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SALFORD MAYOR’S HOUSE BLOCKADED BY ANTI CUTS PROTESTERS
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Star date: 12th August 2014
POLICE CALLED TO MAYOR'S HOUSE AS CAMPAIGNERS MAKE A STAND AGAINST `MOST OUTRAGEOUS CUT OF ALL'
"If my son had to get a bus, he'd probably end up under it!" mother of disabled adult
Salford Mayor, Ian Stewart, got a taste of what it's like to have no transport early this morning, as campaigners against cuts to transport for people with disabilities took the fight to his own front door, blockading the pavement outside his house.
"In a long line of cuts that the Council have made, this is the worst one, it's the most outrageous thing that they've done so far and it's wrecking the lives of families" said Paul Gerrard from Salford Against the Cuts.
Full details here… |
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Mums and dads and relatives of disabled people joined Salford Against the Cuts campaigners for a demonstration outside the home of Salford City Mayor, Ian Stewart.
After protests, a rally outside the Civic Centre, and even a call-in on the decision from Labour councillors, Salford Council has gone ahead with cutting transport for people with disabilities, leaving at least forty families with no way of getting their adult sons and daughters to day centres.
Albert and Joan Conroy attended the protest as they have a daughter with learning difficulties and epilepsy…
"She's just moved into supported accommodation and they reckon she could go to the day centre on her own but there's no way she can travel on her own" Joan explained "Taxis have no escorts with them at all, and if she goes she'll just be left at the front door and could wander off. Also, there will only be a driver and he can't concentrate on the passenger if he's driving – if she has a seizure in the taxi what's going to happen? It's terrible. Would the Mayor have his transport cut? No!"
This morning at around 7:30am, Ian Stewart got taste of having no transport when the campaigners blocked his path by standing on the pavement outside his house.
"Would you please move away?" he shouted "Let me do my legitimate job on behalf of the people of Salford."
When the protesters refused to move, the Mayor called the police and eventually the Mayor was able to drive his car to his `legitimate job'. For those who have had their transport taken off them there's no such relief…
"I don't know how I'm going to get him to work" said Meg Taylor, who came to the protest with her son Christian. Hers is one of families left in the lurch by the Council cut… "They suggested that I get friends ands relatives to take him to and from work but do you know anyone who doesn't work any more? A taxi is too expensive and Ring and Ride is not reliable.
"He can't use a bus because he can't read and write and has no road sense" she added "If he had to get a bus he'd probably end up under it."
The campaigners regarded a demonstration on the doorstep of the Mayor as a legitimate target.
"We have come to his house because he doesn't respond to emails and doesn't engage with the public" explained Paul Gerrard from Salford Against The Cuts "He hasn't had any discussions with campaigners, so we've had to reluctantly come to his house to tackle him here.
Ian Stewart accused the campaigners of `intimidating' his family but the campaigners denied this… "Certainly not" said Gerrard "But what about the Mayor intimidating two hundred families in Salford whose lives will be wrecked, and will not be able to use their day centres any more? He's wrecking other people's lives and he should be accountable for that.
"We're here because all the democratic processes with the Council have been exhausted and it's the Mayor's final decision about cancelling transport arrangements for adults with disabilities" he added "In a long line of cuts that the Council have made, this is the worst one, it's the most outrageous thing that they've done so far. Since the cuts have been raining down on us, the Labour Council has said `We will protect the vulnerable, the elderly and disabled', and they're now attacking them, so we have to take the battle to the Mayor."
Norma Parkinson Green has been involved in the campaign from the start and criticised the consultation, the Council processes and the promises made by the Mayor about protecting the most vulnerable people when he took office.
"Who are the most vulnerable people in Salford?" she asked "The people with disabilities. They're being put side-on in taxis, not strapped in against council rules, and there's people being left outside buildings. Carers can't sleep at night because they're wondering what's happening. We need to have escorts and drivers who know what they're doing.
"I'd like to challenge the Mayor to get in a wheelchair for a few days and travel in a taxi" added "I don't think he'll take me up!"
* The transport for adults with disabilities ends at the end of August. For a full background on the cuts click here and follow the links at the end of the article
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Pat Glanville was Stamford wrote
at 15:49:55 on 14 August 2014 |
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| People of Salford need to VOTE THIS LOT OUT.. you are the ones that can do it, talk to your friends and neighbours, make sure that this excuse of a man, laughingly called a mayor, and his lap dogs do not get reelected. Keep the few good ones who DO dare to support the people who elected them. I wish everyone good luck |
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Anthony Dowd wrote
at 15:49:49 on 14 August 2014 |
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| From ian stewart’s OFFICIAL election page:
- The vision & experience to change Salford for the better
- We also need to ensure vital services that help the elderly, the vulnerable and our children are protected
- I promise I will work with …. local communities
- Salford needs someone who will stand up for neighbourhoods
My pledges to you
- I will work hard and listen to your views
- I will always put the residents of Salford first
- I will ensure that Salford provides efficient, value for money services
- Ps I promise I will always do my best to act in your interests
WHAT A LOAD OF RUBBISH!
ian stewart is the ONLY thing ian stewart puts first, and he ignores EVERYONE who attempts discussion - even his own councillors!
And you wonder why people were FORCED into visiting ian stewart.
BBC Northwest tonight comment "Salfordmayor, ian stewart, asked the police to escort him from his house" Ha! |
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Ben wrote
at 15:49:18 on 14 August 2014 |
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| A great point by Mark Armstrong Why do Labour keep getting voted in??
It could be argued that all this is of voters own making if they keep allowing labour to maintain control, next time vote for a candidate endorsed by Salford Star would be a great start.
I left salford with my family once I woke up and realised that this great city is finished with these clowns in charge
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David cameron wrote
at 15:49:15 on 14 August 2014 |
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| @mark Armstrong. The only way were going to kick labour out of salford is to introduce IQ tests before people can vote, this would exclude 95% of the labour parties voters from voting. |
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Mark Armstrong wrote
at 16:04:49 on 13 August 2014 |
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| But you all keep voting labour!! no one seems to like what they do so why have they been consistently re-elected for nearly 40 years without a break? |
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paul792@sky.com wrote
at 16:04:46 on 13 August 2014 |
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| Tahir Chakotai sorry these are not my words but the words of the mayor and the council these are the lies that they said they was going to do. To help the vulnerable and needy this why I put this on to show what the mayor and council are like, sorry for the mistake but I am a big protester against the cuts and always will be so please accept my apology if you thought I would right that crap I am all so disabled and look after people with mental heath problems yours not happy |
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Sandra wrote
at 16:04:42 on 13 August 2014 |
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| @not happy wrote, I take it you work for the council? If so why do you not have the courage of your convictions to put your real name, you say all these things but why are their so many secret meetings now, no transparency and no democracy. Maybe Stewart now knows what some of the people of salford face from the actions of his officers trespassing on land and we don't have GMP
at our beck and call for trivial matters. Also sack Peter Fahy now !! he's actions are shameful. |
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life is loud wrote
at 13:15:12 on 13 August 2014 |
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| Just a thought could all you parents get together and run your own transport service if you can get funding from somewhere to buy a bus you could employ your own escourts and drivers and the mobility allowance could perhaps pay towards the cost of the travelling, you could run it as a business and then you would not need to have anything to do with Salford transport. Perhaps the issues involved with this would be too complicated I don't know |
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Tahir Chakotai wrote
at 13:15:08 on 13 August 2014 |
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| Dear "Not Happy". I am disgusted, when you say the disabled are being supported. I am a mentally and physically disabled person. Four specialists wrote to Social Services stating that I needed care. The first Social Worker mucked up my assessment. She stated this was because she knew nothing about Autism. I am physically disabled as well as mentally. Some days I am in a great deal of pain. She then claims that she did not understand the specialists letters. A child of eight could of understood those letters. I then insisted on a second assessment. Once again I got the same load of rubbish . The second assessment was even worse than the first. I then requested the services of a solicitor. He managed to get me a Managing Social Worker, who stated that I would need 5hrs a week care, weeks after I was told I needed no care. Then my social worker, and her financial adviser tries to overcharge me. In fact I would be paying for most the care myself. Once again I had to get my solicitor involved, who sorted this matter out. Social Services admitted they had once again messed up. Then Social Services referred me to a Direct Payment Company. However because this company charges the client £24 pounds a month, and takes half of the careers wage, it has been impossible to find a carer with medical experience and a car. I then phone up Social Services for an answer to why they are using a company that takes half the wage of it employees. After requesting this information I received a letter saying that I was aggressive towards staff. Granted I was a little frustrated, but I never put people down, or use rude mannerisms when phoning professionals. I then receive an apology from a manager for sending out the letter stating I was over aggressive over the phone. Her excuse was that she never knew I was Autistic. It's all over my medical records. In conclusion I am a mentally and physically disabled person, living on the top floor of a Salix Homes managed block of flats, which has a poor lift service, meaning some days I am trapped in my flat, with no care or support. I am also in contact with the Autism Hub. They too have cases of disabled people being refused care, or the care not being delivered in a proper manner. So "Not Happy", what you have said makes no sense at all. I have been assessed three times, in a space of weeks. I went from not needing care, to needing it. This means the whole care and support system currently in place, does not meet the needs of the disabled, and is totally mismanaged. This did not happen because of a lack of funding due to cuts, this is caused by the poor management skills of Social Services. Most disabled people, would have given up, I carry on fighting, day after day. So Mr. "Not Happy". I advise you go back and rewrite your comment to the Salford Star. Please remember I am one of hundreds of disabled people, not receiving the right care and support in Salford. |
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Pissed off & shafted Salfordian wrote
at 22:32:58 on 12 August 2014 |
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| Excellent..... What more can I say! |
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Tahir Chakotai wrote
at 22:32:46 on 12 August 2014 |
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| I would just like to say, "well said Shirley Jones". That was the best written, and most humourous of all the comments, I have read too date. I don't think there was one thing I disagreed with. Have you ever thought of running for the "Salford Mayors" Position? Lol :) I also would like to say that "we are all behind you Noreen". I hope that all of those opposed to these cuts, can, through peaceful talks and demonstrations, reverse the decision of the Mayor, and the Salford council, to ensure the disabled and vulnerable are fully supported. |
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Chaz wrote
at 22:32:41 on 12 August 2014 |
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| What a coward. I don't want to say too much about the Mayor, everybody knows exactly what the man is like and at times like these we don't need inflammatory...we need a way forward.
Some bloody how we have to take our City back. Not only have the Police been used to batter us at Barton Moss, its come out through Netpol that our own (or most of us...once) Labour Party has been in cahoots with iGas, Peel and GMP in order to terrorise us into not peacefully protesting against having our land contaminated and our loved ones poisoned. We've had folk falsely put through the legal system in an attempt to criminalise them. All set against what can only be described as the most vicious assault upon the poor and working class since the start of the Welfare State.
THESE CUTS DO NOT NEED TO HAPPEN!!!! What the idiots needed to do was FIGHT London, tell them to f**k right off. Mayor Useless had the chance to be a modern day Derek Hatton, become famous around the land as the man that made a stand for his City and people regardless of what you thought of his politics. Instead Toady has carried on on the same old Peel gravy train, a comapny that if he had the balls he could have gone to war with until Shittaker started pumping millions of pounds into the area whose sweat he's gotten rich on.
And I'm not talking about some form of communist wealth distribution. Mayor Toady could have had a proper full on chat with US and we could have worked out how the hell we could tell Whitehall to f**k off, maintain our self respect and pride, and do what Salford has done countless times since it was a Hundred and figure out a way of regenerating our manor and if someone like Shittaker wanted to punt us a few mill into a crowd fund then brilliant.
The World is changing way faster than these old Dinosaurs can even keep up with, crowd funding, the shared economy, cryptocurrency, there's all sorts going on that the Toads at Toad Hall's heads would spin if you even tried to explain it to the throwbacks. Things like crowd sourcing are becoming huge drivers of social change. Communities are taking back their power grids all over the World and I personally could think of one thing for example, that with a few million crowd sourced pounds could almost instantly generate countless amounts sustainable cash for Salford and jobs for local folk for generations to come but these old fossils will never listen preferring to take the fat lazy controller route.
We really need to take advantage of these shameful and dangerously anti democratic times to demand sweeping wholesale change of the way that we are "governed" and I don't just mean in Salford. The whole Country's rotten to the core and needs a system reboot |
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not happy wrote
at 22:32:35 on 12 August 2014 |
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| “I know that people will be upset, anxious and even angry about this. I share that anger but I cannot stress enough that this decision has been forced upon us by the government’s cuts which have left the council facing the biggest financial challenge in its history,” said Mr. Stewart.” If we do not act now, there is a genuine risk that the council will not be able to provide services required by law because of financial pressures and increasing demand.” Under government regulations, people’s needs are assessed and councils provide funding, care and support for those who meet the moderate, substantial or critical eligibility criteria.Why are we proposing this change? We have been forced to look at making this change because of the government's reductions in the budget they give us to provide these services. We are trying to make sure we support and protect the city's most vulnerable residents within the budget available. We believe this is the fairest scheme within the current financial situation. If the council doesn't make this change, we may not be able to afford to care for people with substantial or critical needs in the future. As a result of the cuts, we are having to priorities the care we provide; even though it means some people will lose out...Supporting the city's most vulnerable people is at the heart of the City Plan. It is vital that all of our residents can benefit from current and future opportunities to live rich and fulfilling lives. We will provide additional specialist and targeted support to those who need it most so that they can be as independent and self-reliant as possible. What fine words these are but now I think the truth is coming out about Salford council and the Mayor that they are not as good as they say they are, I think when people voted Labour, think of the old Labour party fighting the cuts, and telling the Tory/Lib government that austerity is not working and we do need to protect vulnerable and needy, the city council receives a dividend from Manchester Airport Group but funds are not earmarked to be spent on any particular purpose. The dividend is remitted to the council's revenue budget and helps to keep down the council's net expenditure. This is between 3&4 million pounds a year. |
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Shirley Jones wrote
at 18:01:59 on 12 August 2014 |
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| Brilliant !! Well done! No he doesn't reply to our emails either when we wrote to him and other Councillors about selling off some of Salford's green public open space land to the first, small, out of town developer that came along. Seems it helps to have links to certain cricket establishments. You don't even have to be the highest bidder, you just have to like cricket, it seems!! What 'legitimate job' is he doing 'on behalf of Salford people'? Since when have they ever listened to the people of Salford? How can he if he doesn't even read his emails? Doesn't have the resources to read all his emails?? What a load of nonsense, how many Deputies has he got? Can they not read? Give them a few to read, they might learn something, like what the people of Salford really want from their elected members... and it's not cutting vital services to the most vulnerable members of our community or selling off it's vital assets to leave nothing for future generations. I know what I would like to 'cut' .... come in very handy for a game of cricket they would.... if only I could find any !! |
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noreen wrote
at 15:47:23 on 12 August 2014 |
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| I feel so proud that my friends did what they did this morning how can I ever thank you how dare this mayor say you were all intimidating him does he not remember how he intimidated us all when we held our rally threatening saying if we left a mess or spoilt any of the weddings we would be in serious trouble well maybe he will realise how it felt for people not to listen to him. I only wished I could have been there to protest with you but there are certain things I can do and a few I am not allowed too but I will make sure the next one I will be able to attend I saw you all on the tv wow we could not have asked for more i love the one taxi for the mayor and Tahir we wont stop we have to go on I pray for this to be overturned but if not I will carry on fighting till we let this mayor and council know that we are all good sound citizens from Salford and we will stand together to get us a new mayor and councillors that will fight for us not hide behind a controlling head he reminds me so much of the witches where when they all are in their meetings they take of their masks and are all so ugly with greed and hatred and hate any one that id needy in the film it was children but in their meetings it is the most vulnerable but we do have a couple of good witches who if given the chance will help us get rid hope to see you all soon fighting our corner Noreen xxxxx |
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Tahir Chakotai wrote
at 12:26:39 on 12 August 2014 |
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| I am delighted that the citizens of Salford are now starting to fight for their rights. I have given the Mayor of Salford many emails concerning the state of the Housing Stock, Mental Health Services, and the lack of Autism services in Salford.
I was told by his PA, Liz Holland, that I was a conspiricy theorist. I asked her did she read my emails, and her reply was "We dont read all the emails, because we do not have the resources". If she had of read all of my emails, she would have seen the disgusting replies I had received from Salford Council, concerning the state of Housing, Mental Health & Autism Services. Had it not been for the services of Councillor Dennett, I would have still been discriminated against by my housing provider. Therefore it comes as no surprise that these parents received no reply from the Mayor concerning these cuts. What is the point of having a Mayor, if he is not willing to fight for the citizens of Salford. I hope this peaceful protest has reminded the Mayor of his duties towards the vulnerable and disabled whom reside in Salford. |
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