Revd Paul Nicolson appeals against Tottenham Magistrates under Equality Act 2010. Couldn't hear Haringey

Guest blog post by Revd Paul Nicolson of Taxpayers Against Poverty

Dear all, I am nothing like as deaf as national and local government to the damage done to the health of the worst off by benefit cuts, caps and council tax causing hunger and debt. All good wishes, Paul

MEDIA NOTICE

Rev Paul Nicolson

07961 177 889

020 8376 5455

TO TOTTENHAM MAGISTRATES COURTAN APPEAL UNDER THE EQUALITY ACT 2010 DUE TO THE DISABILITY OF DEAFNESS

I will be applying to the High Court for case stated under the civil procedure rules but am unable to do so without a copy of the judgment in Nicolson v Haringey on the 4th August at the Tottenham Magistrates Court, for which I applied to you on the 4th and 9th August.

In addition to the details related to the charging of corporate overheads, and other expenditure,  to council tax summons and liability order costs by Haringey Council I shall be seeking a judgment under the Equality Act 2010 on the grounds that I informed the court four times that was unable to hear Haringey's witness.

1. I asked the clerk before the case started if there was a hearing loop; she pointed at the loud speakers which, it later transpired, were not turned on. 
2. I informed the judge twice while the witness was giving evidence that I could not hear her.
3. The judge claimed in his judgment that everyone had heard the witness; I reminded him that I had told him twice while the witness was giving evidence that I could not hear her therefore was unable to cross examine her. 

There were witnesses in the public gallery who can testify to all four protests. 

HARINGEY COUNCIL TAXES BENEFIT INCOMES OF ITS POOREST RESIDENTS 

OF UK'S MOST DEPRIVED WARDS WITH 

LOW LIFE EXPECTANCY AND HIGH RISK OF LOW BIRTH-WEIGHT.

from the Reverend Paul Nicolson

Taxpayers Against Poverty

No citizen without an affordable home and an 

adequate income in work or unemployment. 

93 Campbell Road, Tottenham, London N17 0BF, 0208 3765455, 07961 177889, 

https://www.facebook.com/Taxpa yers-Against-Poverty-299911526 728884/

https://twitter.com/taxpayers_ a_p www.taxpayersagainstpovert y.org.uk, 

www.z2k.org, www.prohousingall iance.com

PLEASE HELP FUND TAP

Unite Community events in and around London, early October 2014

From Unite the Union Community Section, London

Below are some of the events Unite Community members are involved with over the coming weeks. We are putting together a paper newsletter.

As always, it is great to see the developing work of Unite Community activists, that we are leading on or supporting in the wider movement, whether on Social Security, Housing, the NHS, TTIP and Mental Health. Please get in touch with Pilgrim and Robin if you want to get more involved or get things going in your area.

This month is Black History Month and attached is schedule of events that have been organised by The London and Eastern Region of Unite

Have a good weekend,

Pilgrim Tucker, Robin Sivapalan and Tony Winchester

Robin and Pilgrim can be contacted postally at
Unite Community Coordinator
Ron Todd House
33-37 Moreland Street
London EC1V 8BB
Tel: 020 8800 4281

 

Support Rev Paul Nicolson at the High Court: Legal challenge vs extortionate court costs added to Council Tax bills

Tuesday 7 October, Royal Courts of Justice, Strand (off Kingsway), London WC2A 2LL

9.30am -- Vigil outside

10.30am – one-hour court hearing. The more of us the judges see in the public gallery, the better!

Rev Paul Nicolson of Taxpayers Against Poverty is valiantly refusing to pay his Council Tax to Haringey, and is ready to go to jail because he objects to the poorest people being unfairly targeted.  This hearing seeks a judicial review of the Tottenham magistrates who repeatedly refused to tell him at his council tax hearing in August 2013, how they arrived at £125 costs for a summons to late and non-payers of council tax. (Swheatie adds: for more info on this, see Revd Paul Nicolson's Taxpayers Against Poverty blog posting Tottenham Magistrates asleep on the job...)

Sanctions Centres or Job Centres?: Day of Action, part of the Boycott Workfare Week of Action

The Unite Community Job Centre activists group agreed to hold a day of action on Wednesday 8^th October at different Job Centres — postcode link text gives links to map locations:

So far we have confirmed:

Barnsbury Job Centre, 1 Barnsbury Road, N1 0EX: 11am-1pm

Hendon Job Centre, Crown Building. 10 Finchley Lane, NW4 1DP: 9am – 3pm

North Kensington Job Centre, Quayside House Kensal Road, W10 5BL: 12pm-1pm & 3pm-4pm

Walthamstow Job Centre, Dansom House 656a Forest Road, E17 3SH: 9am-11am

Wood Green Job Centre, Granta House 1 Western Road, N22 6UU: 9am-12pm

The next Job Centre activists’ meeting is at 3pm, Tuesday 7^th October, Unite regional office, 37-39 Moreland Street, London EC1V 8BB. Materials for the day of action can be collected from there. If you want to set up a protest/leafleting on sanctions at your job centre, please get in touch with Robin on 07860 955 361 / robin.sivapalan@unitetheunion.org

For details of other events during the Boycott Workfare Week of Action see http://www.boycottworkfare.org/?p=3736

No to MPIPM

The No to MPIPM public meeting on 16^th of September at Unite HQ was a great event, attended by representatives of dozens of live housing campaigns in London and beyond. Our Unite Regional Secretary Pete Kavanagh spoke, committing Unite’s support to the campaign. There’s a lot to be done to organise and promote the actions and events Wednesday 15^th October -1 Friday 17^th October. Please contact Robin if you want to get involved. The latest newsletter from the Radical Housing Network can be found here, including an update on the inspiring E15 Mothers campaign on the Carpenters Estate:   

http://us8.campaign-archive1.com/?u=9aa3abe72ff7ca4ad4f1cb9cc&id=143f17fda8&e=c86250a409

Student Workers:

We will be launching an initiative for our student-worker Unite Community members at the RHB Cinema, Goldsmiths University at 6pm, Thursday October 16^th.

Initially we will be training student-worker members in basic employment rights advice and will be holding weekly drop in sessions for student-workers based in campuses in NW, Central and SE London.

Speakers include;

Owen Jones (Author)

Pete Kavanagh (Regional Unite Secretary)

Shelly Asquith (President of SU Arts)

https://www.facebook.com/events/1558709464350952/

Rev Paul Nicolson - Refusal to state a case by Tottenham Magistrates

 Guest blog piece by Rev'd Paul Nicolson of Taxpayers Against Poverty. (Tottenham in Haringey is not Kilburn in Brent or Camden, but the same principles apply.)

Dear all, 

I have today sent [a] letter to the High Court asking them to order the Tottenham Magistrates to explain themselves!

I have also received the first approach from the bailiffs addressed to the "occupier" of my home address asking him or her to tell them where The Reverend Paul Nicolson has moved to!! 

It seems the council didn't tell them I still live here in Tottenham at .... two streets from Tottenham Hotspur. 

Sadly that happens too often with sometimes sad results when the wrong person intimidated into paying a tax or a fine they do not owe. 

I will not be paying the tax this year or next unless Haringey council increases the council tax for those who can afford it by the average of 86 pence a week to keep the 100% council tax benefit for those who cannot afford it, let alone the rent arrears due to the housing benefit caps. 

The single adult unemployment benefit of £71.70 will increase by only 70 pence a week on April 7th, due to the 1% pa freeze in benefit increases, adding to the food and fuel poverty experienced by many people in Haringey. 

Good wishes, 

Paul 

High Court challenge vs WCA, Monday 21 October 2013

Photos from Lunchtime Vigil Against the Work Capability Assessment outside the High Court Today

Photos by Tracey Dunn
Camera loan and a little placard text sharpening by Swheatie in the final digital images

Swheatie of the Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group attended this vigil aimed at pointing out to the Department for Work and Pensions [sic] and passers by how rotten the Work Capability Assessment that successive UK governments have sold their souls to since 2008 actually is. (See previous blog entry below about the Mental Health Resistance Network's initial victory in the courts over this, that has led the DWP to try defend its own lack of mercy in the Hight Court over the issue.)

Liverpool-based journalist Tracey Dunn who works with Nerve Magazine was on hand with a few other journalists including Kate Belgrave who writes for the Guardian and New Statesman, and witnessed the demonstration from Mental Health Resistance Network, Crossroads Women's Centre, Croydon Disabled People Against the Cuts and 'a taxpayer' disgusted at the fact that taxpayers' money was not supporting the economically vulnerable but making Atos stinking rich — and megaphone vying with local pneumatic drills.  The main speaker was from the Mental Health Resistance Network, displaying a message related to Daid Cameron's solution to fuel poverty: "Hey, David Cameron, You can shove your inhumane and unjust policies and your jumpers where the sun does not shine!"

Access to justice?

And Tracey proved very helpful in operating Swheatie's camera after hearing why Swheatie was there.

As Swheatie and Crossroads Women's Centre's Didi were leaving, reinforcements arrived from People First and Disabled People Against the Cuts.

Post Script
Tracey Dunn's article on the vigil, including a video by Kate Belgrave, can now be seen at
Nerve Magazine - Atos Vigil at the Royal Courts of Justice