Monday, 10 August 2015

Spied-upon political activists and 'the mainstream'

By Dude Swheatie of Kwug

While reading an autobiographical book of American 1950's and 1960's anti-blackisting campaigner John Henry Faulk, Fear on Trial,(1) I have also come across this Islington Tribune article about Metropolitan Police spying on Labour Party activists including Jeremy Corbyn MP.(2)

Already familiar with reports of Metropolitan Police spying on Green Party activists including London Assembly Member and now-life-peer Jenny Jones,(3) I wonder whether more-mainstream politicians such as Yvette Cooper seek their own salvation from being spied upon by being downright nasty to benefit claimants including sick and disabled people?

For it was really Yvette Cooper who authorised the harsher, Mk 2 Work Capability Assessment (4) that was not piloted until after the Con-Dem coalition had been formed. (It was actually the Mk 2 Work Capability Assessment that was used for the re-assessment 'migration' of claimants from Incapacity Benefit.)(5)

And I am reminded of a Kris Kristofferson song, The Law is for Protection of the People, (6)regarding police officers attacking the vulnerable or at least 'temporarily incapacitated' because of their deviance from 'the mainstream'.

Source Notes (all link addresses noted on date of blog piece publication)

(1) http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/795321.Fear_on_Trial

(2) http://www.islingtontribune.com/news/2015/apr/did-holloway-road-uni%E2%80%99s-former-police-spy-watch-veteran-islington-mp-corbyn

(3) http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jun/15/green-party-peer-put-on-database-of-extremists-by-police

(4) http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=568244

Even harsher new ESA Medical approved''(warning very bad news inc)

(5) http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2010/09/06/welfare-rights-the-reassessment-of-incapacity-benefit-claimants/

(6) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK8TSJuBMgM Kris Kristofferson singing his own composition, The Law is for Protection of the People

No comments:

Benefits sanctioned? Take mass action!

Commenting on Blog Contents

Comments are approved unless abusive, obscene, completely off the subject, disguised advertising or libellous. Publication of a comment does not imply that the blog administrator or KUWG agree with it.

Please note if I respond to comments it is in my Google log in — never 'Anonymous'

Commenters cause less confusion when they use their own names or pen names. A host of 'Anons' can give very mixed messages. Even if you use the technically easier 'Anonymous' button to make a comment you can still put your name at the end.

How to post a comment on a blogspot blog piece.

Contact us:

Facebook: Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KUWG1

Telephone: 07724 843 973

Meetings: 3pm - 5:30pm
Thursdays, Kingsgate Community Centre
107 Kingsgate Road, London, NW6 2JH

Meeting structure

Helping you feel at home: We meet weekly in the Small Hall at KingsgateCC and start gathering from 3pm, attempting to start the meetings at about 3:15pm and definitely before 3:30pm.

Bring and share refreshments are included. We are not like the 'No eating or drinking on the premises' jobcentre.

The formal meetings start with firstname and what benefit we are on or a one-liner about what brings us to KUWG. (Pensioners and other allies welcome.)

We then ask for casework from those present, arrange who will help with what case, and go onto discussing campaigning leafleting and such outreach activities. We also arrange who will do the chairing or facilitating and note-taking for the following week. Rotating these roles helps minimise the risk of being dominated by one person and helps us build our skills as we share the workload.

Meetings actually finish at about 5:20pm to allow for putting tables and chairs back and leaving the kitchen facilities ready for the next group.

KUWG on Twitter