Baroness Murphy’s Comments on Black Triangle
Dear Baroness Murphy
We are writing to you regarding the recent comments you have made on the Lords of the Blog site, about the Government’s welfare reform agenda and the Black Triangle Anti Defamation Campaign.
Black Triangle (BT) is a grassroots organisation, run by disabled people, for disabled people. Its administrators are all volunteers who have first-hand experience of both the benefits system and disability discrimination.
You may find some of the comments and posts on the BT website and Facebook page make uncomfortable reading but we can assure you that Black Triangle has gained a well deserved reputation amongst disabled people for honesty and ‘telling it like it is’. Dissent from ‘mainstream’ opinion is not yet a crime and Black Triangle is a valued voice of a cohort of disabled people which is seldom heard by politicians who prefer to listen to people like themselves.
We find it extremely disappointing that you have used your position to attack Black Triangle without any evidence to support your assertions that it is deliberately frightening disabled people for some unspecified but presumably sinister reason.
We are also offended at your insinuation that we, disabled people, are easily duped and ‘taken in’ by people who seek to manipulate us. We can assure you that this is far from the truth and if we are frightened by the prospect of the Welfare Reform Act, then we are frightened with good reason.
Whilst we welcome your recognition of the flawed nature of the Work Capability Assessment we are dismayed that you do not appear to understand the depths of justified anxiety being experienced already by disabled people. Despite what you seem to be saying, for many of us welfare reform is already ‘up and running’; it is not on some distant horizon.
We find it extraordinary that having made these assertions you have stated that you will no longer respond to comments on this issue. We would therefore like to invite you to debate the welfare reform agenda with us in a positive, non-confrontational way. It is easy to hide behind the anonymity of a blog or Facebook page and so we are asking you to step out of your comfort zone and meet with us face to face. If we are brave enough to extend this invitation to you, then we hope you will be brave enough to accept.
You can contact us through the contact form of this website so we can arrange a mutually convenient time and location for this debate and you are welcome to invite any of your colleagues who would like to attend too.
Yours Sincerely
Sasha Callaghan – Inspired by Atos Origin
Philip Lockwood – Black Triangle
George Lamb – Black Triangle
John McArdle – Black Triangle
Matthew Wheatley – Black Triangle
Brett Johnson – DWPExamination Forum
could anybody who would like to be a signatory to this invite to Baroness Murphy to debate the issue of welfare reform face to face with us please add their names and organisation, (if any), below and if she agrees to it we will attempt to arrange it so that as many as possible of you can attend.
29 Responses
Please explain your accusations Mss Murphy (can’t debase myself by using the B word). I have found Black Triangle helpfull, supportive and informative. Am I an easily led fool, or are you resorting to unsupported slurs in an attempt to discredit them?
That’s wonderfully positive; I’m not sure I’d have been able to be so generous.
@ Paul – LMAO – it took me the best part of an hour to compose that wee gem.The little angel on my shoulder helped me write it……
Any time.
Mo Stewart – researcher
I’ll send the Baroness my reports and ask her which parts are tosh – then advise her of the numbers of letters I have received from members of the House of Lords thanking me for the information and agreeing with my identifed research evidence and concerns.
Bridget Denise Price writes:
“The false report written about me (which purported to be a medical assessment but was actually a list of banal statements with no foundation in reality) made me so overwhelmingly cross that quite apart from wanting to kill myself I was ready to go on the rampage and commit mass indescriminant slaughter. Black Triangle actually let down a wee lifeline of hope, reigned in my outrage and helped me to direct my anger in a more appropriate manner for a civilized person. You can quote me to the baroness and assure her that her head is more securely on her shoulders due to your existence than it would be without it.”
please add my name. BT has supported me far more than any statutory body. she clearly knows sweet fa about black triangle and it’s members by the lies she is publically saying.
Excellent article, i had an ATOS “examination” it wasnt until the end of the “test” that the examiner realised i was wearing supports on my legs when i was on the bed being seen. It must have been pretty obvious [ one would have thought] as i use a stick and walk like a duck.
It will be interesting to see If the Baroness will take up the challenge?
Add my name to the list please
Paul Smith – Victims of Atos Corruption
Look forward to your rely so take up the challenge, Black triangle group as given me hope as l would be of to Switzerland
I’d like to give her a peace of my mind but unfortunatly people if you can call her human, hide behind walls so they dont see what suffering really is for peasants like us.
I’d gladley talk to her and tell her the hell i been through since Thatcher came to power since it was at that time my disablement began and the drugs i have to take to stay alive
Thank god for black triangle!
There is also the charge that Black Triangle isn’t an “independent” organisation, ‘independent’ from what? For decades both Houses of Parliament have served to misrepresent the interests of disabled people, maintained our inequality and social oppression. BT and DPAC among others exist to fight the likes of Lord David Freud, servant of Capital, oppressor of disabled people.
The disabled are now assessed by charlatans masquerading as Health care professionals. These nurses, midwifes ect, many with no recordable qualifications blatantly lie at the work capability assessments.
What kind of country are we living in when the authorities sit back and allow such despicable behaviour from these imposters to happen?
Thank you Black Triangle for exposing ATOS. I was suicidal until I found your website.
add my name from DPAC. It’s a very selective website which seems to delete any posts that might not be liked. Mine was not posted either
we live in the real world where we are treated like scroungers and deserve no help, the government the press, tv all portray us as lazy workshy liars . This is all about cutting the welfare state, atos are treating us as items for which they get paid to fail us, so many terminally ill people have been found fit for work, and what happens after a year no-one will tell us, we feel hopeless because there is no hope or help because this government would rather save money than treat people fairly, its said you can judge a country by how it treats its disabled and sick say’s it all really.
Brings a whole new dimension to “Murphy’s law” but that was a racist notion as is the thinking behind what this baroness is saying.
There is no basis in fact for her claims and she should publish an apology and start taking notice of the people she is supposed to be serving.
I wonder how much she made in expenses in the Lords last year? Probably more than a lifetimes payments of ESA!
Don’t attack Black Triangle and other campaigning groups like DPAC.
Attack the oppressive policies and injustice against disabled people by this government the DWP and ATOS which mean we have to campaign. This government is not acting in the best interests of disabled people and most of the cuts and policies against us are illegal and breaking the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities to be treated with dignity respect and without neglect.
Happy to be included as a former Chair of BCODP and a co-founder of DPAC
please add DPAC as a group too.
I would like to sign this invitation to the Red Baroness too please.
“Red” as in the lady makes me see red with anger.
If she doesn’t accept the invitation from BT, then she may soon get her P45.
One of the VERY RARE bits of legislation going through parliament (two Bills actually) are seeking the abolition of Lords and Ladies with the REMOVAL of their seats and cushy £300 a day for a snooze on the Red Benches. In their place are to be elected Senators.
The feckless peers to be finally put out of their misery and off for a graze into the long grass.
Now there is a reasonable idea.
So it may be Bye Bye Baroness as our new theme tune :@)
Cheers,
Calum
PLEASE ADD BEING THE BOSS TO THIS LIST
please add my name to this- Andy Greene Islington DPAC
I am more than prepared to discuss this matterwith Barness Murphy. I think she is ill informed and rude to make comments like that about Black tringl Let her come out from hiding behind the screen and talt face to face with Disabled people who are suffering with the ettects the cuts are having. We are not going to let her or others who really think we will go away and suffer in silence, this was proven right on front of the CONS Conference last Sunday in Manchester wher 35,0000 thousand marced togeather to send a very clear message to Camron we are not all in this togeather- and never will be, we use our own minds to be the better judge of that.
Now Barness Murphy it is in your court to leave the keyboard behind and face the people you have insulted.
I awaite your response
Regards
PATRICK LYNCH
DISABILITY OFFICER (IHOOPS)
Please add me from DPAC too.
Please add me – old timer activist in rights, arts, independent living, across the board. Member of IDPAC and DPAC. Murphy highlights a problem very well – the distance between what we know and experience day by day – and what They want to believe, and have no experience of.
Please add me
As chair of the Northumberland Disability and Deaf network and someone who has MS I can assure Baroness Murphy that I am no dupe. I appreciate what BT is doing. I have heard from hundreds of people who have told me what they have to endure through ATOS, the doctor I saw for DLA thought he knew more about MS than my professor but I won unanimously on appeal. I have an indefinate award; what is the point of assessing me annually ? are they going to cure me? I am resiliant and resourceful but a lot of people are too sick to appeal or complain. Thats the crime; targeting those who are too vulnerable to fight back. Please add my name
Baroness Murphy is an insider so cut off from the realities of living with a disability her opinions are irrelevant. Such as her should be ignored as the irrelevances they are.