Letters to The Herald

Saturday 25th April 2015

WE note that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has carried out its threat to refuse to answer questions from, Disability News Service (DNS) editor John Pring (“inside Track: DWP and its dispute with a disability warrior“, The Herald, April 22). Mr Pring is an experienced journalist, who has been reporting on disability issues for nearly 20 years. He launched DNS in April 2009 to provide in-depth reporting in both the specialist and mainstream media on issues that affect the lives of disabled people.

Numerous disability groups rely on the Disability News Service to keep them informed. By refusing to communicate with Mr Pring the DWP is refusing to communicate with millions of disabled people. The actions of the DWP are counter to transparent government and freedom of the press, upon which a functioning democracy rely. We consider the actions of the DWP to be highly offensive and discriminatory.

We fully support Mr Pring and insist that DWP perform its public duty to talk to the press without bias or favour.

John McArdle, Black Triangle Campaign; Dr Stephen Carty, Black Triangle Campaign; Linda Burnip, Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) Steering Group; Debbie Jolly, Co-Founder DPAC; Bill Scott, Inclusion Scotland;

Norma Curran, Values into Action Scotland and Scottish Campaign for a Fair Society; Pat Onions, Pat’s Petition; Simon Barrow, Co-Director, Ekklesia; Rick Burgess #newapproach; Jane Bence #newapproach; Rosemary O’Neill, CarerWatch; Frances Kelly, CarerWatch; Ian Jones, WoW Campaign; John McDonnell MP; Karen Machin, St Helens, mental health carer; Peter Beresford, Co-Chair, Shaping Our Lives; Steve Preece, Welfare Weekly;

Charles Huddleston; Mo Stewart, Independent Researcher; Annie Bishop, Independent Advocate; Gail Ward, disability rights campaigner; Jo Walker, disability rights campaigner; Anne Ross, multiple sclerosis activist

Dr Rhetta Moran, RAPAR; Jonathan Bartley, Green Party Parliamentary candidate for Streatham; Steve Griffiths, researcher in social and health policy; Steve Donnison, Benefits and Work; Neal Lawson, Compass; Rosemary Trustam , Publisher, Community Living magazine; Ellen Clifford, DPAC; Andy Green, DPAC; Paula Peters, DPAC; Anita Bellows, DPAC ; Roger Lewis, DPAC steering group ; Bob Ellard, DPAC Steering Group; Catherine Hale, disability activist; Michelle Maher, WoW Campaign; Josh Petzoldt, member of UCL Staff Disability Forum and National Association of Disabled Staff Networks; Dr Simon Duffy, Centre for Welfare Reform; Alan Wheatley;

Sam Barnett-Cormack; Pam Pinder, CarersforumUK; Judy Hamilton; Caroline Richardson, Spartacus Network; Paul Bepey, BBC Ability Chair, Access Technology Manager/Assistive technology lead; Melanie Sharpe and Dr Hamied Haroon, Co-Chairs of the Disabled Network at the University of Manchester; Steve McIndoe, University of Manchester, Adam Lotun, disability risk management consultant, Workplace Disability Adjustments; Carole Ford, WowCampaign; Susan Inness, Disabled Library assistant, University of Nottingham; Lesley Beebe, Bradford University; Karen Reissman, Union NEC (PC); Susan Stubbs, University of Manchester; Angela Thompson;

Jenny Hambidge,

c/o Black Triangle Campaign, 17 W. Montgomery Place, Edinburgh.

Reporter John Pring of Disability News Service ~ Blacklisted by the U.K. Government’s Department of Work and Pensions (DWP)

Herald Scotland

Back Story: ‘DWP should be cautious about blocking critic of benefits policies’ ~ By Stephen Naysmith, Herald Scotland Posted on April 24, 2015 

DWP carries out threat to ban questions from Disability News Service Posted on April 24, 2015