Labour will sack Atos. Where are all you naysayers now?

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I can’t reblog Sue Marsh’s excellent Diary of a Benefit Scrounger, so I’m just going to quote it verbatim:

“Oh thank goodness!! I’m RUBBISH at keeping secrets!

In this Guardian article, Labour have leaked tomorrow’s concrete announcements on disability. They say that they will :

“A) Sack Atos
“B) Strengthen the law on Disability Hate Crime
“C) Develop a “tell us once” assessment system for social care, benefits and work support that rolls all help into one place.

“But there’s more. MUCH more. Watch conference tomorrow for a much fuller proposal on what Labour have concluded the problems are with sickness and disability support and more proposals on how to change things.

“These ‘tasters’ are to prove they’re serious. To show that whilst there is still much, much more work to do, there are things they can announce TODAY that show they’ve listened and are starting to understand.

“Of course we will be cynical. Of course we will doubt their real intentions. We would be fools to do anything else.

“But the distance traveled from the dark days of 2010 is remarkable.”

You can read the article in its own space here.

I can already hear the naysayers lining up – people like VP commenter Gavin MacMillan, who had this to say after the announcement that Labour will scrap the Bedroom Tax:

“I hate to think what your disappointment is going to be like when/if Labour actually win the next election and return to power, and show themselves to be exactly what they were before – a party which still toes the neo-lib ideological line with regards economic management of the country. The results will be a bit of tinkering around the edges, where things have come unravelled the most. But the core works of the condems will remain untouched, indeed, will be built on with further economic policies guaranteed to boost their neo-lib credentials with their banker mates. And so the circus & gravy-train for their mates and their uber-rich masters will carry on rolling. Trebles all round for the lads, while the rest of us can think ourselves lucky if we can find space in a ditch to cower in…”

The attitude we are seeing today is deeply disturbing. People have spent years complaining that Labour has not been bringing out solid policy commitments; now that Labour is making promises, the same people are accusing Labour of lying!

Why are people so keen to write off Labour’s promises, and yet so happy to accept any proven lie that the Conservatives feel like spouting today? Have we all forgotten “No more top-down reorganisations of the NHS”, or “We will make work pay” or any of the many other outright lies that have flowed from the tongues of David Cameron, Grant Shapps, Iain Duncan Smith and the rest of them?

What a ridiculous, contradictory attitude to take.

Let the Official Opposition do its job.

Or do you want another five years of Cameron and his ghouls?

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39 Comments

  1. Alex Casale September 21, 2013 at 5:18 pm - Reply

    It would be easy for a politician to promise to rescind all the ‘cuts’ etc that this wicked government have made, but if promises are to be kept, better the politician tells the electorate how his government will be able to pay for the changes.
    Better to be cautious and work it all out before making promises which, even with the best will in the world, may not be feasible in the short term. What with so many policy changes this government has made, (and will keep on making), it will take some time before things can be rectified.

    • Mike Sivier September 21, 2013 at 5:43 pm - Reply

      Ed Miliband did say how he would pay for scrapping the Bedroom Tax, and lots of people jumped down his throat!
      I think the Shadow Cabinet members have carefully worked out their strategy on this and know what they’re saying.
      You’re right that it will take a while to put right all the savage injustices inflicted by the Coa-lamity government, and this creates another issue in that people are impatient.

  2. Tony Britton September 21, 2013 at 5:31 pm - Reply

    It is wonderful news, if only to wipe that smug grin off Thierry Bretons face as his profits take a dive. I’m hoping that if Lab do get in they will honor their commitment to hold a culminative impact assesment, take on board the Harrington proposals and act swiftly to rectify the WCA.

  3. Samwise Gamgee September 21, 2013 at 5:49 pm - Reply

    Well it looks like Labour is starting to resemble a proper opposition party again. I look forward to the announcements in the forthcoming conference.

  4. Nick September 21, 2013 at 6:33 pm - Reply

    if ed is serious about welfare reform and getting rid of ATOS then that’s great. There is a big problem thou looming for him in that how is he going to bring justice to all those families who have died in going through welfare reform?

    Personally i don’t think he’s thought this through this is not a small number of deaths but a vast amount of people boarding in what you would see in a war. over 12000 at the last count taking many years to piece this all together as to who had died and under what circumstances that led to their death

    ed needs by the next election to be able to spell out how he will undertake and prosecute all those involved and personally i cant for the life of me think of a way that he will be able to do that he will have to sweep all those that have died under the carpet in the hope the public are daft and will forget over time

    • Mike Sivier September 21, 2013 at 6:58 pm - Reply

      The issue of the Atos deaths is in hand, Nick – although how well it will be handled is something on which I cannot comment.

      • Nick September 21, 2013 at 8:18 pm - Reply

        thanks mike I’m sure you have this in good hands i just hope i live long enough to tell my story for real in a court of justice as i could sure do with my 15 minutes of fame

        • Mike Sivier September 22, 2013 at 12:18 am - Reply

          Have you contacted Raquel Rolnik?

          • Nick September 22, 2013 at 4:24 pm

            my main contact is https://www.facebook.com/alleynekurtanthony
            he is very good and believes in me as a good reliable person in my own right
            yes i have contacted Raquel Rolnik and all of the EU leaders as well some from outside the EU just to make sure that everyone knows of what go’s inside thUKuk behind closed doors

            and don’t forget i look like a prisoner of war so am quite a powerful witness as to what has gone on at a later date in a court of law

            The BBC wont come round my house but me thinks at a later date there’ll be camped outside my front door once any court case gets going on the deaths I’ll probably end up famous even if it’s for 15 minutes ?

      • Nick September 21, 2013 at 8:32 pm - Reply

        i watched an old program last night about the Brighton bombing way back in 84 and as the Tory cabinet said in the program how wicked it was of the IRA to kill and Mame for life Innocent people

        Ii sure was but you don’t hear those same ministers today speaking out about the hundreds of deaths from ATOS and the DWP

        Odd that they should have forgotten that night ?

        that is a typical Tory thou only ever thinking of oneself

  5. joanna September 21, 2013 at 6:34 pm - Reply

    I think if Labour do get back in, They should charge Tesco’s retroactively for all the free labour they and other big businesses got from other peoples suffering!!! This should also apply to the British heart foundation as well!!! Not one of them should be operating after exploiting people who are sick and disabled, or even those who really want to get on in life!!!
    I hope all the other poverty pimps go as well, especially triage, who have been labelling sick and disabled, as theiving lying bastards!!!!

    • Mike Sivier September 21, 2013 at 6:58 pm - Reply

      That’s a Workfare issue and not about Atos.
      I do agree, though.

  6. rosannera September 21, 2013 at 6:37 pm - Reply

    Let’s see if Labour takes a stand against workfare and the sanctions system. Liam Byrne (and others) has already made a tit of himself in that respect,

    • Mr No September 21, 2013 at 7:33 pm - Reply

      Yes indeed. Let’s see. The bedroom tax, sorry, ‘spare room’ subsidy and atoss (!) are probably working (and non working) class vote winners, potentially.

      Work programme and sanctions will remain. The unemployed will still suffer, the disabled unemployed wont, hopefully. Cynical? Moi?

      Milliband isn’t Blair though. Hmmm?

      I come from a family of Labour voters. But over the years I have come to realise that whoever you vote for the government still gets in, even if you don’t!

      But these announcements offer a glimmer of hope.

      Peace and love people.

  7. Andrew Peacock September 21, 2013 at 6:50 pm - Reply

    they certainly cant be any worse than this un elected dribble thats in power now !!!!!constantly attacking the poor and disabled for a rich mans mess .YES THATS RIGHT A RICH MANS MESS ,THE BWANKERS CAUSED THIS FINANCIAL MESS YET NONE OF THEM HAVE BEEN MADE TO PAY FOR THEIR MISTAKES !!!!INFACT THE OPPOSITE WE BAIL THEM OUT SO THEY CAN PAY THEMSELVES TOTALLY UN DESERVED BONUSES USING BAILOUT MONEY !!!!!AND MPS WHO HAVE FROZE WAGES AND BENEFITS CUTS ALONG WITH BEDROOM TAX WHILST THESE UN ELECTED T***s GET AWARDED £200 A WEEK PAY RISES THIS YEAR FOLLOWED BY £200 A WEEK NEXT YEAR OH AND THE £200 A WEEK PAY RISE THE FOLLOWING YEAR .SO THATS AN AWARD OF £600 A WEEK OVER THE NEXT 3 YEARS WHILST WE GET NOTHING INFACT THE OPPOSITE WE GET CUTS AND WAGE FREEZES .GO FIGURE .AND THIS HS2 THAT THESE TORY T******s KEEP HARPING ON ABOUT IS JUST A RICH MANS PLAY THING AS WE ALL NO WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO TRAVEL ON HS2

  8. kamsandhu September 21, 2013 at 7:41 pm - Reply

    Reblogged this on .

  9. Double Karma September 21, 2013 at 7:56 pm - Reply

    Why are people so keen to write off Labour’s promises, and yet so happy to accept any proven lie that the Conservatives feel like spouting today?

    Yea I write Labour’s “promises” off as BS, cos that is what they, these “promises” are BS. Also I don’t accept the Tory BS either. Same goes for Lib Dems & UKIP too, they are ALL FKing BSers

  10. vomsters September 21, 2013 at 8:09 pm - Reply

    People who are willing to write off Labour’s promises as so much hot air or not worth the paper they are written on should NOT be assumed to automatically be “happy to accept any proven lie that the Conservatives feel like spouting today”. We are usually those who have seen through the lies from all three main parties and are unwilling to simply accept anything we are told by any of them. None of them can be trusted at the moment to act in any interest but their own. I’ve seen all of them lie and scheme for years (in two countries, the Australian politicians, state and federal, are just as bad) – they want me to trust them? They have to earn it. We know that signing an “promise”, that creating a manifesto, means less than the paper and ink taken to produce it. We have been told that a manifesto should not be regarded as an actual agreement or contract with the electorate. Why on earth should I trust ANY of them to stick by their word?

    On a not really related note… I’d like to see the banning of the whip system. If a person is elected to represent a constituency, I’d expect them to actually do that. Oh, and ban the ability to turn up in the last half hour of a debate on a motion in order to vote. If you can’t be arsed to actually attend the debate, you should have no ability to vote on the motion in question.

    • Mike Sivier September 21, 2013 at 8:13 pm - Reply

      If you’ve read this blog for a reasonable length of time, you’ll know my answer for people who think the whole system is messed up – get involved and change it. It isn’t that hard.
      As for your last paragraph – I tend to agree.

      • joanna September 21, 2013 at 8:34 pm - Reply

        Mike off topic here but where I live (Hull) which is a labour area, 10 derelict properties have been renovated, I know 10 isn’t a lot but it is a start!!! The MP in my area, Alan Johnson has been fantastic, basically labour were being silent for a reason, to let the con-dems hang themselves, which they are doing!!!!

    • Double Karma September 21, 2013 at 8:23 pm - Reply

      “On a not really related note… I’d like to see the banning of the whip system. If a person is elected to represent a constituency, I’d expect them to actually do that. Oh, and ban the ability to turn up in the last half hour of a debate on a motion in order to vote. If you can’t be arsed to actually attend the debate, you should have no ability to vote on the motion in question.”

      I 100% totally agree

  11. […] I can't reblog Sue Marsh's excellent Diary of a Benefit Scrounger, so I'm just going to quote it verbatim: "Oh thank goodness!! I'm RUBBISH at keeping secrets! "In this Guardian article, Labour hav…  […]

  12. Samantha Dega September 21, 2013 at 10:34 pm - Reply
  13. Steven September 21, 2013 at 10:34 pm - Reply

    Sadly I fear that we will get another five years of Cameron whether we want it or not. Unless Labour get rid of Miliband they will lose the 2015 election.

  14. Chris Rippington September 22, 2013 at 12:20 am - Reply

    Time will tell.

    It is promising that they are at least discussing this. I’ll most likely be voting Labour at the 2015 General Election, having been a Liberal Democrat voter, I feel as though they have betrayed their core electorate (though I accept this coalition has placed them in a difficult position, their performance has not been good enough for me to consider voting for them).

    I’m in the process of putting a manifesto together for a new centre-left party that will be focussed on solving problems rather than playing the blame game. I believe the UK can become a world leader in the global economy again by playing to our strengths – Science and Innovation.

    • Mike Sivier September 22, 2013 at 12:33 am - Reply

      You could be onto a winner there, Chris. It might take a while to catch on, but keep us all informed about it, please.

      • Malcolm Burt September 22, 2013 at 8:35 am - Reply

        Some very interesting comments on here, not least the comment from your good self Mike,about getting involved to make the changes required in the system needed,in order to take the country forward.Our system is broken,largely through self interest & greed.In short it is too corrupt to continue in it`s present form.Little has been done about expenses & is increasing,M.P.s voting on issues in which they have a vested interest,all they need to do is declare that interest.An unelected upper chamber which surely should have been gone years ago.Corporate lobbyists with strong links to both houses.All this before we even talk about the banks & how living standards have been slowly chipped away at over the last decade or more.The poor have always gone without.They have never had money & never will have money.They will always be in debt to the bankers.So why don`t we abolish money?It`s only a commodity that the upper echelons of society need.Why prop up a system to be always one pay check away from poverty?To me,nothing short of civil disobedience on a mass scale with a general strike,will make our politicians sit up & listen to the voice of the people,because that it where the answers lay,with us, the people.

        • Mike Sivier September 22, 2013 at 11:59 am - Reply

          Re: MPs voting on issues in which they have a vested interest – readers should all be aware by now that I have an e-petition running on the government’s website, that is nearly up to the 10,000 signatures required for the relevant department to at least honour it with a reply. If you haven’t signed it, dear reader, please visit http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/44971 and consider doing so.

  15. […] via Labour will sack Atos. Where are all you naysayers now?. […]

  16. beastrabban September 22, 2013 at 7:48 am - Reply

    Reblogged this on Beastrabban’s Weblog and commented:
    Mike here applauds Labour’s announcement that if they win power, they will get rid of Atos. However, as he says in the next blog post about it, this will only be cosmetic if the DWP continues with its present policies. This is true. Nevertheless, I strongly support this announcement as a step in the right direction.

  17. […] Labour will sack Atos. Where are all you naysayers now?. […]

  18. Smiling Carcass September 22, 2013 at 12:06 pm - Reply

    I’m no lover of Labour. Not since they tore up the rule book and joined the liberal like-to-be-left-but-can’t-afford-its.

    But if we can build a welfare system and a council homes-for-all policy just after a world war we can re-build it from the ashes left by the Tories- if Labour have the will to do so.

    We can only hope they do. The alternative, despite my misgivings about neo-liberal Labour is unthinkable. Our job is to tell them it’s what we want in exchange for our vote.

  19. Fiona Collins September 22, 2013 at 2:46 pm - Reply

    Too little too late…

    • Mike Sivier September 22, 2013 at 3:04 pm - Reply

      They can’t actually DO anything at all while they’re not in government, so I disagree that it is too late.

      As for “too little”, well, this is the substantive issue, isn’t it? Have a look at my follow-up article; you’re welcome to join that debate.

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