London
by Magda Khouloud Bouhafs
“Anybody can become disabled” said one protester outside parliament on Wednesday 9 July. Keir Starmer’s plans to cut disability benefits target some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
Dozens gathered — under intense heat, with temperatures reaching 27 degrees — at 4pm on a weekday, supported by Socialist Party members. They asserted their disappointment and anger towards these cruel cuts.
These cuts not only harm disabled people, but all of us. Nobody is safe from becoming disabled. It can happen to anyone and is not a choice that people make.
Even after the government was forced into a humiliating U-turn the week before, the bill in its current form would mean thousands of disabled people and their households will have to pay the price, being pushed into poverty and hardship.
During the protest, Jeremy Corbyn offered solidarity with everyone who is under threat from the health and disability cuts. The Socialist Party called for the trade unions to lead a fight to stop Labour’s cuts, and build a new party for the working class.
- See also: Cardiff and Swansea