Star date: 5th October 2015

SALFORD TORY COUNCILLOR MOCKS DISABILITY CUTS PROTESTERS

As members of Disabled People Against Cuts laid siege to the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester today, Salford Tory Councillor, Iain Lindley appeared to mock them as he was entering the Centre.

Meanwhile, other Tories entering the Conference, including Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, Boris Johnson and Michael Heseltine were pelted with balls as a statement on their policies.

Full details here...

This morning saw the start of a day long demo by angry members of Disabled People Against Cuts, or DPAC, as delegates going into the Conservative Party Conference had to run a gauntlet of people suffering under their policies.

"We're here to protest about the Tories being in Manchester; we're disabled people and we're very unhappy about the five years of cuts they've made to disabled people" said Paula from DPAC "Our hash tag for today is #IDSMurders. His policies are killing disabled people; the benefit death-related statistics show that over four thousand people have been found fit for work who have a disability. That figure is underestimated in my view. The sanctions are through the roof, their policies are punitive, discriminatory and causing a hell of a lot of harm.

"The question for Government today is `Why is the United Nations coming to the UK if there wasn't a case to answer?'" she added "Of course there is a case to answer. When you stop someone's money, that's a human rights abuse. When you evict them from their home it's a human rights abuse. And we're here to say to people that we're not going to back off from the Tories, we're going to take the fight to them..."

Many Tories entering the Conference either ignored or sneered at the protesters, including Salford Conservative Party councillor Iain Lindley, who appeared to mock them by blowing kisses and laughing.

When the Salford Star tweeted that he ought to be ashamed of himself, Lindley responded "Laughing at the violent angry people giving me abuse, only way to deal with vile hatred is to laugh it off..." adding later, "idiots in face masks leaning over the barrier who were definitely not in wheelchairs"...

Salford Star follower, Mancunian Spring tweeted "Your lot have already murdered enough folk in wheelchairs. Sorry you had to suffer so...", to which Lindley replied "They call me scum, I blew kisses back. Meet hatred with kindness..."... Mancunian Spring added: "...looks like you're going down in history as laughing at disabled folk..." (etc)...

For Paula from DPAC it was par for the course... "They're grinning away at us, they're filming our protest, they think they're so above themselves they can do what they like" she said of the delegates "Well the feeling at the demo yesterday and today is that we're really unhappy with all of this..."

As Tory grandees like Boris Johnson, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Boris Johnson and Michael Heseltine arrived there was anger and humour as they were pelted with a selection of footballs, beach balls and play balls – a statement on their policies, as DPAC said `Balls to the Tories'...

* See also round up of today's protests - click here

Main photo by Steven Speed

For loads more photos of this protest see the Salford Star photo story blog - click here