Reshuffle live blog....

13.20 We hear that Rachel Reeves is on her way to Ed's office and will be promoted. Widely tipped to get Liam Byrne's job, leaks are tightly controlled among Labour contacts today, so we'll have to wait and see.

13.21 I'm hearing Esther McVey has been promoted to Minister for Employment (Hoban's job) Stunning that someone so incompetent should be promoted but there we are. This leaves Hoban floating - might he get IDS job? It would certainly be good for us welfare warriors if so (though "good" clearly a very loose definition.....

13.24 I hear Hoban has been sacked!! Very surprised and Mike Penning is being moved across from Northern Ireland. Know nothing about him as yet, will update on all new appointments as soon as I can

13.29 If Hoban has indeed been sacked, I would expect some rather more robust criticism from him on the whole WCA mess. Depending of course on where he ends up. Sacking him from DWP can only mean he took a line the gov don't approve of. Fingers crossed.

13.32 Apparently Penning is getting Minister for people with Disabilities. Quote "Not expecting any changes at cabinet level except for Scotland" which would mean IDS keeping his job :((((

14.10 Well, that seems to be that little flurry out of the way. Labour List seem to think all the LAbour moves could be announced together later. Incredibly tight ship if so. I'm going to watch the Waltons and pretend the world is still a nice place til we hear more....

14.25 Helen Grant gets equalities, though to be fair, this portfolio has barely troubled us so far....

14.51 These really are only rumours, Labour are keeping an incredibly tight ship, but rumour has it Ivan Lewis, Twigg AND Byrne could all be going, as Labour List say, that would be quite the "Blairite cull"

15.37 OK Byrne's definitely gone, we think Reeves did get it, will update ASAP....

15.56 Burnham definitely staying at health thank goodness.

16.48 And to complete the incredibly tight Labour reshuffle, here's the full list - perhaps a reshuffle that will come to be known as the "Bonfire of the Blairites" http://labourlist.org/2013/10/labours-new-shadow-cabinet-in-full/

As expected, Rachel Reeves got DWP

Rachel Reeves is a rising star in Ed Miliband’s team. Untainted with associations with either the Blairites OR the Brownites, she’s seen as a safe pair of hands in both media situations and on policy. As one of Ed’s favourites and a woman, her appointment to shadow Secretary of State for DWP is a truly heady promotion. It puts a woman in charge of another major portfolio – one traditionally reserved for right wing (male) hawks.

If Ed Miliband was keen on following a “business as usual” path, the job would almost certainly have stayed with Byrne or gone to another prominent welfare hawk and Blairite. The Conservatives have made much of their intention to paint Labour as “soft on scroungers” at the next election and the safe move would have been to keep a right-of-centre hardliner in place. A move away from this very much signals a fresh start. Reeves can be her own woman and we can be fairly sure her approach will be an approach Ed approves of.

She supported Ed in the leadership elections and her appointment signifies that whichever way the wind ends up blowing, the DWP brief is extraordinarily important to Ed. This can only be good news for us.

**Obviously the post of shadow for disabilities is way too unimportant to announce. Still, what did we expect eh?

Advice for Labour on Welfare

God, I'm not sure I ever felt as demoralised or as close to giving up. It seems we will lose both Anne McGuire AND Liam Byrne in the reshuffle and whilst I realise most of you will dance happily on Liam's grave, if nothing else, he'd got to a stage where he really understood the issues. Now we have to start from scratch with a whole new team. No continuity and absolutely no guarantee that they will give a monkey's about disability OR will take forward any of the VERY promising Making Rights a Reality proposals I'd found so encouraging.

I gave a speech for the Labour List rally at Labour conference. I didn't really write it for the audience, but for the Labour rising stars who would be present, urging them to get passionate and take the fight over welfare to the Tories with passion and confidence.

I thought I'd publish it here in the hope that whoever might get the jobs next read it and take note.

*Withers in corner and whimpers*


"We’ve all heard this government of Tories say that they plan to make the next election about Welfare.

They want to paint Labour as “soft on scroungers”

Well it’s time we fought back!!

This government have failed in every last strand of their so called “welfare reforms”. They haven’t just failed, they’ve failed spectacularly.

Universal credit is a total mess. IT systems are not up to the job, the national rollout has been put back time and time again and staff say there is a total lack of strategic management. It’s terrifying!

The Work Programme has failed too. In half of the places it’s operating, people are more likely to find a job on their own!! For people with an illness or disability it’s failed even more completely, with just a handful of people helped into work.

Personal Independence Payments, the replacement for Disability Living Allowance has been rolled out against the wishes and advice of the entire disabled community. It will strip half a million people with real barriers to society of the help they need to live and work.

The so called Youth Contract has helped just 4,600 young people to get jobs against a target of 160,000

Half a million people now rely on foodbanks to feed their families!! Half a million! In the UK, in 2013. And what do Lord Freud and Michael Gove have to say? That people only take free food because it’s available, that they don’t know how to budget. Disgusting, out of touch nonsense as offensive as it is misguided.

The Bedroom Tax – costing a billion more than it might have saved, pushing people out of their homes, their communities. Forcing them into poverty and despair.

And Employment Support Allowance. ESA. The greatest failure of all. Over 200,000 rejected claims found to be wrong and overturned in law. 10s of Thousands dying just months after being found fit for work. Half a million people in limbo because their claims are lost somewhere in the Atos chaos.

Newspapers fed lies unchallenged, about “scroungers” and “skivers” to prop up a system that can only hate, sanction and judge. Hate crime soaring, Sick and Disabled people trapped in their own homes, care packages slashed, independent living under threat.

And all the while the benefit bill soars.

So for all this pain, all this failure, for all the fear and misery Ian Duncan Smith’s botched reforms have caused, for all the cuts, how much have this government managed to cut the benefit bill by?

They haven’t!!! They haven’t succeeded at all!! Far from it!! In fact this government will have seen the welfare bill RISE by 20 billion pounds!!! 20 Billion!!! Why? Because George Osborne has failed just as dramatically at the treasury!! All that pain, all those ruined lives for nothing, just to balance out the incompetence of a failed chancellor!!! Growth has failed to hit any of the targets Osborne set, inflation has remained high, eating into our wages and savings and jobs have not materialised. All of this failure has to be paid for! People with no jobs can’t pay tax! Parents pushed out of the jobs market need support.

Oh the cuts are real. The pain is real. But Osborne’s failures have been so great, none of this has made a scrap of difference to the economy. These cuts have been sucked into the black hole of his economic failures and still they’re not enough. Still the balance sheet is 20 billion short! Are you SURE you want to gloat about your welfare track record Mr Cameron? Are you SURE you want the public to focus on how completely you’ve failed?

When Labour were in power, the jobseekers bill fell EVERY YEAR. Out of work sickness benefits fell EVERY YEAR. Lone parent benefits and Youth unemployment fell EVERY YEAR. Why are we so afraid to tell people? Why have we allowed the public to believe this Tory nonsense?

Do the coalition really want to ask how Labour can possible care about the welfare of our people? ALL of our people? We should make no apology for it!! Does that make us “the party of benefits” Everything I’ve just said shows exactly the opposite. The EVIDENCE shows the opposite.

We MUST take up their challenge. We must be prepared to talk about social security with fire and passion. We must remind people how they slashed tax credits for disabled children, how they removed child benefit from hard working families. We MUST shout from the rooftops that this government set about dismantling every last service and support our sick and disabled people rely on to live with dignity. Most of all we must remind the country how they promised a welfare revolution but provided nothing more than total chaos, a lot of hot air and a huge bill.

We must remind the country how this government of fools watched their wages fall and did nothing. How they watched their rents soar and did nothing. How they watched them struggle to find homes they could afford and did nothing. How they allowed the welfare bill to spiral out of control and did NOTHING.

Friends, welfare isn’t a dirty word. It means to “fare well” and we in this Labour Party I love, want every last person in this country to fare well. Not just a rich elite. Social Security means the security to live IN society, not on its fringes.

The ONLY way to reduce the benefits bill is to make sure that people have work that pays. To make sure the economy grows and that the right support is in place to help people on their way. This government have failed at every attempt. There is no doubt left, it’s not up for debate. Their so called “reforms” are a mess and because of it, people up and down the country don’t know how they will pay their rent next week. They have no idea where the next meal will come from.

We should make no apology for defending them. For speaking out for them. We should make no apology for promising that we will do everything we can to make sure that those abandoned by this government are treated once again as human beings.

By 2015, the media will be full of these stories of suffering and pain. As more and more are abandoned, more Mums, Grans, Brothers and Daughters, the public will turn, as they are turning already towards a party that offers compassion, justice and hope. We can make sure that welfare WINS us votes, we don’t need to hide away behind the Daily Mail.

And most of all, we should NEVER apologise for caring about the people who’s votes we hope to win.

ARE YOU 18-25

ARE YOU 18-25?

This Government have really stuffed you.

They've tripled tuition fees.

Nearly a million of you can't find work.

Now, if this government get back in, you won't get jobseekers allowance or housing benefit until you're 25.

DO YOU KNOW WHY?

Because they can.

Because you don't vote.

Just 12% of you in the last election.

THERE ARE 6 MILLION OF YOU

If you all voted, you would totally change the face of British politics

Social Disservices

I haven't really blogged my experiences with social services.

How do you write about three years, 13 assessments (OT, Adult services, child services and repeat on a loop) and all the pain and shame of admitting your life is not - and will never again be - what you need it to be?

Cutting a long and miserable story short, I'm a disabled parent of two young kids (cue looks of confusion and "we don't have a box for that") with a fluctuating condition (cue looks of confusion and "we don't have a box for that) who stubbornly insists on being enabled not disabled. (Cue looks of.....you get the idea)

But today, I just have to convey the utter ridiculousness of at least one aspect.

I can't pick the kids up from school. I'm totally housebound when Dave's at work. I can't walk far at all, but I can usually manage the steps in or out of my property on a good day. On a bad day I can't get out of bed at all - as you, dear readers, know very well. I can't drive as DVLA are "reconsidering" my right to a driving licence and I can't possibly get on a bus or the problem wouldn't exist, would it?

For 2 YEARS various friends have stepped up, either looking after my kids after school until Dave finishes work and goes to collect them or bringing them home if I'm up to looking after them til Dave gets here.

But that can't go on forever. Things go wrong, friends have their own lives. Invariably, Dave has to leave work all too often and get them. This is putting his job at risk and though his employers have been amazingly wonderful, he's on a very sticky wicket by now.

Child services won't help because the kids aren't the ones with disabilities. Adult services won't help because - yep you guessed it, they're not the ones with disabilities. Education won't help because I live within 2 miles of the catchment area - though of course you and I know that 2 miles might as well be 200 if you can't walk to the end of the drive. OT can't help with ramps to get an aid in and out because I couldn't self-propel my wheelchair far enough to be of any use on my own anyway and "they don't provide access for scooters". And DVLA can't help because, quite rightly, they don't care about any of that, simply whether or not I'm safe to drive.

Nonetheless, there is a legal requirement for my children to attend school! When I asked what would happen if we simply couldn't get them to and from school, education said then we'd be a family in crisis and they would have to step in. But we're "good" parents, "responsible" parents who "try to do the right thing" in politico speak. Nothing would allow us to see the children suffer.

So we're trapped. I'm not "disabled enough" to tick any of their boxes (except of course when I am, but we're back to the looks of confusion...) but "too disabled" to actually manage to pick the kids up.

And the moral of the tale is that endless cuts and sanctions and remote, academic theories see thousands like me fall through the cracks. The tighter the system gets, the more real lives stop functioning. I've lost count of how many people have peered patronisingly over their glasses at me and asked "Do you feel you can parent your children effectively?" And I've lost count of how many times I've cried tears of shame once they leave, realising that no, I can't. Not on my own. Not in any of the nice convenient tick-boxy kinds of ways they mean.

Demeaning and disabling, we muddle along in the same chaos we've juggled for three years now and every time, I have to pick myself up, dust myself down, maybe give myself a little slap and remind myself that life isn't lived by tick boxes. The love of your children isn't dependent on how far you can walk, how many trees you can climb or swings you can push. Their brave little faces know all to well what Mummy can and can't do. They celebrate the cans and brush away the can'ts. But every time hurts.

Even Nastier Post-Script.....

Feeling as though I may tip into desolate if I stayed home, I texted a friend and pretty much begged her to take me for cake. She duly screeched up outside my door, Flintstone style, just moments later and we munched our way through butter, sugar and icing salvation.

But I had to be back, because child services were also booked to come and see me today at 4.00pm Restored and just about able to face another onslaught, I went once again unto the breach. I asked rescue-friend to stay for moral support

Remember, Adults services had contacted them, simply to see if they will fund the "collecting kids from school" half an hour every day that means I could pay someone to bring the kids home. It would cost them £18 a week.

She arrived, hadn't confirmed any of the things she'd gone away to confirm three weeks ago and insisted on speaking to each of my children, one to one away from me, in their bedroom!! My youngest is 5!!!

Th 5 year old was too frightened to go, so she agreed he could sit with me!!! She asked what he worried about? Did he like school? Did he have lots of friends or just one or two?

He was upset. He would only whisper the answers to me.

After she'd gone, he cried twice over silly nothing-things. My friend cried too and said she was horrified. The social worker said it was just procedure, they did it with all referrals.

Me? Oh another little piece of me curled up and died.

Is there seriously a human being in the country, that believes anyone would subject themselves to this humiliation, this scrutiny if they didn't absolutely have no other choice?

Spartacus and Labour conference - An impartial view

It's increasingly hard to write this blog. So much of what I do goes unsaid, so much I can't share.

If I try to report an important meeting or key shift, I sound self-important or arrogant. Perhaps naive or cynical. My experiences today come from a million different moments, a million conversations. From reports I've read or speeches I've given. From looking deep into someone's eyes and trying to decide whether I trust them or not.

So every year, I buzz around Labour conference, squeezing every last drop of value from the people I'm lucky enough to meet, making every moment that I can count. I schmooze and I nag, I flirt and I chide, I try so very hard to convince and explain.

But I share it all with you less and less, aware that you only get my version of events, my opinions, my hopes.

This year, I spent a lot of my time with Stef Benstead (one of the lead researchers on ESA for Spartacus) and her friend and PA Claire Whittingham.

I thought it might be more interesting if Claire told you all how it was. I just asked her to truly write what she thought. I didn't want to know what it might say. A conference virgin, with no real political bias, I hope her experience tells you more than I ever could.


"If I asked you where you were when Sue Marsh got up on the main stage during the Labour Party conference what would you say? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6pfVaaLwrc

My answer is I was in that hall. In fact I was sat next to Sue moments beforehand. I was there after as well, after Sue had just spoken so passionately. I felt proud to know her and be part of Spartacus history. Let's face it, dear reader, it was momentous and incredibly special.

Having initially been asked by Stef Benstead to assist her for the duration of conference I didn't think I'd take a lot of what was to be said in, or take in who I'd seen. I now realise I was far from right on this. I felt empowered, intrigued, exhausted and politically starstruck!

Stef and I attended various welfare related fringe events at the various venues. Some provided refreshments, few didn't. Some were for a handful of people. Some were in the main hall. Stef had also hoped to attend a One Nation Church service on the Sunday, being a wheelchair user meant she needed accessible events and this was (according to the conference brochure) one of them.

Upon our arrival it was discovered there was no step free access! The church assistants couldn't apologise enough. All other venues, including the Brighton Centre, were accessible with some meaning you went a rather scenic route!

We had planned to meet with Sue, who we knew would be busier than the politicians as she campaigned on behalf of Spartacus, but didn't know we would spend 90% of our time with her! 

The days were long and we would, on more than 3 occasions, have to rush about between events, but the sheer exhaustion was worth it. I discovered that Labour now use the term 'social security' as opposed to 'welfare'.

I can now confirm that Sue Marsh eats, sleeps and breathes Spartacus. Every person we met along the way now knew about Spartacus. We met Liam Byrne, Dame Anne Begg, Anne McGuire, Sheila Gilmore, Lord Glasman, Jon Cruddas and several other political figures including John Prescott and Alastair Campbell. 

Journalists and peers kept giving her cuddles!

There were also opportunities to meet with people from various disability charities such as RNIB, for whom Sue was on a panel at a fringe event, Mind and Scope. Sue Marsh works her backside off. She doesn't do it for any monetary gain, fame or notoriety. "The Marsh", as I refer to her, does it for every single claimant affected by ESA and DLA changes. Sue does work even when she's poorly in hospital. And you know what? Not once did I see her complain about pain. I think I can safely say she ran on adrenaline throughout the conference. However, her mobility scooter driving skills did have myself and Stef laughing lots!

The fact ministers, MPs, journalists and so many other people stopped Sue to talk spoke volumes. She's very well respected by many associated with Labour. I hadn't realised, truthfully, just how much work Sue has done behind the scenes. I know so many have contributed too, so thank you to those who do so much as well.

To have been a part, albeit a very minor part, of the Labour conference was a privilege. To have been able to witness what both Stef and Sue do daily was wonderful. To see Sue speak passionately at panel events and the LabourList Rally was amazing. I wish I could do that every day.

The conference is being held in Manchester next year. I'm definitely going! I have to. Not for personal reasons but to help The Marsh and others spread what Spartacus is about. I learnt so much my head hurts but my whole opinion changed. If Labour get elected into 10 Downing Street and stick to their promises for Social Security then many thousands shall benefit, including myself.

So next time someone asks you about Spartacus or Sue then don't be afraid to say what you've read here."

Case Studies Please! Is the Work Programme working for you?

Catherine Hale is researching the Work Proramme for those in the WRAG (Work Related Activity Group of ESA). She's written this guest post asking for case studies to help....

"Hi, I’m on ESA because of a chronic health condition and I’ve been put on the Work Programme to support me into work. The results from the first two years of this new scheme show that the Work Programme is not doing as well as the government hoped at helping disabled people into work.

I want to help policy makers understand what’s going wrong. I’m conducting research to see if other people are having the same kinds of experience with it as I’m having.

I’ll be putting a proper tick box survey online in the next few weeks with the charity Mind. But in the meantime, could you help me gather as many people’s experiences as possible to get first impressions?

If you’re on ESA and have been referred to the Work Programme, either by choice or by compulsion, please could you write in (as much or as little as you like) about whether it has worked for you? The Work Programme is separate from Jobcentre Plus and there are different organisations running it depending on where you live, with names like Ingeus, Serco, A4E etc.

Please write to me at workprogstories@gmail.com Or of course, leave comments below

For example you could think about:

Has it helped you identify and move towards a form of work that you could manage within your health/impairment limitations?

Do you feel your support needs are being addressed? Is the programme of activities accessible to you?

Have you been able to meet the conditions laid out by your adviser to avoid sanctions?

What has been the impact on your health and wellbeing of taking part in the Work Programme so far?

You don’t have to answer everything. I want to hear all stories, good and bad.

Thank you very much. I want the government to hear it from the ground. Our lives and our aspirations are too precious to allow a multi-million pound scheme like this to go wrong.

Catherine

workprogstories@gmail.com"

Britain CAN do Better than This!!

Having listened to Ed's speech on Tuesday, right there, in the conference hall, the mantra "Britain can do better than this" filled me with hope.

Rather than go into detail, I thought I'd simply re-post an article I wrote for Labour List over 2 YEARS ago.

Finally, it seems, my party are regaining their confidence, regaining their voice. The one that speaks to the many not the few. The one that speaks of hope not fear.

"Oh Labour! Labour, Labour, Labour. My poor, tired party with no confidence.

Are we really so lost that we can’t think of anything to say that doesn’t sound a bit Tory? So meek that we’ve forgotten how to frame our argument? Are we really only left with “scroungers” and “cutting a bit less”?

Of course we’re not. People want to hear that we can be a great country again. That we can recover from the mess caused by the global financial crash together and come out of the other side stronger. They want to hear that this is an opportunity. A once in a lifetime chance to stop and take stock, to think about society in a fresh, empowering, way.

They want a blueprint for business that focuses on development and excellence and innovation. From science to medicine to new technologies and a world class green economy, using the pioneering skills we’re so good at developing.

The public know that this is a unique chance to question and improve the economic systems that could be making the world a better place, not a greedier place. They want a global response from politicians with the vision to work together. They don’t want us to batten down the hatches in fear, impotent and trapped, they want us to move on with confidence.

They want to hear that we will focus on excellence and diversity of education for every single child – they instinctively know that this leads to work and wealth.

They want to be told that if the rest of the world wants to race to the bottom, the UK wants to reach for the top. That brave politicians can choose not to make people suffer and instead, will stretch every fibre of imagination and resourcefulness – especially in tough times – to help them get on.

Do you have to be anti-business to say “Hey guys, how about we set up an “All in it Together” programme? “Voluntary contributions from the biggest businesses in the UK to fund apprenticeships, keep libraries open, fund scholarships or training?” If there was a sense that we really are all in this together, I have a feeling confidence would change overnight.

Why does it all have to be “tough” and “austere” and divisive? Why can’t it be co-operative and inspiring and bold?

Labour will win voters back when we remember how to be confident. When we remember that good Labour policy is usually positive and inspiring, not negative and judgemental. By making our message one of hope and optimism, we back the coalition into an austerity corner. A gloomy, cutting, destructive, economy-stifling, corner.

Now isn’t that a much more logical place for the coalition to be?"

You can read the full transcript of Ed's speech here : http://labourlist.org/2013/09/transcript-ed-milibands-2013-conference-speech/