there anymore. All that tax and National Insurance will count for absolutely nothing. You will be in just the same boat as us.

      Delete
  56. Hi Sue.

    If money is an issue, I don't have any to spare, but I can offer you a bed. We are in Stockport; it's seven minutes on the train into Manchester. I know travelling is an issue so you couldn't walk the twenty minutes to the station, but a taxi is about a fiver.

    I'd be glad to put you up, if it will help.

    You do an amazing job under dreadful circumstances.

    ReplyDelete
  57. ESA is taxable. So is Carer's Allowance. People on WTC pay tax too. There is no fine line between those who give and those who receive.

    I still work, although every day is a struggle. And in the past I paid taxes to help mothers bear the children who eventually came to regard people like me as scroungers. And I paid taxes to educate these people too.

    Seems I shouldn't have bothered really.... ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  58. Annie - unlike Nick a very literate post, must have taken some time and effort. Perhaps you could expand that energy into working from home. You seem to be quite computer literate and obviously enjoy "research" (or is it only to justify your point of view?) There you go! Two skills to offer an employer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. For the benefit of all us idle, thick people, perhaps you could point to a job that requires only the ability to post a comment on the internet if and when you are up to it, or not if you aren't, doesn't mind that you might not be dressed, fed or bathed, or up to your eyeballs on heavy medication, doesn't involve being able to access public transport or walk any distance and will pay for your carer to accompany you?

      As a nurse, I can assure you that when your turn comes, which statistics show it inevitably will, sooner or later, you will be a mewling, puking, agonised wreck screaming for help, same as everyone else. In that moment, I sincerely hope that your work on here will haunt you. Think on.

      Delete
    2. Do you mean you are a nurse or you were a nurse? Perhaps you could point out where I called nurses thick or idle.

      Delete
    3. I don't know whether you've noticed, Anon 16/09/12 12:12, but jobs that pay a living wage, where you can work from home writing short pieces intermittently are few and far between.

      For all you know, Annie may only be able to manage one such piece a week - columnists who earn enough to live on off that much writing don't exist, other than "celebrity" columnists who papers employ purely to give their newspaper a boost by being linked with a famous name.

      I know a large number of people who are very eloquent, well thought out, articulate, and able to research and type. All very useable skills, but the work isn't out there for people to do.

      The only work that is out there in any great quantity is call centre work - which is exhausting, mentally and physically as you have to be able to sit still & upright for 8-10 hours, listening and taking sensibly to each call, relentlessly. Or service work, which is physically very demanding.

      Work for people who need flexible hours, adaptations to working conditions, specialist software or technology, personal care frequently throughout the day isn't impossible, but it is simply not out there in the quantity it is needed.

      Oh, and I am a taxpayer, I am in work, I'm not on any benefits. I have been, and I have long term health problems that mean I may well need to be again, but currently I have the good fortune to be able to do part time work.

      Delete
    4. You mention people with very employable skills and then go on to say "The work isn't out there" Can't you see that ESA, DLA etc., is not there to replace JSA?

      Delete
  59. Everyone pays tax in one form or another. You have to pay it on practically everything you buy.

    ReplyDelete
  60. Sue

    Do you have an update on the Woods family?

    ReplyDelete
  61. I know from my own dark days under peter Lilly in Mrs Thatcher’s government that many died through loss of benefits and was never reported so you can imagine how many thousands would be dead by now if it were not for the likes of sue and friends especially those that live on their own

    As I say if it were not for effective communication on the internet this government would wipe out as many as people as possible and without hesitation you only have to look at the inner thinking’s of lord fraud which have just been published you couldn't get a more Hitler way of ideals in thinking

    as I say if sue can read off the list of deaths so far in a tone that the press like she will win the day hands down the list is long and there is no way ed will be able to answer back even my own mp says he’ll be stuffed as the deaths will be there in black and white
    as to how many is on the current list is anyone's guess but I have been told it's long

    These people died while being told they were fit for work and died with loss of benefits shortly after woods and before you also have to add in those that were told they were fit for work and then committed suicide
    As I say the facts are all there in black and white and it's unlikely ed with his level of education will be able to grasp the seriousness of the crimes that the government have waged against defenceless people ie the sick and disabled


    http://blacktrianglecampaign.org/2012/09/15/dwpunumatos-scandal-me-the-bps-model-how-aylwards-statements-to-black-triangle-dpac-are-contradicted-by-earlier-pronouncements/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's going to be a very. very long list Nick.

      The Rethink survey of GPs, showed that 6% had patients who had either attempted or committed suicide due to the fear, anxiety or penury inflicted on them by the WCA test.

      Even at only one case per GP who answered in the affirmative, (quite likely to be more in some cases) that's well over 2000 people so far.

      The DWP may claim it is not keeping records of sucides, but GPs are.

      Delete
  62. We can allow comment threads to be hijacked by these ignorant, ill informed, passive aggressive wind-up merchants, or we can totally ignore them until they get bored and crawl back under the stone they came from.

    I'd go for the second option.

    ReplyDelete
  63. The DWP may claim it is not keeping records of sucides, but GPs are.

    yes indeed not only are the GP'S but also the coroner's office and would also think the police as just common sense

    sue will be very busy and a lot rides on her ability to get the message out without those at the conference trying to gag her with tape but a week's a long time to gag someone and am sure the majority will welcome her with open arms but would expect ed to avoid her after their first encounter

    If he then goes ill after their first encounter and fails to then show up for the rest of the conference week then we can take that as a success

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I read that 43% of those who lose their ESA benefits because they are declared fit for work are neither in work nor receiving benefits 15 months later. For all we know they could be suicides and those killed by trying to work hard at getting a job when not fit to do so for medical reasons. There is no records of what happened to them and if they are alive how they are surviving with no income at all.

      The Green Benches
      Shocking research shows that 43% of those who lose their ESA benefits are surviving on £0.00p up to 15 months later. #ATOS
      http://eoin-clarke.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/shocking-research-shows-that-43-of.html

      Delete
  64. Sue,the Rabbid Dogs of War from Tory HQ must be getting very worried about what you are doing judging by the ferocity of the attacks.

    Well done,keep up the good work,if nothing else the Right Wing is obviously getting worried.

    Best Wishes,Peter Benson.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As it is a matter of record that Sue's husband felt "very privileged" to meet Boris Johnson, perhaps Sue is a closet Tory.

      Delete
  65. All working people are sick of the £150 billion splurged on welfare every year

    All working people are sick of the fact that you simply have to pump 2 kids and go to the welfare office to have everything provided for you. cant afford them, dont have em!

    All working people support the benefit cap one of the most popular reforms to be enacted. So popular even Labour the party of the lazy were keen to adopt it!

    Simple logic make work pay if benefits pay more why should the single mom bother to get out of bed when breeding is easier and moaning everything is someone elses fault.

    There is a reason why this country is going down the toilet and economically is 3rd world and the welfare state is one of the prime reasons.

    Why has the US come out of recession? No welfare party as there is here.

    Be aware 4000 doctors left the UK last year to work in the US many more will do rather than stay here. Most working people want to leave too.

    Sue i'm not sure what you are trying to model but having luxury olympic tickets and using benefit as a bonus 2nd income seems to scream hypocrisy at every corner!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. All working people?... i think not. Please do not include me in your statistics.

      Delete
    2. Thanks Rick,
      You have just provided several examples that you know absolutely nothing except what you have read in the Daily Mail or been told to think. The figure for "welfare spending" is often trotted out by Cameron for the benefit of people like you, who don't ask questions.

      What he doesn't tell you is that nearly half of all welfare spending is pensions. I hope your granny knows you object to it being "splurged" on keeping her alive.
      Another 15% of welfare spending is splurged on those useless creatures - children.Do you have some of them?
      11% of welfare spending goes on Housing Benefit - the vast majority of which actually goes to people IN WORK who do not earn enough to pay exhorbitant rental costs due to lack of housing and artifically inflated house prices.

      Only 8%of total welfare spending goes on Disability Living Allowance and other benefits for those who are the most severely disabled.

      A measly 4% of the total welfare budget is what is actually spent on people on IB/ESA ie too ill to work. Rather good value I would say as an insurance policy for you if you get sick, effectively costing you pennies in tax, rather than hundreds of pounds a month if you had to buy it privately.

      The US is doing better in the recesion because they have pumped money into the economy to create growth whereas we are sucking it out.

      Most working people are in fact fed up because they are paid too little to purchase basic commodities, encouraged by a government who sees them as expendable commodities to make profits for corporations who then pay less tax than you do.

      I think you will find Sue's Olympic tickets came courtesy of her husbands company, as he was a torch bearer. But hey, don't let little things like facts pollute the air between your ears. Have a go at thinking for yourself - you might like it.

      Delete
    3. I agree with Rick - pleading poverty and illness and then rushing off to every freebie available does not ring true either.

      Delete
    4. Rick, if you believe the USA have come out of recession then you are totally insane. The USA are in BIG trouble.

      In fact it was the USA who brought in the new company that would delegate over the Bail Outs in Europe, assuring all European Countries there would be money to borrow, IF they agree to more austerity.

      The USA are collapsing, and they can't exist without a strong Europe. Welfare plays a very small part in all of this, and it is an excellent scapegoat for the harsh realities taking place in the Free Market, the thefts by Companies like Goldman Sachs, and government cover ups for those involved.

      You make an excellent accomplice for the top criminals in this Country Rick, without you they would never get away with it.

      Delete
    5. I'm a working man (when work is available, at least). I don't have any of the objections you talk about so you speak for yourself. Sue's doing a wonderful job. That's why people pay for her to go to the conferences. You'll appreciate what she's doing when you get injured at work and can't go back, or one of your family gets ill or has a bad accident with long-lasting consequences.

      Delete
  66. The problem with the Labour Party is it has forgotten its roots. Once Bliar had removed Clause 4 Labour become a neoliberal party. It's present regime is embodied by the fool Miliband - he who is wealthy because of the illegal appropriation of his father's estate. Who is currently going round telling everybody its okay to be wealthy if you work for it. He is an embarrasment. Similarly, if John McDonnell meant anything he has ever said he would NOT STILL BE IN THE LABOUR PARTY. But obviously he thinks he's better placed to bring about change .... erm no John. The lure of a £70000 pay packet plus £200000 expenses is TOO MUCH to give up.

    So we fight alone against the tyrrany that the Hilsborough Independent Panel has highlighted. None of the current political parties is anyway interested in social justice, in democracy or in the population. We are expendable as the 1% seek their inheritance. It is levelled at disabled people that they think they are 'entitled' to benfits etc. WRONG. The only group in this country who think they are entitled are the RICH. Entitled to all the wealth of the country. Entitled to OUR WEALTH. They can fuck off and so can Labour.

    ReplyDelete
  67. looks like the argument by St John's Ambulance for everyone to learn first aid is going to replace the NHS

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/sep/16/health-firms-nhs

    we didn't vote for this!!!

    ReplyDelete
  68. If all these trolls wnat to do something...go after the real cheats...the tax avoiders or as we should call them Osbournes pals...read the piece in the Mirror today about Gideons sneaky inclusion in the Finance Bill and see what he is REALLY doing.....THATS where the real cheats are....

    ReplyDelete
  69. Our mission: to deliver fairness in tough times that is Ed's vision and when I think he can satisfy the likes of me and then and only then will, labour be able to move forward but until then the conservatives will win the argument

    A fairness policy is very simple most here could produce one the reasons it's simple is because most here have led a simple straight forward life

    Now ed is at a big disadvantage here as he has not led an ordinary life so he has no experiences or guidance to bring to the table

    he cant talk about the difficulties of life so his best bet at the conference is to keep his mouth shut and to try to absorb what the other Delegates are saying and try to get to understand his party which as i say is a very difficult thing for him to do as a conservative dressed up in a red labour tie

    Personally, I don't think his level of education, lack of world travel will make him be able to grasp the very basics, and with the rest of the labour front bench of the same mind I feel that the conference will be ignored by the the majority of the people just like all the others down the years

    Tony Blair's was a step up and bold with child tax credits but his weakness was that he got side-tracked too easy with certain friends that were as daft as a brush and that was his downfall

    David Cameron and co have an excuse they haven't a clue about the needs of others and just try to sound as if they do for the camera and they know full well that the public are daft enough to fall for a lot of garbage as they have always done in the past throughout history without a thought for all the lives lost in the wars that they have been keen to get involved in

    both labour and conservatives are to blame throughout history for a magnitude of catastrophe and bad judgement calls over the years costing the lives of millions of people both here and overseas and with no let up in sight

    Yes it will be a conference aright but a labour one i don't think so




    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very well said Nick, excellent comment. I couldn't agree more with it.

      It just goes to show how much trouble we are really in.

      Delete
    2. indeed we are in danger

      Ed is a nice guy so am i but to be able to lead you have had to personally have had a long and wide set of experiences in life to engage effectively so that when someone stops you for a chat you can draw from your own personal experiences and be able to make a connection with who your talking to

      It doesn't matter what the topic is you should be able to relate to the other person and fully engage without passing or thinking on the lines that the other person is wrong or just say something on the hoof to shut them up

      People by and large i have found love good communication especially if they themselves are of a sensitive nature or just feeling a little insecure

      As i said above ed lacks these important skills and being nice although a good trait is not really going to cut much ice in going forward

      It will be interesting to see how he gets on with sue she herself a nice person with a good clarity i myself fully understand her if we ever met up we would end up good mates

      I wonder if ed can find the same in her and get to lead and implement some decent values so that the sick and disabled get some piece of mind in what they surly need in a decent society

      Delete
  70. A few questions that the benefits crowd avoid answering that need to be looked at:-

    1. If benefits are so bad why are you desperate to stay on them and thought of working sends you into a cold sweat? Millions are solely on benefits and never worked a day in their life.

    2. Work doesnt pay that is blatantly obvious. Hence why are there are millions that simply pump kids out then run to the DWP with hand permanently in the outstretched position?

    3. If benefits are stopped you got 2 options get a job and support yourself or sink?? Who has the right to demand something for nothing.

    The one consistent thing that all people at a benefit party will say is that they are better off on benefits than working. Hence which fool would consider working in such a scenario? If these popular reforms prevent this then bring them on asap!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @Rick: 1. I'm not desperate to stay on benefits & working does not send me "into a cold sweat".

      2. I've never 'pumped' a kid out in my life - never had any children at all actually and my hand is never - and never has been - "in the outstretched position.".

      3. "If benefits are stopped you got 2 options get a job and support yourself or sink??". This is a statement - statements do not end with a question mark, questions do. "Support yourself or sink" is a very harsh way of putting it. I hope you never have an accident, operation or illness that results in you being unable to work.

      4. "Who has the right to demand something for nothing." is, funnily enough, a question and should end with a question mark and not a full stop. I served in the Armed Forces for 12 years. During those years I was exposed to various incidents that resulted in delayed PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). I suffered depression, violent nightmares and flashbacks, suicidal thoughts and paranoia. I also attempted suicide several times. Please don't retort that they must have been 'cries for help' or anything other than what they were - I genuinely wanted to die.

      Three years ago I was about to start work again - after successful treatment for the PTSD - when it was decided that I needed a simple and straightforward total hip replacement. In the 16 months following this I needed 9 more operations because of complications caused by infection. Actualy it was 13 infections in total and 3 of them were potentially fatal. I still limp because of the damage to nerves, muscle and other tissue. I'll never be able to walk properly again.

      So, I really, really don't think I'm demanding "something for nothing", as you so eloquently put it.

      I've paid my taxes, my NI and my dues. At the end of it, all I want to do is get back into employment.

      Can you tell me when the next "benefit party" is happening? I'd really like to go to it. Statements like "popular reforms" mean you're either: a troll; a member of the Tory party or just someone who believes everything that the Tory party's media lackeys publish, print or broadcast.

      Delete
  71. Rick

    Who has said they would rather be on benefits than fit enough to work?

    Why do you think we haven't paid into the system? FYI I worked for 20yrs both as an employee then laterally as an employer before being forced by my illness to give up my business and making my staff redundant. Why shouldn't I claim under the insurance scheme I had no choice but to pay into?

    Why are you so bitter that some of us are able to claim these benefits?

    Why don't you get a life and find some other place to troll sick and disabled folk?

    ReplyDelete
  72. So Sue got put into the Support Group. The Group reserved for the dead, or Tory family members with a slight head cold. She didn't even get a Work Capability Assessment, how very strange.

    Sue has no problem sitting in a stadium with 80,000 people and travelling miles to the Olympic Village. When her car broke down in the rain, she could walk a mile back to her flat, and there are cancer patients and quadriplegics being put into the WRAG if they are lucky enough. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

    Well done Sue, it just goes to show what a compliment for Lord Coe can do. I'm not surprised you are "really beginning to like him."

    And the Social media is not stalking Sue, but milk it for all it's worth, that's your best quality. You want recognition, you want to be a Politician and a living Martyr then you should expect to engage.

    After all, you question the lives of politicians everyday, and your envy towards Louise Mensch was staggering. It's only healthy that a campaigner, Oooops, a writer and a lobbyist can be held accountable if they choose to use donations.

    ReplyDelete
  73. Can anyone else smell Troll in here? I'm sure I've got a whiff of Sockpuppet... with just a hint of Astroturf... haha

    I don't know if anyone else agrees, but i think that Sue should take Ricky Gervais' advice when it comes to moderating this blog:

    "If someone is being nasty to you for no reason, ignore it or better still, Block. Gone. They are still unhappy. You are not. Lovely."

    ReplyDelete
  74. To the vile anonymous person who keeps slagging Sue off. You clearly, clearly, clearly haven't been reading this blog or understand about fluctuating conditions have you. Sue has a long term illness. She has good days when she can eat a bit if she's lucky and get around in a wheelchair. Her bad days see her bedridden or needing surgery. If she's lucky the anaesthetist will pay attention to her medical history and not kill her with the drugs. On her good days she will get up and do something, even if it makes her ill afterwards, God forbid because she's a human being, and life is short. But she always always suffers for it afterwards.

    And with all that, she has done a phenomenal job this year in raising awareness of welfare issues, of ESA, PIP, the dangers of welfare reform. Going to the party conference is about continuing that raising awareness, because if we're going to change this horrible mess, we HAVE to get politicians of ALL colours realising how dangerous and destructive welfare reform is.

    Personally, I think Sue should block you from this blog. Your comments twist everything, are destructive and are helping noone but yourself. Go away you vile horrible bully.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How does Sue know when her good days are going to be? All these guest appearances have to be planned ahead. It is also a matter of record that she attends "learning lunches" at her husband's place of work - see local media.(Apparantly he is middle management-Disability Liaison Officer for EDF one of the biggest energy suppliers in the UK - and shame on them for not paying him a decent wage so that, as Sue describes, prior to DLA the family lived in poverty!!)

      A fluctuating condition is one that cannot be controlled.

      Delete
  75. Well said, Virginia! :-)

    The problem is that cowardly selfish daft wee boys like 'Rick' (or whoever the hell 'he' is!) haven't the wit to follow logical argument, understand the realities of life outside their own drab existence, or empathise with/care about anyone else but themselves.. best thing to do with Gorps like 'him' is to either ignore them or Delete/Block! :-D

    ReplyDelete
  76. I believe it is pathetic to sit on twitter calling someone a stalker, like Sue told Louise Mensch, you shouldn't use it if you haven't got a thick skin, and just because you are a woman you should not expect sympathy.

    Is Sue not the bully?

    As far as I am concerned all comments are anonymous, anyone can be behind a name, just like anyone can have a hidden agenda.

    I have absolutely nothing to hide. I know exactly what is happening to Disabled and sick people, I live in terror of this government, and when I see pretence I will challenge it. Sue talked about the word mendacity, that's an excellent word, one of my favourites. Maybe she should be more introspective when using that word.

    IF, someone like me, as incapacitated and sick as me is hurting another sick and incapacitated person by comments I truly believe to be true, I am still very sorry to be named as a bully.

    It's not nice to watch the very poorest being left out of what became an over sensationalized Blog. I believed Sue started out with good intention, and her ego inflated to the point where her words might be taken seriously on all aspects of Disability, and recently, I certainly feel I would have to shout out against someone who only speaks for one section of Disabled Britain.

    That's precisely what our Tory Government want, DLA and ESA given to those with the right postcode.

    98% of appeals were successful in one of those little richer counties. Is that fair?

    I'm a humanist, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know where the deepest cuts, even in welfare are happening. Open your eyes, they are happening in the shitholes where people don't even know what a Welfare Rights Officer is.

    This blog is perfect for some, and dangerous to many. But I am very sorry the government chose to make things this hard.

    Look in the mirror before you call people sinister bullies. You have the sheeple on your side, the majority of us campaign alone, or get comments deleted for making "capital"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "I have nothing to hide"... said 'Anonymous'! haha

      Delete
    2. Do you want my name to persecute me because I challenged your master? Eh, sheeple?

      Like Sue wrote earlier, she has blogged all she needs to = Her life is comfortable again financially.

      Delete
    3. No, ta: you continue to post your nonsense as 'Anonymous', and I'll carry on poking fun at your passive-aggressive comments.. haha

      Delete
    4. Anyone who uses the word "sheeple" tends to have watched too many conspiracy theory vids and thinks the are somehow anti-establishment. In reality they are a pathetic sort who likes to think they're clever by attacking the most worthy of campaigns or people who are trying to do good.

      Sue is not "our master" but someone many of us admire for her eloquence, determination and efforts to combat a correctly perceived wrong being perpetrated on some of society's most vunerable people.

      You, on the other hand, are just someone with an axe to grind picking on someone because you either don't like their popularity or tend to read something into things thats not actually there, like every good conspiracy theorist.

      Delete
  77. Oh dear.. I see that Gorps are hiding behind 'Anonymous' sockpuppets as well... [yawn]

    Apropos of nothing in particular: does anyone know what hourly rate Central Office is paying Astroturfers ATM?

    Or are they all parasitical Hooray Henrys having 'fun' on mummy & daddy's dosh? ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  78. Funny how most of the people having at Sue hide behind the shield of anonymity.

    Just saying...

    ReplyDelete
  79. Well I wouldn't worry on it - the situation is going to be handled. Because like it or not this isn't a "forum"; this is a person's personal blog. That she's left the comments open this long surprises hell out of me - I guess she's trying really hard to not seem like a dictator, but the way I see it, it's her blog...everyone has the right to either read it, or not. But no one has the right to persistently take potshots at someone they disagree with. I disagree with a lot of things online, but I don't make it a personal mission to persistently attack them. I only have so much energy in the day, and that energy doesn't mean I allow people I don't know to consistently muddy up my personal space. "Freedom of speech" doesn't exist...responsibility of speech does.

    If you want to disagree, fine, do that. If you take umbrance and want to debate, then Sue allows that as she likes debate. But none of this is debate...it's a personal agenda to harass someone. Thankfully, that time is coming to an end.

    People, you're not going to convince this person of anything so just disengage and give it up for now. And I hope Sue manages to get some relief now.

    ReplyDelete
  80. I've been reading this and trying to bite my tongue but obviously failing. I have to say that it disturbs me. I certainly don't think that Sue is a scammer of any variety ... BUT it worries me that much of the readership here consists of people with very little money to spare. Not so long ago, people pitched in to buy a new laptop for Sue, and since then it's been an array of expenses for campaigning that - while loud - I don't think is really all that effective. There's a bit of a cult of personality going on here, coupled with a lack of real accountability (of the sort one would ordinarily expect from other recipients of donations). I don't think Sue intends this but it's getting out of hand, IMO. Time, perhaps, for a more formal set-up, with charitable status and a few trustees who can oversee expenses and make decisions about the best uses of donated money?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This has been discussed already...and the problem with becoming a charity is that charities cannot have political leanings - they must be completely impartial. Not to mention with many of the original people from Spartacus Report still recovering, in hospital, about to go into hospital, or totally warned off doing any more active campaigning by their specialists, who would run it? I for one have seen how the big name charities who supposedly are "for" us have been acting...and I feel rather betrayed. This is a grass-roots organisation which I support, not because I'm just a poor-little-vulnerable-person, but because I know I can't do it alone, so I pool my resources.

      A whip-round for Sue's laptop was done by friends...not by Sue endorsing it. We were brainwashed, we just happen to know how vital it is when you're stuck in a hospital to talk to someone. For many of us the internet is our only social hub. And we empathised, so we helped. After all, Sue posted this specifically to ask people what to do with the funds, so where's the problem?

      We're not poor little lambs who don't know our own minds. I appreciate the concern, but I know what I'm doing, and I trust Sue to walk the straight and narrow.

      Delete
  81. Oh-oh... looks like another tack is being used: 'Sue's not a scammer [but she is really!]'.. haha...

    Here's where the URL that 'Eldritch' used to 'validate' their 'identity' for their comment leads to:

    "UK attitudes on immigration and welfare 'toughening'.. Concerns about immigration and support for welfare reform are growing, a study of British social attitudes suggests."
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19621020

    ReplyDelete
  82. One thing I should add since sue started this blog she has had well over a million visitors which is quite remarkable some may say

    Not really sue has great depth and is an incredible writer that and being very transparent and open who could not enjoy this blog

    The topics discussed here in this blog are one of the most important of all topics in the news today
    This blog when sue stated out should have been just about her sharing of her thoughts with others and in exchanging of views and the best ways in going forward with the welfare reform bill in a light hearted way

    However, regretfully with such a floored welfare reform bill many have died in ways i never thought possible and many have slipped through the cracks and died a premature death

    This blog now serves a very different purpose and that is to put a halt to the bad practices of the DWP and ATOS and save the lives of the sick and disabled falling through the cracks in future

    One thing we can all be sure of is that without this blog and it's many followers the death toll would be much higher so for what it’s worth I say thank you sue you have made a difference and in my opinion a very big one and am sure I speak for many of your followers

    ReplyDelete