Occupy Birmingham UK

Welfare reform makes women’s lives even worse | letters | From the Observer | The Observer.

An open letter to Ms Maria Miller, Under Secretary of State (Disabled People) Work and Pensions.

Dear Maria Miller MP,

We, the undersigned have no confidence in your abilities as Under Secretary of State (Disabled People) Work and Pensions. We believe that you should resign from your position for the following reasons:

1) For failing to fight hard enough to ensure that disabled people receive a fairer assessment of their capabilities. For suggesting to Disability Campaigner, Sue Marsh, whose own Disability Living Allowance has been decreased, that she use her ‘extensive right of appeal through tribunals’ if she is unhappy about the DWP’s decision. You appears to be ignorant of how the proposed cuts to legal aid will severely limit access to justice through tribunals for thousands of DLA recipients. Added to this, the closure of many Citizens’ Advice Bureaux, because of cuts, means many people cannot get the advice they need.

2) For persistently disregarding the views of charities, organisations, medical professionals, scholars & academics, independent inquiries & commissions, who have made it clear in public statements that the Work Capability Assessment in its current form is ‘not fit for purpose’ but is willingly administered by ATOS Heathcare.

2) For persistently defending the changes to move people from Incapacity Benefit to Employment & Support Allowance, which have led to many sick and disabled people being wrongly assessed and some terminally ill people being passed fit to work. Also for persistently defending the proposed change from Disability Living Allowance to Personal Independence Payments, which will take away the benefit from many needy and deserving people.

3) Your refusal to engage directly with the people at the first ‘Hardest Hit March’ on the 11th of May 2011, the follow up in October 2011 and more recently in January 2012 sent a clear message that, though you will participate safely from a live internet blog or a radio studio, you are reluctant to meet, in person, people with serious illness and disabilities whose anxiety and sense of injustice drive them to take to the streets in all weathers to voice their feelings.

4) For being responsible for introducing the plan to charge lone parents to access the service which will replace the Child Support Agency, when organisations such as Gingerbread have opposed the idea because of the damaging effect it will have on children and the difficulties, if not impossibilities, of many parents in getting child maintenance. A large percentage of lone parents are disabled or caring for disabled children.

5) For failing to take a sufficiently strong public stand to protect disabled people from disability-based discrimination, prejudice and disability hatred. Such disability hatred often stems from articles in the media, including the state-sponsored BBC, which regularly portray people who are sick and disabled as scroungers, particularly those who suffer from conditions that may not be readily obvious.

6) For misleading the public by claiming that there is not a shortage of jobs but a fear of work, suggesting that all people who receive benefits are workshy. You said you believed the unemployment problem was down to a lack of ‘appetite’ for the jobs on offer, claiming that on any day there are 400,000 job vacancies. What you failed to mention was that there are 2.68 million people unemployed and that in some parts of the country, such as Hartlepool, there are twelve people chasing every vacancy. Neither did you mention that many of the jobs are part time and/or unsalaried and commission-based.

7) Finally, although your background is in marketing and advertising, you does not appear to be using your PR skills to highlight the plight of the sick, disabled, poor and vulnerable in our society, but rather the opposite.

Before the 2010 General Election, Politicians were queuing up to promise the right to ‘recall’ MPs who do not do their jobs properly. So far, no legislation has been passed to enable people to do this. However, we, the undersigned, feel that this should be the case for you. It is for the above listed reasons that we, the undersigned believe that you, Ms Maria Miller MP, to be out of touch with the worries, concerns and outrage felt by sick, disabled, poor and vulnerable members of our society. We therefore urge you to resign immediately.

Nick Parker

President, Lincoln & District TUC and 212 others (see list online)Paul Smith – Atos Victims Group

Ben Rickman, Secretary, Brent TUC

Gawain Little, President, Oxford & District TUC

Nicola Dodgson, Reigate, Health Worker, Unison Member, Anti-Cuts

campaigner, OU Student

Cllr Ian Rathbone, Hackney Council

King’s Lynn & District Trades’ Council

The Broken of Britain

Esther Foreman, disability rights activist

Wandsworth Against Cuts

Caroline Raine, Oxfordshire Anti-Cuts Alliance

Nick Grant, NUT, NEC Outer London

Jerry Hicks, Chair, Grass Roots Left

Gerry Downing, Secretary, Grass Roots Left

Ian Scott, Treasurer, Grass Roots Left

Freya Vinten, Anti-Cuts campaigner

Brent Fightback, Anti-Cuts campaign

Julie Waterson, Secretary, HTUC (Hackney TUC), Joint Secretary,

HatDS (Hackney Alliance to Defend Public Services)

Hillingdon Against Cuts

Hillingdon Socialist Party

Mick Houghton, Secretary, Greater London Association of Trade

Union Councils (GLATUC)

Occupy Birmingham

Lucie Hill-Hempsted, Chair, Mums Against the Cuts

Loraine Hardy, Treasurer, Nuneaton Against The Cuts

Patricia Walker, Virtual Resistance

Katie Millward, Nuneaton Against The Cuts

Mohammed Ansar

Carole Robinson, Anti-Cuts campaigner

Diary of a Benefit Scrounger

Eleanor Lisney, disability rights campaigner

Brent Solidarity Group

Boycott Workfare

John McArdle, Black Triangle Campaign

DPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts)

Cllr Jude Robinson, Labour & Cooperative Unitary Councillor,

Camborne North

John McDonnell MP

Danka Gordon, disability campaigner

Sue Horne, MS Sufferer

Belinda Washington, disability campaigner

Andrew Jackson, Clitheroe

Katerina Kyriacos, Stop CSA Charges

Catherine Quinn, Stop CSA Charges

Maria Quinn, Stop CSA Charges

Patricia McGlone, Stop CSA Charges

Kevin McilKennon, Stop CSA Charges

Anya-Nicola Darr, Devon

Sue Ayre, CSA – If We Have To Pay We Want Our Say!

Martin Parker, London

Ian Sedgwick, disability campaigner

Julian Silverman, political activist

Veena Sharma, NUT

Adam Lotun, Workplace Disability Adjustments

Joe P, London

Bill Kruse, London

Gail Victor Ward, disabled person

Paul Clark, London

Rick Burgess, Ten Percent, Anglesey.

Kat Mason, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Kevin Green, Kirkcaldy, Fife

Amanda Adlem, Southampton

Dorothy Wright, disability campaigner

Barbara Smith, Carer

Jayne Linney, Leicester

Helen Sims, Bristol

Darren William Bartlett, Solihull

Ann Spilsbury, Newcastle-under-Lyme

Alan Barrett, Stoke-on-Trent

Beccy Moore, Bristol

Rhondda Lesley, Leicester

Ivan Thomas, Wolverhampton

Helen Thomas, Bridport

Martyn Ounstead, Wrotham

Dave Birdstall, Social Welfare Advocacy

Steven Preece, Social Welfare Advocacy

Joanne Bayliss, carer, mum to two disabled children,

Wolverhampton

Fiona Bott, carer of disabled husband, Telford

Rob Slaney, Nottingham

Peter Peerless, Croydon

William Braquemard, Dalton Piercy

Johnny Wheelz, Edinburgh

Christine McCabe, Cambridge

Graham Askew, Cambridge

Julie Ann MacKay, Salisury

Sarah Nicholson, Liverpool

Zena Dodgson, disabled person

Neil McKenna, Chester

Anthony Roberts, Hertfordshire

Pam Roberts, Hertfordshire

Kathy Fox, Norfolk

Maurice Fox, Norfolk

Garry Sclater, Exeter

Tricia McIntyre, Glasgow

Kleio Nicky Bennett, Staffordshire

Laura Bennett, Staffordshire

James McIntyre, Glasgow

Jules Finch, Atherton, Nr Manchester

Sarah Ledsom, Wirral

Barry Ledsom, Wirral

Bridget Atkins, Cramlington, Northumberland

Hazel Quinn, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland

Atos Miracles, Facebook group

Dawn Hanson, Chesterfield, Derbyshire

Billy Hanson, Chesterfield, Derbyshire

Mumtaz Rafiq, Manchester

David Chowcat, Treasurer, BPAC (Brighton People Against Cuts)

Mary Stuart, Teacher of young people with learning difficulties,

London

Angie Freeman, Basingstoke, Hampshire

Debbie Barrett, Tonbridge, Kent

Andrew Preacher, Spalding, Lincolnshire

Phil Saint, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear

Paul Carruthers, Hertford

Simon Jones, Dorset

Gordon Johnston, Clackmannan

herese O Hanlon, Salford, Manchester

Robert Moore, Paisley

Kev Towner, Hastings, East Sussex

Campaign Against Destruction of Disabled Support Services, Barnet

Pauline Killick, Tamworth

Karen Hirons, Carers’ Association, Southern Staffs

Philip Baldwin, Kent

Garry Hirons, Constituency Chairman (Labour party), Tamworth

Kezia Bennett, Cornwall

Finn Raven, Falmouth

Lorraine Malyan, Durham

Frances McGinley, Lecturer, Skills For Life, London

Sonja Pederson, Hampshire

Steve Catchpole, Suffolk

Michelle Hunter-Gray, Staffordshire

Diane Foster, Doncaster

Janet Weston, Liverpool

Max A Wootton, Leeds

Adrianne Sebastian-Scott, London

Gary Moir, Paisley

Sasha Callaghan, Past President, University and College Union

Craig Turnbull, Cambridge

Rosie Harrison, Cornwall

Sarah Blackley, Scotland

Dorothy Stuart, Bedford

Bill Macleod, Falkirk

Michael Runcone, Fife

Tansy Feltis, London

Del Pickup, IWW, Sheffield

Keith M Ross, Swansea, Wales

Chris Ray, Birmingham

Diane Watson, Cambridge

Susie Stewart, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Gillian William, Bognor Regis

Monica Tomlinson, Liverpool

Nick Dawson, Wollaton, Northants

John Sweeney, Maldon, Essex

Susan Whelan, Burnley

Gaynor Underhill, Oxford

Lea Jeff, Basingstoke

Jerome Green, Letchworth

Caroline Hexter, New Milton, Hants

Michelle Maher, Brighton

Cllr Carole Bonner, Labour, Fieldway Ward, Croydon

Andy Ingram, Canvey Island, Essex

Mandy Ingram, Canvey Island, Essex

Sarah Law, Essex

Mike Smart, Chesterfield, Derby

Julie Ann McKay, Salisbury

Rosey Carey, Penzance

Julie Finch, Atherton

Bill O’Neil, S Ayrshire

Doreen Buress Garza, Wisconsin

Amy Ratter, Shetland

Antoinette Morris, London

Liz Potter, Derbyshire Anti-Cuts Campaign & Action for Carers in

Erewash, Derbyshire

Deborah Mahmoudieh, Occupy Sheffield

Jo Twist, Leicester

Kassie Davidson, Nottingham

Katrina Kiki Day, North London

Nikx Robinson, Leeds

Dave Jenks, Wrexham, North Wales

Nicola Everill, Harrogate, North Yorkshire

Robert Bland, Harrogate, North Yorkshire

Dave Tarbrook, North Wales

Jill Goble, Brighton

Yvonne Bolton, Preston, Lancs

Brad Walker, Cornwall

Suchi Chatterjee, Brighton

Barbara Taylor, Harrogate

Babs Knightly-Short, Exmouth, Devon

Atalanta Kerrick, Cornwall

Eirlys Dafydd, Ammanford, Carmarthenshire

David White, Treharris, Mid Glamorgan

Andrew Duncan, Exeter

Dave Rendle, Cardigan, Wales

Theresa Kelly, Plymouth

Anisa Zita, Hackney, North London

Aoife Tobin, Brighton, Sussex

KJ Walsh, Liverpool

Rob Joy, Southampton

Chris Wright, Ringwood, Hants

Elizabeth Beth McDermot, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent

Robert Levy, Plymouth

Alexandra Gout, Harrogate

Colin Finch, Mitcham, Surrey

Michael Meny-Gilbert, Brighton

Tracey Malson, Doncaster

Delyth Protheroe, Carmarthenshire

Marion Lambert, Cleveland

Becky Lowe, Swansea

Will Steer, Holloway, London

Jane Anne Leach, Droitwich

Catherine Mosey, Coventry

Sharon Hingley, Cheslyn Hay, Staffordshire

Ali Cooper, Liverpool

Annie Bishop, Hexham

Alison Smith, Telford

Maria Mannix, Newcastle

Sarah Blackley, Glasgow, East Renfrewshire

 

Hastily thrown together with only the best in last minute planning, Occupy Birmingham and a somewhat less motley crew of Birmingham’s 99% from the Twitterverse (these people tweet only solid gems of gold) are going to be in Victoria Square to offer moral support to this band of brave Brummies in their fight to #saveislandhouse from the wrecking ball.

Tomorrow.

Anybody who thinks they might even vaguely be able to attend for 5 minutes to smile and wave a placard that may have been made that very morning can go here and tell your friends that you know how to flex your freedom.

With only days left to go in the public consultation to decide the fate of Island House (see here for details) it seems that this is destined to be a rerun of a familiar story.

The tale is one of big property developers with big money and significant clout vs. a handful of people who think beautiful old buildings are actually more useful to people and communities when they remain un-demolished.

The people of Birmingham have complained vociferously as one architectural “carbuncle” after another has been foisted upon them and still the march towards the gutting of any little cultural architectural heritage we have left continues unabated with local Councillors and MPs struck dumb by the glow of all that money.

It is not just the Occupiers of Birmingham who believe this building is worth speaking up for. Comments on the post linked at the top are overwhelmingly against the proposed demolition:

1. Louis Hudson says:

   January 6, 2012 at 8:28 pm

   This got my goat, so I thought I’d leave the comment I left on BCC’s public consultation:

   Many of Birmingham’s beautiful buildings have been demolished to make way for dull buildings with a short life expectancy. As this is a reversal on Quintain’s original 2008 proposal, this obviously is not an ideal solution. To flatten a previously considered proud asset to the Eastside’s gateway instead of investing some time in it is reckless at best. The Jewellery Quarter has been a thriving example of invigoration and pride in an area through renovation. A building doesn’t have to be listed in order for it to be appreciated.
2. Nicky Getgood says:

   January 9, 2012 at 11:01 am

   Got my goat as well, as you can probably tell from the post! It seems such a needless waste of a lovely building. I’ve registered my objection to the proposal online.

   Nicky
3. Pamela says:

   January 9, 2012 at 11:19 am

   I’ve registered an objection too:

   “As Secretary of Digbeth Residents Association (mydigbeth.co.uk), I really feel that demolishing Island House is a short-sighted action that will reduce another Birmingham building into the pages of history.
   The building could enrich the area if only the expense of demolition was invested in its preservation.
   For the sake of Digbeth, Eastside and Birmingham please reconsider.”
4. Noddy says:

   January 9, 2012 at 9:33 pm

   And me:
   “Unbelievably inept of BCC for the power of the developers’ money (in whatever form) to be continuing to dictate what is left of Birmingham’s heritage. No doubt this will be temporarily ‘landscaped’ in a manner similar to the rest of the ‘bomb-sites’ in Digbeth and Camp Hill. What have we done in our past lives to deserve the likes of BCC Planning Department?”
   The “Free State of Digbeth Party” will insist that all planners and planning cttee members make their bank accounts available for perusal by the public. As well as publishing all meeting minutes in Latin.
5. Dave says:

   January 10, 2012 at 11:24 am

   Agree that this is further needless and short term vandalism. I have often wondered at the rationale of some decisions which destroy heritage, listed or not, and replace with crappy, cheap buildings … I guess lining the pockets of developers and ‘so called’ architects! Some of these people should be ashamed of themselves.
6. Nicky Getgood says:

   January 10, 2012 at 11:35 am

   Thanks Dave – be sure to register your objection with Birmingham City Council and feed into their public consultation on this proposal: http://is.gd/HZOLwg

   I’m hoping if local residents are vocal about this, the building might be saved!
7. Jonathan Clarke says:

   January 10, 2012 at 4:21 pm

   *rolls eyes*

   I’ve commented, although obviously I’m not a resident. I also pointed out that the “landscaped area proposals”, are not feasible (see below).

   http://bit.ly/w9S39O
8. Mikimo says:

   January 11, 2012 at 4:41 pm

   No, no, no. This city will become one without any real visible heritage, comprising of half-arsed, cheap-sourced, short-sighted developments, poorly planned, poorly executed and are dated and irrelevant before they have been erected.
   A city hell bent on obliterating it’s own historical culture.
9. Meg Brady says:

   January 15, 2012 at 12:14 am

   I don’t understand the ‘temporary’ part. Is the lovely building which was in full use only a few years ago to be demolished to make way for the proposed parkland or not?
   Hamstead Heath has Kenwood House in it’s grounds. Is it not possible to use the building as a feature to enhance the arts? Art Gallery or such? That would tie in with a visit to the Think Tank. I admire the idea of a second park in Birmingham Centre but surely this could incorporate such a lovely old building?

Come on Brummies, let’s have a moan that counts for a change.

**UPDATE** 02:34 18/1/12 (in the midst of the SOPA blackout)

After 12 hours online this post was Tweeted 30 times. We are currently seeking to talk with anyone who would like to help, either with information, time or creative ideas. Please join in the discussion, either in the comments below, via email, (info@occupybirmingham.org.uk) or on our Facebook page.

PS. A big thankyou to Nicky Getgood at digbeth.org for having a goat to be got in the first place

Announcement Subject:

Emergency G.A tomorrow (13.1.12) at camp 11am. On Friday we will be speaking with the Robin Bryan – MD of the Park Management company (Parks and Leisure), as well as the Mahindra the events manager for Victoria Square at BCC. Please come to the G.A in the morning to discuss tactical issues, share thoughts and help contribute in the g.a process.. This will definitely help inform the meeting come and show solidarity. Educate, Agitate, Organise….Occupy!

Daily Kos: Occupii:A New Face In Social Media.

Have just left the global round table meeting on occupii.org with some amazing occupiers from round the globe. Lasting seven hours, the meeting covered the questions posted by participants here.  More will definitely follow.

Into The Fire – Full Film – YouTube.

Occupy Birmingham | “We Are the 99%” – YouTube.

Birmingham protesters to feed city homeless at Christmas – Birmingham News – News – Birmingham Mail.

The festive season did not pass unnoticed at the camp, with a well attended General Assembly on Christmas Eve followed by a lunch on Christmas Day shared freely among anyone who happened by.

Regular Occupier, Symon explained:

“Christmas Day was the high point of the occupation so far for me and others at camp, morale on camp is at an all time high. Members of the community, as well as residents and campers combined efforts to provide a variety of food, welcome to all.”