Tuesday 1st July 2025

[refitman]

Morning all.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Afternoon. Thank god it's cooled down (to a mere 24° in here). I must admit I didn't feel great yesterday after a weekend spent drinking and wandering about in the sun.

It's time to find out how many Labour MPs have a conscience (and a spine). I notice mine hasn't signed the latest amendment after putting his name to the previous one so appears to have been placated, I guess we'll see when it comes to the vote.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Bit quiet here today isn't it?

Just thought I'd point out for context that even with all of the concessions (including the latest one) which the government has offered this bill will still be worse than what the Tories were proposing before the last election. In most respects it'll end up being nigh on identical except the Tories promised not to reassess any UC/ESA claimants before their reforms came into effect, whereas Kendall has proudly claimed she wants to increase them.

You may recall Starmer and his flunkies vehemently opposed those Tory reforms.

[refitman]

Apparently they've pulled the PIP bit of the bill

[Frog222]

Apparently they've pulled the PIP bit of the bill

OUF! As they say in frog

The total and utter ridiculousness of Timms reporting on his consultations with (was it 165 ? ) organisations at the same time as the cuts began to cut demonstrates a certain brainlessness all round.

Nobody with integrity and self-respect would have gone along with that plan ?

[refitman]

So, they've just built a concentration camp on Florida.

[Frog222]

You too can be an immigration judge !

[Sky'sGoneOut]

I'll start off by saying how delighted I am for the many thousands of disabled people who can finally sleep easy tonight after months of mental torture. The appalling way they've been treated by a Labour government has been sickening. They've been lied to, lied about, belittled, and treated with utter contempt. I'd love to say seeing Starmer, Reeves, Kendall and the rest of them having their noses rubbed in it has made up for it in some small way but it really hasn't.

But let's not forget that despite the media focus this wasn't only about PIP. The last Tory government were never stupid enough to threaten PIP, their plan was to scrap the Work Capability Assessment for UC and ESA and use the PIP assessment instead. The impact assessment at the time said this would push 400,000 people into poverty, costing them over £3000 a year. Despite condemning it in opposition Labour lifted this plan wholesale from the Conservatives (even continuing with a doomed Tory court case in its defence) and it was pretty much all that remained to be voted on today once the PIP section was scrapped. So while today was a victory, it was only a partial one. Despite all the media bullshit for those with mental health problems PIP is extremely difficult to qualify for so the 'health element' of UC/ESA is all we have to rely on. In 2028 when the WCA is scrapped we'll be fucked.

Or of course we could do what the right wing press claims is happening anyway. We could exaggerate our symptoms, play the system, and dishonestly claim a benefit we don't need costing the country a fortune. Given a choice between that and destitution I know what I'll be doing and there's nearly half a million of us.

But anyway that's a fight for another day (possibly next Wednesday at the third reading, despite all the furore the bill hasn't passed yet), and today is a day to celebrate for many thousands of the sickest and most disabled folks in this country who've just had the sword of Damocles removed that Starmer had strung above their heads. Hurrah!

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Just to add to the above. The scrapping of the PIP 4 point rule is a welcome change even for those of us on other benefits. Because obviously if PIP becomes the 'gateway' to all other sickness benefits (which was the Conservatives' and is now Labour's plan) the less difficult it is to claim the better for all of us. If the 4 point rule had passed it would have become practically impossible to claim any health related benefits for mental health problems unless you were severely psychotic.

As it is Kendall has already said when she ramps up reassessments they'll first be targetting those on UC/ESA who qualify due to the 'substantial risk' criteria which is awarded if claimants are deemed to be a risk to themselves or others (in a work place). It's how most people with mental health problems qualify, which tells you all you need to know about her and Labour's agenda.

Having a massive spanner thrown into those works is a most welcome development.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Final thoughts on all this (I promise).

As petty as it may sound I'd love to know what a certain former member of this forum is thinking about this whole debacle. Would they still defend this inept shambles of a government? Would they concede that we've been right all along? I doubt it, but regardless I very much hope they're well.

And a piece of advice for Starmer.

If Labour really want to involve disabled representatives and charities going forward they need to get rid of Kendall and Stephen Timms. The former for obvious reasons, the latter because during the sham consultation they held on this fiasco his behaviour has been shocking. According to those few who managed to attend the consultation event here in Leeds (I spent a fortnight trying the website with no luck) he turned up, looked sullen, offered robotic rote answers while refusing to engage with any questions directly, then left early because he had to catch a train. But it could have been worse...

Shock of activists as disability minister ignores disabled woman who collapsed on floor after cuts meeting

https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/s ... s-meeting/

She told Disability News Service (DNS): “It had been a long journey and I was so angry that he wouldn’t just stop and listen to us.

“I could see tears of frustration building in Stef’s eyes and running down her face, and I felt myself getting shaky and falling in Stef’s direction.”

Benstead saw that Passeri’s arms and legs had started shaking and she helped her onto the floor.

By this time, Passeri had passed out, which is not unusual because of her health conditions.

The two women were lying in front of the meeting-room door and the minister had to walk from the other side of the table and around Passeri and Benstead to leave the room.

Sir Stephen, who is leading the government’s work on its disability benefits reforms, made no attempt to check on Passeri and instead edged around the table without saying a word and then left the room with a member of staff.

And this is the guy MPs and disability charities are supposed to trust to run a fair and impartial review of PIP eligibility criteria? Fuck off.

Like the rest of Labour when he was in opposition he had plenty to say about how cruel the Tories were being to the disabled, so unlike Kendall a lot of them placed their trust and hope in him when he was made a social security disability minister, but that trust has been broken and the hope has long since evaporated.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Oh yeah (sorry) one last thing.

Before the final third reading vote next week it's up to the speaker if this is a 'money bill' or not. If he decides it is the Lords have no power to amend the bill and play 'ping pong' with it, if he decides it's not they do and can fuck around with it for as long as they like.

https://www.parliament.uk/site-informat ... ney-bills/

A money bill is a bill that in the opinion of the House of Commons Speaker is concerned only with national taxation, public money or loans.

A bill that is certified as a money bill and which has been passed by the Commons will become law after one month, with or without the approval of the House of Lords, under the terms of the Parliament Acts.

So over to you Mr Hoyle, you've been a huge disappointment so far to say the least and I expect you'll continue to be so.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Seriously I'm done now. it's all out of my system. Until tomorrow.

I just thought it best to keep everyone informed.

[refitman]