In 1945 the Labour Party came to power on a Socialist ticket. The instigation of disability related benefits, the blind tax allowance, and employment schemes such as the now defunct Remploy, were all designed to cater for the tens of thousands of ex-servicemen who had suffered disfigurement, loss of limb, loss of eyesight, and a plethora of other debilitating injuries. In the process of these revolutionary changes, those born with disabilities also benefitted from these improvements provided through the Welfare State and the National Health Service.
Tag: NHS
Anti-Austerity March – London 21.6.14
Attention was drawn to the government’s policy of demonising people with disabilities, cutting or stopping their already meagre benefits, and instituting a policy of the dehumanising policy of making them disabled benefit claimants ‘compete’ for non-existing jobs, in an employment market that routinely discriminates against the employment of those with disabilities. Many others pointed-out the plight of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, who are treated as ‘non-human’ interlopers in the UK and often imprisoned without trial before being deported back to impoverished countries, many with a less than impressive human rights record, or controlled by extremist or highly unreliable governments. The hated Bedroom Tax was raised alongside the issue of the loss of social housing. The environmental damage inflicted by the method of ‘fracking’ was also a popular cause of discontent.
Soviet War Memorial, London – 2014
Philips Matthews made an excellent speech quoting Stalin, stating how grateful the Soviet was for the European (and USA) support during the Great Patriotic War, and how he (Stalin) valued the efforts of the Western forces as they invaded France and began to fight their way across Europe, freeing it from Nazi control. Stalin said that the Soviet people drew strength from this show of support. The Mayor of Southwark, Abdul Mohamed, spoke about the importance of the defeat of fascism and communities living in peace, whilst the Russian Embassy representative – Minister-Counsellor Alexander Kramarenko – made a very poignant speech stating that as long as Russia exists, the Soviet sacrifice will never be forgotten. He spoke at length about the importance of the defeat of fascism in 1945, and how it is important to remain forever watchful in the present time. He reminded the crowd that fascism had re-emerged in the Ukraine, and that it was a threat to world peace. Indeed, the Ukrainian delegation refused to visit the memorial on the same day as the surviving veterans (who had fought for their freedom in WWII), but instead elected to lay their wreath a day earlier. The only speaker who was noticeably out of place was Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes representing the current and highly rightwing ConDem Coalition government of the UK. Simon Hughes is the Minister of State for Justice and Civil Liberties, and yet ironically attracted controversy in 2013 with his pro-Christian, homophobic rhetoric, which he used when expressing his opposition to gay marriage, and the principle of equality between gay and straight people.
NHS List Maintenance Programme – Cutting GP Lists!
Although these letters are being sent out under the guise of NHS England, they are actually from a private company named ‘NHS Shared Business Services’ that has been given the job by the UK government of cutting the number of people currently held on GP lists. As it stands, everyone in the UK has the right to register for their healthcare at a local GP surgery of their choice, dependent upon the geographical location of their home. Once registered, individuals are able to access NHS care free of charge at the point of use. This new NHS List Maintenance Programme is a co-operative policy carried out by NHS SBS, the local GP’s (who presumably back it), and the national government. Excluded from this exercise in NHS cutting are the millions of people affected by the reality of its implication and implementation.
Chris Pattern, the BBC and its Dangerous Lurch to the Right
It is remarkable to note in passing that following New Labour’s landslide electoral victory in 1997, the toryite leader of the Labour Party – Tony Blair – actually chose to leave Chris Patten in place, presumably as his naturally rightwing political leanings, or so Blair thought, represented the New Labour ethos exactly. Of course, not to remain insular and Eurocentric about this serious matter, the British rightwing made use of Chris Patten to eulogise a dying idea of the despicable institution of ‘empire’, and inflicted Patten’s ignorance upon the Chinese people of Hong Kong, who had to continue to kowtow to the continuous injustices inflicted physically and psychologically upon them by the presence of foreign invaders, and their proselytising Judeo-Christian church. The measure of Chris Patten’s Eurocentric ignorance, racism, prejudice, and discriminative attitude, can be found with just a superficial reading of his memoirs of his time lording it over the Chinese people. He is unrepentant and fully committed to a ‘Little England’ mentality that simultaneously reduces the rest of the world to an uncivilised and as of yet unChristianised mess that is just waiting for people like him to save it from its own innate, inferior barbarism. It is true that by the time of his tenure, Hong Kong had been preparing for reversion back to Chinese rule for some time, and the British military and police forces were keeping a low profile so as not to antagonise the local Chinese population, or trigger the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) from prematurely coming over the border and freeing the area by force.
Racist BNP Ousted From Croydon 5.10.13
The ConDem Coalition government of the UK has continued its attack on the British Working Class by systematically dismantling the Welfare State and the National Health Service so that the rich can have tax cuts for no reason at all other than to make an ideological statement. In the meantime, thousands starve, become maimed and disabled, and die of easily curable diseases and neglect. Britain, due to its shameful imperialist past is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, and there is no need to cut the Welfare State or the NHS. Indeed, Britain is so wealthy that the Welfare State and the NHS should be extended so that private enterprise is permanently wiped out through disencouragement. There is certainly no reason to attack and demonise the Disabled in the UK by cutting their benefits and arbitrarily declaring them fit for work. In times to come this will surely be viewed as a crime against humanity.
SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 