UK Welfare Groups Back Auckland Picket

Three UK welfare groups are welcoming Auckland Action Against Poverty’s Friday picket of Conservative minister Iain Duncan Smith.

In an unusual display of international solidarity on domestic issues, Boycott Workfare, the London Coalition Against Poverty and Welfare Uncut sent through a formal message of solidarity this morning (attached).

One group, Boycott Workfare, is also planning a Phone Blockade of Iain Duncan Smith’s right wing think tank, the ill named ‘Centre for Social Justice’. timed to coincide as closely as possible with the Auckland action. See http://www.boycottworkfare.org/?p=93 for more details.

Meanwhile, the think tank organising Iain Duncan Smith’s visit to New Zealand, the Maxim Institute, has also issued a media release saying, among other things, that they believe the AAAP protest is ‘unnecessary and counter-productive to the debate.’

In response, Sue Bradford says ‘We believe that Mr Smith is right at the front line of inflicting some of the most horrendous policies on unemployed people, beneficiaries and people with disabilities in the UK.’

‘We are protesting outside the Maxim dinner on Friday night because we seek to stand in solidarity with beneficiaries in the UK, and because we want to highlight the extent to which the recommendations of the Government’s Rebstock report are based on UK welfare reforms.’

‘Direct actions are a part of political discourse, and given the nature of Government onslaughts against beneficiaries and unemployed people in both New Zealand and the UK, we need to do more than simply listen politely to what conservative ‘experts’ brought in from overseas have to tell us.

‘If Maxim had really wanted a fair debate, they would have brought out a UK claimants’ representative to speak as well, so people attending this function could hear both sides of the story.’

The picket will take place this Friday 22 July from 5.30pm onwards, outside the Heritage Hotel, 35 Hobson St, Auckland.

A one page backgrounder with more information about Iain Duncan Smith and his role in UK welfare reform is attached.

AAAP brings together unemployed people, beneficiaries, students, unionists, church people and others working for a fairer society which puts the wellbeing of low income people above the welfare of bankers and investors. Recent actions include a ‘race to the bottom’ after the 2011 budget, and an occupation of Paula Bennett’s office following the release of the Rebstock report.

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