Liverpool
Life
www.jmu-journalism.org.uk
5th March 2013
THE PEOPLE’S PROTEST
Fury grows over room tax By Karina Galli and
Paul Collins
A fresh challenge has been launched against the government’s so-called ‘bedroom tax’, on behalf of disabled and vulnerable children. The problem follows concerns that disabled people will be disproportionately affected by the change in benefit rules. It is thought that around eight out of ten people affected by the tax would be disabled. Next Tuesday, March 12, a High Court judge will rule on the application to have a full review of the policy before it comes into effect on April 1st this year. However, last week Prime Mister David Cameron said that he would look into “any individual case” as a string of opposition MPs lined up to attack the Government’s new plans. A series of protests are being planned across Liverpool with the next one taking place on March 16th, organised by Labour Left, the largest Labour think tank in the United Kingdom. Organisers are inviting people to gather in front of Liverpool Crown Court in Queen Elizabeth Square in protest against the bedroom-tax policy. Last week, hundreds of protestors turned up in Bootle to express their anger at the proposed tax.The demonstration was organised by the grassroots pressure group Stand Up in Bootle. Ritchie Jones, a local resident and member of the group, said: “We are a group organised by the people for the people. Today has been brilliant communities are working and standing together.” Protestors gathered at the offices of the social housing association
TAKING TO THE STREETS: Protesters in Bootle gathering to express their anger at the changes
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One Vision on Caspian Place and then proceeded to parade on Stanley Road. The procession of demonstrators received large support from passers-by and drivers all along the way to the Sefton Plus One Stop Shop, where they stopped and expressed
‘That banner will come down when we say it comes down!’ their anger at the proposals. Martin Ralph, from the Liverpool Trades Council, said: “We had a petition in Old Swan, and some councillors came asking us: have you got permission for this banner? One was asking us to bring it down but we just said that banner will come down when we say it comes down!” Over the past week, there have been several cases of legal proceedings launched against the Government on the ground that the tax breaches the Human Rights Act. Margaret Henderson, who lives in Bootle, said: “I am engaged with some of our colleagues in preparing legal test cases, if necessary, we’ll go to the European Court of Human Rights.”