Today we planned an impromptu demonstration as we felt that Ashton Jobcentre are getting a little too used to us just turning up on Thursdays. We had noticed that the amount of people entering and leaving the Jobcentre had fallen on a Thursday so we wanted to see if it was just a coincidence or not. We saw that it was busier and the Jobcentre were surprised to see us. So we’re the local PCOS who came over to us after leaving a local shop. She thought that she had got her days mixed up and we had a laugh about this. She said “it’s raining Im surprised that you are here” I said “why? We were here in the snow and anyway we like to have that element of surprise. It keeps everyone on their toes.” She laughed and said that she would go inside the Jobcentre and inform them that she had spoken to us and that everything was ok.. To save them making an unwanted and unneeded phone call. We laughed. She’s a nice lady and has seen us demonstrating for two years now at various locations.
Today was interesting, I don’t know if it was the weather but we had quite a bit of hostility from people that were passing the Jobcentre. A couple of women made a point of walking over to us to inform us that unemployed people shouldn’t have a rent top up or help. They should get a job she said. They also said that people would rather starve than get a job. Shocking. These two women were selling electricity on a zero hour contract on commission only. They had mortgages to pay and it wasn’t fair that they had to work whilst others don’t. We explained to them that most of these people have fallen on hard times which could very likely happen to them as they are in the most precarious of jobs. They seemed to be under the impression that unemployed people get hundreds of pounds in their hands… Which we know to be untrue and we corrected them. A disabled woman standing with us also told them and she’s got quite upset, she’s only living on £114 a week for two people and is paying the bedroom tax and council tax supplement. These two women were informed that they were wrong and that they deserved a better quality of employment. No one deserves to be walking the streets all day for a few quid. I hope that they listened. It did make me think though. People are too easily influenced by television programmes like benefits street and benefits estate. Make no mistake I feel that these programmes are made on purpose to fulfil the governments divide and conquer system. Turning the poor on the poor whilst distracting from the destruction of this country that they seem to be doing a very good job of doing. We need to educate people more, tell them that being poor is no joke it really is survival and a survival of the fittest.
One thing that cheered me up today was the heckling of David Cameron at an age uk event. Ive always said mess with the pensioners and expect trouble. They won’t fall for the lies that he is spouting and they can see the destruction of the NHS that his government is doing. They will remember the time before the NHS and they know how hard it was. We need to fight to keep the NHS. Life without it would be very hard indeed.
We will be back at Ashton Jobcentre on Thursday and I hope that the weather is kinder. Please come and visit us. You will be made very welcome.
The poor side of life 
Just to be clear, I support your campaign and wish you all the luck in the world with it.
But I will make a few points about my experience as a campaigner.
By the pictures it looks as though it would be a hard push to fill a Minibus, anyone who matters will just ignore the voice of a handful of people, contrast this to how many turned up to see a wooden box with someones remains in recently.
With regards to the two womens attitudes, they wonder why people can’t take any job and keep changing when needed, if their contract does expire they will look for another similar job, they may belong to an agency.
It is the same attitude of some people thinking if recent immigrants can get a job, why can’t someone who has been long term unemployed.
There is also no gain for a political party to support certain benifit claimants as they are scared to death of the right wing press and their own ego/image.
My local council had a meeiting about the cuts last year, a handful of people turned up.
In November they had a fireworks display and bonfire, attended by over 100 people.
If I posted a video of a cat being a cat, it would get more views and likes than a page about this or deaths if people on benefits.
Reason being is things like cats, One Direction etc.. give people a release from their lives, pages about the injustices of the system are seen as negative and depressing, even met with suspicion by some.
We live in a re-active society, too many people only get involved in things like this if it happens to them or a close family member.
It concerns me, but like you, I will keep going and hopefully one day, the tide will turn.
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I hope you can hear my applause from here. My sincere wishes that we all can change this path of hopelessness and injustice. SNP from here and from as many other alternatives as possible around the UK to take back what is ours – the right to live without apology and penury. A vote for the once minor parties of alternative thinking are the only effective opposition left to austerity and right wing rule. May your words reach far and wide. And justice be reinstated for all.
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Thank you x
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I’m in awe of the work that you do on Scotland. You are amazing we need justice for all
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It does not matter what people think of the unemployed, working poor, poor pensioners, the disabled losing benefits.
Because for the first time in a generation, the poor of all ages, in or out of work, or poor pensioners only on lowest state pension of all rich nations, now outnumber all other voters in the UK in a huge number of voting areas.
The 6th biggest party in the UK, especially in England, is growing fast in candidates but is being ignored by the media entirely.
We listen to The Greens, who will get the 1 MP they have already and maybe 1 more (although candidate first time from Class War against them).
But TUSC (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition) now running over 125 candiates as MPs this year and 1000 council candidates (there are some council elections on the same day as general eleciton) gets nothing fromt he media at all.
But neither are the real left wing parties getting any coverage in blogs or forums of the victims of welfare and pension reform.
The poor of all ages can change government entirely on Thursday 7 May, if they all came out and voted different.
If you only have The Greens as an alternative, then that is better than nothing.
But if you have TUSC or Class War or in Cornwall Mebyon Kernow, or Plaid Cymru in Wales or SNP in Scotland, then an unassailable government against austerity cuts that threaten lives will come into power.
ENGLAND
TUSC / MEBYON KERNOW / SOCIALIST GB / CLASS WAR
WALES
PLAID CYMRU
SCOTLAND
SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY – SNP
These parties would utterly change Labour, as Labour would have to do the bidding of these parties, as Labour cannot gain sufficient MPs to form a majority government.
This is the only way to shut out the Tories, who threaten lives every day they are in power.
The Lib Dems are the gone party.
Share my little website as widely as you can, with the links / logos / party names / and how we, the poor, now have all the power we need to stop the end of the welfare state, NHS and the state pension.
http://www.anastasia-england.me.uk
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Reblogged this on Britain Isn't Eating.
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