Swansea Socialist Party and Disabled People Against the Cuts (DPAC) member
A month ago, DPAC Swansea was one seriously impressive and determined organiser. Then Labour’s disability cuts green paper dropped. DPAC Swansea became two, and through our efforts, a few days later 15 came to a protest planning meeting. A few days later again, 100 people, most of them disabled people, turned up to protest.
We opened the megaphone to the disabled people and carers in the crowd who have been completely ignored by our MPs and to the trade unionists who had provided support and solidarity.
The crowd yelled agreement with speakers and hung on every word. I often don’t really listen to speakers at protests, except when a good trade unionist speaks. Usually I can’t even hear the politician who is droning on. But on this protest, if the sound dipped too quiet, the crowd demanded we turn the sound system up! Socialist Party members were among the speakers.
The disability benefit cuts green paper consultation lasts 12 weeks. If we did what we did in two days, what will disabled people, carers, and the organised working class achieve in 84 days!? Loads of new people are coming forward to take on important organising roles in our DPAC group.
Torsten Bell, one of Swansea’s two MPs, is a focus for our plans for further protests – he is ridiculed for his disastrous attempts to defend the cuts on TV.
These Labour MPs and councillors, and others backing the cuts should have the courage to publicly debate with us. I am confident that any of the people we met on our protest could wipe the floor with them politically in a calm, friendly and safe debate. DPAC Swansea is going to discuss how we organise exactly that.
On the protest and among activists there is big support for the idea of a new workers’ party. That was one of the many issues discussed at the Socialist Party public meeting that we organised to discuss with those we met on the protest.
