Letter: Justice for disabled

Letter: Justice for disabled

Sir: Once again this Government has shown an inability to listen. It has now lost the support of 12 major organisations representing disabled people, because it has ignored their views during the Welfare Reform Bill.

Over the last few weeks many of these organisations, along with the Law Society, have been asking the Government to give guarantees in the Access to Justice Bill that disabled people will be assured of access to justice. So far it has failed to do so, ignoring the opinion of the public, its own backbenchers and the House of Lords.

The Law Society asks the Government once again to go back and think about the consequences for disabled people if they persist with these exclusionary reforms.

ROBERT SAYER

Vice President, The Law Society

London WC2

Sir: Labour MPs will be asked to cut disability benefits by pounds 750m a year. Soon they'll be asked to further pauperise refugees and asylum seekers. After fighting all their political lives against such policies, there can be few who will want to support such Bills, but no doubt the pressure from the whips is very great

As they decide how to vote, may I remind them of the Prime Minister's words to the last Labour Party conference: "Backbone, not back down!"

ROB WALL

Bedford