THE UTTER SHAME OF THE UK GOVERMENT

 I know that there are cheats in Incapacity Benefit (although I understand the numbers are small), but when you consider that we have discovered, bit by bit, over the last few years that the whole of British society is corrupt and stinking. We now know: 

• that members of the royal family are on the take (and yet no case is ever heard against them); 
• that large numbers of both the House of Lords and Commons have systematically cheated on their expenses and been obliged to replay sometimes vast sums of money, but almost none has been punished; 
• that the press is bent, most specifically the Murdoch press, but the Express, Mirror and Mail groups aren't far behind them; 
• that the police are corrupt, most particularly the MET, but doubtless others too;
• that the bankers right up to the Bank of Britain, sorry England are in the LIBOR scandal up to their oxters, and were previously largely responsible for the mess the country is in, and that none of them gets any kind of punishment, except maybe being asked to resign with a MASSIVE golden handshake (and quickly being fixed up with another job);
• that "celebrities" are hiving off money so that they pay no tax and are not even admonished, except in the case of Jimmy Carr who was named and shamed by Camoron, because he is a left wing comedian who pokes fun at the silly little arse for a living.

And with all this stinking mass of corruption, greed and filth around, our UK government thinks that the best group to target in its futile and cack-handed attempt to reduce its ever growing deficit, is the sick and the dying. Bravo the Tories, and Bravo to England for voting them in to government when you know perfectly well that they tear society up and use it as toilet paper.

This motion has been tabled in the House of Commons. I knew of some of the figures here, but I had no idea how utterly horrific some others were. I am distraught at the thought of this happening in our country.

• Date tabled: 28.06.2012
• Primary sponsor: McDonnell, John
• Sponsors:
  • Corbyn, Jeremy
  • Edwards, Jonathan
  • Havard, Dai
  • Lavery, Ian
  • Turner, Karl

That this House deplores that thousands of sick and disabled constituents are experiencing immense hardship after being deprived of benefits following a work capability assessment carried out by Atos Healthcare under a 100 million a year contract; notes that 40 per cent of appeals are successful but people wait up to six months for them to be heard; deplores that last year 1,100 claimants died while under compulsory work-related activity for benefit and that a number of those found fit for work and left without income have committed or attempted suicide; condemns the International Paralympic Committee’s promotion of Atos as its top sponsor and the sponsorship of the Olympics by Dow Chemical and other corporations responsible for causing death and disability; welcomes the actions taken by disabled people, carers, bereaved relatives and organisations to end this brutality and uphold entitlement to benefits; and applauds the British Medical Association call for the work capability assessment to end immediately and to be replaced with a system that does not cause harm to some of the most vulnerable people in society.

I understand that so far 28 MPs have signed the motion, including 2 SNP members: Mike Weir and Angus MacNeil and one Scottish Labour MP, Sandra Osborne. I hope all Scottish MPs will join in [except Fluffy, and of course, Danny Alexander]. 

(A full list can be seen on the post that inspired my little rant, although it will hopefully grow as time goes on. I also, completely shamelessly, stole the absolutely excellent illustrations from Nominedeus, and hope that he won't sue me...)