Star date: 30th May 2017 

CAMPAIGN TO SAVE SALFORD'S ONLY DISABLED CHILDREN'S HOME HANDS OVER 3,500 SIGNATURE PETITION

'Jeremy Corbyn' joined campaigners in Salford this morning to hand over a 3,500 signature petition to Save The Grange, the city's only residential care home for disabled children.

Campaigners have been pointing out the contradictions of Salford's Corbyn supporting City Mayor, Paul Dennett, and proposals to close the home for disabled children... "We're still hopeful that we can reverse the decision and that the home remains open" said parent Rebecca Howarth

Full details here...

Last Saturday, at a public meeting to Save The Grange, Salford's only residential care home for disabled children, Ameen Hadi of Salford City UNISON, which represents public sector staff in the city, had spoken loud and clear about the contradictions inherent in Salford Labour Party which runs Salford City Council...

"I do not want to be in a position" he said "where people can turn around and say 'The Tories don't care about the vulnerable and neither do this Labour Council'..."

Paul Gerrard, from Salford Against the Cuts, had underlined the sentiment... "...We all want people to vote for Rebecca Long-Bailey and other Labour candidates - and at the same time the Council is going to close a disabled children's care home!" he said "What is going on? You couldn't make this up!"

This morning, campaigners handed over a petition to Save The Grange signed by over 3,500 people – and a Jeremy Corbyn mask was worn to ram the point home. A smirking Theresa May mask was also in evidence lurking in the background.

Placards were carried showing the wide range of support for the campaign – from the Salford Red Devils team and mascot, to Swinton Moorside Cricket Club and Salford City FC fans; to Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, who told campaigners that it is "unacceptable to send disabled children out of the borough"...

It was hoped to hand the petition over to Salford City Mayor and Jeremy Corbyn supporter, Paul Dennett, but he was at a pre-arranged meeting ironically centred on people with disabilities. Instead, an official from the Mayor's office accepted the signatures...

"She has assured us that we will get acknowledgement of this and, because of the amount of signatures, it will be discussed at the next full Council meeting in July" said Rebecca Howarth, parent of one of the children at The Grange

"We would have preferred to hand it to the Mayor or one of his deputies" she added "Either way, I think he will be surprised when he sees it. There are not vast numbers of us affected but there are a lot of supporters out there who have signed the hard copies and online petitions.

"I think they do realise that we are all passionate about it" she said "We're still hopeful that we can reverse the decision and that the home remains open..."

The decision to shut The Grange is currently in the midst of a staff consultation.

For a full background see the report of Saturday's public meeting – click here and also follow the links within the article