Friday 30 September 2011

Sickness and Disability campaigners didn't appear overnight....

A regular commenter on my blog, Robert, just reminded me that people like him have been saying the same things about ESA and Work Capability Assessments and politics for years.

(In fact, I have too, but less successfully than Robert :)

He posted this on my blog and it's definitely worth reading. People like Robert and 100s of others have been telling us all about this stuff for years.

Hopefully, we're starting to listen.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7240982.stm

Channel 4 and Disability campaigning today

So today, after nearly killing myself at Labour Conference, I had to get to London and go to film a short piece for Channel 4 on "Welfare : Corrosive or a Vital part of Democracy"

It was one of those 3 minute segments that goes out after Channel 4 News, where someone talks at the camera and gives an "opinion". They say it'll be aired in around 6 weeks (I imagine to coincide with the 3rd reading of the Welfare Reform Bill in the Lords) so I'll keep you informed on when to watch.

Having organised the whole thing last week, during Labour conference, I didn't really have any time to think about what I would say and as every woman knows, it ought to have taken at least a week to decide what to wear. I didn't even have time to do a load of washing, so after Dave had helped me exhausted into bed, he spent an hour searching for "you know, that one with the scoop neck" and "the top I wore to Sam and Anna's wedding" "you remember the gold sparkly one". Clearly, I never get time to tidy, so he was picking clothes up from the floor for approval.

In the end, the criteria were so tight (no white, no spots or patterns) I had to wear a pair of my friends's red trousers two sizes too big for me, pinned at the back.

I whipped myself into some kind of presentable state (Note to self : No jeans if you are to defend Welfare) whipped myself to get to the station, whipped myself to survive as far as London, whipped myself into a taxi and stumbled blearily into a small TV studio near Covent Garden.

Probably the most interesting part of the day was canvassing the opinions of the two taxi drivers. Both utterly supported their tax money going to sick and disabled people. Emphatically in fact. One had a mother on DLA, the other a mother with bi-polar. (Note to politicians 1 : Everyone knows someone who is genuinely sick or disabled too!) They both independently suggested that benefits should be immediately available when a person was having a period when they were unable to work, so that they wouldn't be frightened to try. Interesting point I thought. Strange they both said it.

The interview itself went OK I think, though it passes in a blur and I can't really remember anything I said. We'll see what they present when they cut 45 minutes down to 3!!

But what I'll remember is that I "met a man." Then I "met another man" and neither of them wanted people with cancer sent to the job centre or their Mum's to be mis-understood and bullied.

We can all "meet a man" Mostly they tell us what they think we want to hear.

I told them I was a sickness and disability campaigner. They told me their personal fears for people they loved.

If I'd been asking them if they liked the idea of their "hard-earned tax money" supporting "shirkers not workers" who "could work but don't" I expect they'd have thought that was a terrible idea too.

The language we use makes that all important difference.

I came home, flopped gratefully into a sofa and turned on Channel 4 News, delighted that I'd got through the week alive, at last.

Just in time, in fact, to see Katie Razzle do a very good piece indeed on ATOS, the private company who conduct medical tests on sick and disabled people that are so controversial. The company are also sponsoring the paralympics and the piece interviewed our very own Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC)!!! It explained how sick and disabled people are threatening to boycott the paralympics over their controversial sponsor. Great coverage for DPAC and I believe Black Triangle have also led the way on this issue, so a huge congratulations for breaking it through so successfully in the mainstream press.

With the video of Kaliya Franklin from The Broken of Britain putting Ed Miliband on the spot at Labour conference one of the most viewed online posts on Wikio today, and his promise to speak with us soon (confirmed, I believe in messages today) this has been a really, really good day for the Disability Movement.

Ed M Handbagged by Sickness & Disability campaigner at #Lab11

At last, we have a YouTube of the question we wrote to #AskEdM !!!! You have to admit, it's an awesome question!!!! And didn't she engage him well?


Th first time we get Labour top table to clearly distinguish between "scroungers" and sick/disabled. He apologises for not making it clearer in his speeches and so he should!!!

CAN I ASK YOU TO RT, SHARE AND GENERALLY HELP US TO SEND THIS VIRAL? Even when presented with a pretty, eloquent woman in a mobility scooter, providing them with most interesting moment of conference, disability was STILL too "yucky" for the media to report. We will just have to do online what they failed to do in their "reports"

Thursday 29 September 2011

Filthy, Dirty, Politics

I will write up my experiences at Labour Conference, really I will.

Frankly the reason I haven't so far is because I haven't quite unearthed all the facts.

Currently though, take everything you suspected about politics, multiply it by an awfulness-factor of 10, dip it in something utterly stinky, stir in a good dollop of incredulity and watch this space for more information.

(I just didn't want you all to think I'd collapsed somewhere in the Mersey, never to be seen again)

Tuesday 27 September 2011

Labour Conference, Monday

I've thought and thought about what to write, but so far, all I can really say is this. on every issue. From every debate I've been too.

I just hope it changes today with Ed's speech.

Sunday 25 September 2011

Labour Conference

So, here I am in that big Liverpool.

My drive was as farcical as the DWP admin department. The M6 toll road was actually closed due to an accident and after not moving at all for an hour and a half, we were diverted through Stoke and other "Northern Places" to the old M6. It took me 7 1/2 HOURS to get to the Wirral and when I did, I was good for absolutely nothing.

Kaliya Franklin, (@BendyGirl) welfare-warrior-twin had taken her life into her own hands to cook me dinner and after a pleasant few hours with her lovely neighbour, a yummy meal and a glass or two of wine I began to think that I might just make it to a few Labour-y things at conference after all.

WARNING : For the next few days, this blog will almost certainly turn into a bit of a Labour zone.

Adventures nearly always happen - Did I ever tell you about the time I found myself walking along he seafront with David Miliband? He was still Foreign Secretary, and as he made his way to the Conference Hall to make his keynote speech he spoke to me about social media campaigning as the world's media walked backwards snapping a thousand flashbulbs in our eyes. Or the time I plonked exhausted into a chair to find I was sitting next to Peter Mandleson?  You can imagine that I never waste such opportunities and hope there will be more this week.

Whoever I talk to, I will be urging them to reconsider ESA. I will be urging them to oppose Personal Independent Payments as a replacement for DLA. I will be urging them to speak a little louder and oppose a little more strongly.

However, I will also tell you who I think did a good job in their speeches - and who of course I felt didn't. An education report here, an NHS speech there - I'm sure many moments will inspire me to babble at you all.

I am Labour in my bones. It's in my DNA, runs through my family like the word "fairness" through a stick of rock. When I think they are wrong, I will say, but if I think they get it right, I will say that too.

I'll tell you what I think of Ed Miliband's speech and hopefully, this conference will be the start of a more coherent plan from Labour. Time is running out. We need a strong, confident opposition that stands up for fairness loudly, and with determination.

As the Welfare Reform Bill, the NHS bill and many others lurch gaspingly into the last stages of being made law (or should I say being forced into law?) we, the Labour party, the party that created the NHS and a compassionate welfare state must decide what we stand for and shout it from the rooftops.

Millions of people need us to.

Friday 23 September 2011

Left Thinker of the Year? Wow! Please vote!

Astonishingly, the "Disability Rights Movement" have been nominated as "Left Thinker of the Year" by Left Foot Forward readers!!

Everyone who blogs, everyone who RTs, everyone who's ever written to their MP or lobbied the Lords or told their Nan about our fight is part of this. Everyone. Without supporters, bloggers are nothing, without supporters, no-one would know what we're trying to do.

If you'd like to you can nominate us all here. Many thanks

http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/09/left-foot-forward-most-influential-left-wing-thinker-of-the-year-2010-11-poll/

Clause 52 - PLEASE help us tell people.

Guys, we've missed something vital. Of course, we could argue that the relevant charities and the entire investigative journo population has missed something vital, but as it's clearly just us few poorly people who care.

This brilliant post, yet again by Declan Gaffney explains all. http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/09/welfare-bill-means-testing-support-for-disabled-since-youth/

It took months and months to get things like time-limiting ESA or cutting DLA for adults in residential care high up the agenda. We don't have months now but 100s of 1000s of disabled children can't help that.

Please do what you can with this information, tweet it, cross-post it, share it, send it to the crossbench Lords I published, write to your MP, but please, this deserves as much if not more pressure than almost every other issue.

Post kindly reproduced here thanks to Declan and Left Foot Forward.


Yet another nasty in the welfare bill: Means testing support for the disabled-since-youth

On Saturday the LibDem conference passed a motion on the government’s welfare reform bill which challenged one of its most controversial aspects, the limiting of contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) to one year for people assessed as capable of some ‘work-related activity’.

The aim of the motion was to ensure that those disabled people who had paid national insurance would not be forced on to means-tested benefits after an arbitrary period.

But there is another measure in the bill which will exclude large numbers of people from non-means tested entitlement which has attracted far less attention.

It is contained in clause 52 of the bill, which will prevent hundreds of thousands of young people with lifetime or early-onset disabilities from accessing contributory ESA when they reach working age, whether or not they are deemed capable of any ‘work-related activity’.

People who have been disabled since childhood will no longer be entitled to benefit in their own right as adults but will be subject to means testing based on the income of their family.

The provision that clause 52 abolishes allowed people under 20 with work-limiting conditions to be treated as if they met the national insurance contributions for ESA.

The rationale was that people with conditions that begin in childhood may never be able to accumulate sufficient contributions to entitle them to the non-means tested benefit. Even for a system which has its fair share of anomalies, this was clearly an arbitrary exclusion.

While hardly perfect, this arrangement prevented a situation where people with lifetime or early-onset conditions would generally have less favourable entitlements than people who became disabled in adulthood.

We can get a rough idea of the numbers who will affected by clause 52 and the conditions they are living with from figures on children receiving Disability Living Allowance, the non-means tested benefit which compensates for the additional costs faced by disabled people.

There are an estimated 327,000 children under 16 currently receiving DLA. By far the most important disabling condition for this group is learning disability (41%), followed by mental health problems (10%).

While not all of these children will be eligible for ESA in adulthood, and there will be many who are eligible for ESA who are not receiving Disability Living Allowance, these figures do point to one important implication of clause 52: given that around 75 per cent of 25-34 year-old DLA recipients are also on ESA, a large proportion of those affected will have learning difficulties or mental health problems at the more severe end of the spectrum.

This may help explain why a policy which will particularly affect entitlement for people with learning difficulties could look attractive from a narrow fiscal perspective, although from a broader policy persepective, the growth of claims by people with learning disabilities represents a desirableoutcome, reflecting increased life expectancy and less reliance on institutional care.

The question posed by clause 52 is why would anyone want to do this? Of course the proposal will save money: the savings could well be significant, precisely because financial support is being withdrawn from people many of whom will never be able to support themselves.

At the same time there are likely to be offsetting effects. The impacts on work incentives for other family members are likely to cut in to any fiscal savings – how many parents or partners would be as well off leaving work and claiming carer’s allowance after this change?

Some people who would otherwise have lived as part of a family will move into rented accommodation and claim housing benefit as well as possibly having greater needs for local authority support services. And demand for institutional care is likely to be swollen by those cases where independent living is not an option and where families are simply unable to meet the additional financial cost.



But even without these factors undermining any savings, and even if one completely accepted the government’s arguments for aggressive deficit reduction, there are better and worse ways of reducing public expenditure, and making long-term disabled adults dependent on their families is surely at the worse end of the range.

If they are unable to work and wish to remain in the family home, they will be imposing the burden of their maintenance on their parents and siblings. If they marry or move in with a partner, they will be bringing a huge negative dowry of long-term financial need to the relationship.

Why would we want to impose a tax on families and partners who are providing non-financial forms of support?

Why would we want more disabled adults to have to factor in the financial costs they might impose on others into critical decisions about where to live and who to live with?

Why, in a wealthy country with a functioning welfare state, should any parent ever be faced with the question of whether they can afford to have their disabled child living with them into adulthood?

I don’t believe that anyone of any political persuasion seriously believes these effects are desirable. For thirty years there has been a clear direction of policy on severe long-term disability, accepted and promoted by all the main parties: towards greater independence and community support, away from segregation, institutionalisation and enforced dependency.

Of course there will always be a need for debate about ways and means but unconditional financial support in one’s own right is one of the more uncontroversial building blocks of any strategy for greater autonomy and integration for the most severely disabled.

Clause 52 represents a major departure from the spirit of decades of progressive policy making by successive UK governments. Those who are concerned with arbitrary restrictions on contributory ESA have every reason to extend their concerns to clause 52.

Thanks to Kaliya Franklin, Richard Exell and Kate Bell for their advice on this piece. The content and opinions expressed are of course the sole responsibility of the author.

A longer version of this article is available here

See also:


Help stop government changes to welfare penalising disabled children – Sam Royston, August 15 2011

Why did DWP delay releasing new data until after welfare reform bill cleared Commons?– Daniel Elton, August 12th 2011

IDS welfare reforms won’t provide the support needed to escape poverty – Kayte Lawton, May 27 2011

Disabled people’s fight to save support “lifeline” – Dominic Browne, May 11th 2011

Call for “anti-disability” provisions to be removed from welfare bill – Shamik Das, March 7th 2011

Madness of Being

One more sleep til Labour conference. 

BBC thing done? Check.
Ch4 thing done? Check. 
Phone repaired? exhaust mended? Check.
Shoes that aren't falling apart? Check. 
Cross bench Lords campaign posted? Check. 
Clause 52 launched as an issue? Check. 
Childcare arranged? Check
Meds all up to date?...... erm..... I'll get back to you.
Exhaustion? Beyond hideous. 
Arrangements in place to try to raise disability issues at conference? Check
Homelessness averted? Check (ish)
Forms completed for new House? Check
DLA appeal arranged? Check
Housing benefit forms on order? Check. 

This is madness. Sheer madness. My life has become a farce. Like someone is writing its script from some James Bond Villain bunker, mwahahahaha-ing to himself. 

Oh well, see you all at conference (if you're going) 

If not, and I can make my exhausted fingers type, I'll try to keep you all posted. I will be lobbying, cajoling, flirting and generally using anything at my disposal to raise sickness and disability issues with those that ought to listen. 

Wish me luck and a whole cutlery drawer of extra spoons!**




Thursday 22 September 2011

Campaign : Contact a Crossbench Lord



Many thanks to DarkestAngel for writing this post 

"As you may be aware, the Welfare Reform Bill passed its second reading
 in the House of Lords and has now moved onto committee stage.

Last Wednesday, Lords tabled a “highly unusual” motion to send the bill to
Grand Committee, which will take place in side rooms, rather than a fully accessible
public room. The motion was voted through, 263 votes to 211, and the bill will now
be sent to the Grand Committee.

The main difference between a Committee and a Grand Committee is that no
votes take place during a Grand Committee. Therefore, amendments will not
be voted on individually. There is also no public gallery and less room for all
peers to attend at once.

The reasons given for taking this step were that a bill of this complexity would
block up the chamber and delay other bills. Also, that too many people would
want to take part in the debate and it would take up too much time. However,
It now appears that the Main Chamber will actually be sitting empty during Grand
Committee

Several Lords have stated their objections to this:

“There is a great deal of consternation that is being expressed by disabled
 people about this decision.
Noble Lords have received a number of e-mails. There is both a practical and
a symbolic significance to this decision. Disabled people feel that their democratic
right to observe the proceedings at the Committee stage is being severely curtailed
by any decision to take the whole of the Committee stage off the Floor of the House.
I think it is wrong . As well as this, we are now starting a week earlier than
previously announced - when some Lord's may still be on holiday - this is because
the recess dates were changed late in the day. I'm concerned also about my
fellow peers who are wheelchair users. Apparently we may be meeting in a
committee room upstairs, which is larger than the Moses Room, though
still far from ideal. It had already been accepted on this side that some of the
Committee stage should be taken in Grand Committee, but there are clauses
in the Bill that are highly controversial. It is not just about experts coming in;
it is about people who feel that their lives or livelihoods are at stake. “

Baroness Lister

“I am very concerned that we are debating a bill that has many aspects which
are yet to be finalised. This is a most unsatisfactory situation which many
people have expressed concern about. Yesterday matters were made worse
by the Coalition Government insisting that the bill is discussed in Grand
Committee and not in the Chamber of the House of Lords. It will make
scrutiny more difficult and cause real problems for members of the public
who want to come and observe proceedings.”

Lord Kennedy

“I am seriously concerned about the ability of all noble Lords to participate
in the proceedings on this Bill. The noble Baroness has rightly drawn attention
to the shortcomings of the Moses Room. Those shortcomings are just as
apparent on the Committee Corridor. Several colleagues have told me in
clear terms that the rooms upstairs are not much better and that a lot of
furniture will need to be moved to facilitate those who have difficulty with
mobility and to enable lobby groups and those who are interested in the Bill
to participate and observe proceedings.”

Lord Bassam, Opposition Chief Whip

Some also stated their approval:

“I would prefer that every bill were considered in Grand Committee. It avoids
votes at an early stage of examining the bill, the atmosphere is more intimate
and business-like and we can spend more time on the detail. It feels to me
like a more normal less stilted way of discussing an issue. The Education Bill
was on its 10th day in committee yesterday for example whereas in the Chamber
it would be rushed through more quickly. There is room to spread out one’s
papers on a table in front of the speaker, the Minister has his support team
of bill experts immediately behind him to consult and because it is not televised
there is usually precious little grand-standing and posturing. It is easier to
interrupt to question without it seeming rude. A technical bill like the Welfare
Reform Bill in particular is best examined outside the Chamber. Then it
returns to the Chamber for the important Report Stage when the
important votes are taken.”

Baroness Murphy

We have three main concerns regarding this development:

• Firstly, access is poor. We are concerned that wheelchair users in particular
will be affected by this, not to mention members of the public who wish to attend.

• Secondly, we are still unsure if live streaming will be available allowing
campaigners like us and the general public to follow debates and scrutinise
them properly and democratically.

• Thirdly, amendments will not be voted upon in Grand Committee, all
amendments must be agreed upon unanimously. Just one objection can
 prevent any attempt to fix the faults of this bill.

We would like to urge you all to contact crossbenchers in the House of
Lords (details below) to express your own concerns over this development.
We suggest asking for live streaming so that we can at least see events as
they happen, not 3 hours later and, of course, raising your objections to
the bill so that the Lords understand how it will, as it currently stands, affect so many of us.

We made a difference last time. We can make a difference this time.

Lord Aberdare
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_aberdare

Lord Adebowale
House of Lords,
London,
SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 8704
adebowalev@parliament.uk

Baroness Afshar
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
afsharh@parliament.uk

Viscount Allenby of Megiddo
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3497
Fax: 020 7219 0670, 020 7219 5179
michael.allenby@btopenworld.com

Lord Alton of Liverpool
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3551
Fax: 020 7219 3551
altond@parliament.uk

Lord Armstrong of Ilminster
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 4983
Fax: 020 7219 1259
armstrongr@parliament.uk

The Earl of Bewdley
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/earl_baldwin_of_bewdley

Lord Best
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 6799
best@parliament.uk

Lord Bew
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
p.bew@qub.a.uk

Lord Bichard
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
m.bichard@btinternet.com

Lord Bilimoria
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 6040
Fax: 020 7219 5979
bilimoria@parliament.uk

Lord Birt
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 8705
birtj@parliament.uk

Lord Blair of Broughton
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_blair_of_boughton

Betty Boothroyd
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 8673
boothroyd@parliament.uk

Lord Boyce
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 8714
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_boyce

Lord Bramall
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 6621
bramallen@parliament.uk

Lord Briggs
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_briggs

Lord Broers
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
anb1000@cam.ac.uk

Viscount Brookeborough
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 1668
brookboroughA@parliament.uk

Lord Browne of Madingley
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_browne_of_madingley

Lord Browne-Wilkinson
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 1639
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_browne-wilkinson

Lord Burns
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 0312
burnst@parliament.uk

Lord Butler of Brockwell
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
butlerf@parliament.uk

Baroness Butler-Sloss
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 4044
butlerslosse@parliament.uk

Lord Cameron of Dillington
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 2530
camerone@parliament.uk

Lord Cameron of Lochbroom
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_cameron_of_lochbroom

Baroness Campbell of Loughborough
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/baroness_campbell_of_loughborough

Baroness Campbell of Surbiton
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5124
campbelljs@parliament.uk

Lord Carey of Clifton
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
admin@glcarey.co.uk

Lord Carswell
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
carswellr@parliament.uk

Lord Chitnis
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_chitnis

Lord Chorley
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_chorley

Earl of Clancarty
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 8929
clancartyn@parliament.uk

Lord Cobbold
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 6887
david@parkgatehouse.net

Lord Condon
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3617
condonp@parliament.uk

Baroness Coussins
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
coussinsj@parliament.uk

Baroness Cox
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
ccox@ertnet.demon.co.uk

Lord Craig of Radley
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 2200
craigd@parliament.uk

Viscount Craigavon
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3881
craigavonJ@parliament.uk

Lord Crisp
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3873
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_crisp

Lord Cullen of Whitekirk
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_cullen_of_whitekirk

Lord Currie of Marylebone
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_currie_of_marylebone

Lord Dannatt
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
dannattr@parliament.uk

Lord Dear
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3576
deargj@parliament.uk

Baroness Deech
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3562
deechr@parliament.uk

Lord Eames
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
earmesR@parliament.uk

Lord Elis-Thomas
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 8701
elisthomasd@parliament.uk

Lord Elystan-Morgan
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_elystan-morgan

Baroness Emerton
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5035
audrey.emerton@sja.org.uk

Earl of Erroll
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3885
errollm@parliament.uk

Viscount of Falkland
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3230
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/viscount_falkland

Lord Fellowes
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 8754
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_fellowes

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 6693
Fax: 020 7219 1991
finlayi@parliament.uk

Baroness Flather
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
Fax: 020 7219 5979
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/baroness_flather

Lord Freyberg
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5101
freybergv@parliament.uk

Baroness Fritchie
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
fritchiei@parliament.uk

Baroness Greenfield
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 6451
greenfieldsu@parliament.uk

Baroness Greengross
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5494
Fax: 020 7219 5979
greengrosss@parliament.uk

Lord Greenway
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 4943
greenwaya@parliament.uk

Baroness Grey-Thompson
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3143
greythompsont@parliament.uk

Lord Griffiths
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
griffithsLJ@parliament.uk

Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
guthrie@rothschild.co.uk

Lord Hall of Birkenhead
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
halla@parliament.uk

Lord Hameed
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7935 5012
Fax: 020 7431 4867
hameed@parliament.uk

Lord Hannay of Chiswick
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 1358
richardson@una.org.uk

Lord Harries of Pentregarth
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 2910
harriesr@parliament.uk

Lord Haskins
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_haskins

Lord Hastings of Scarisbrick
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3781
hastingsm@parliament.uk

Baroness Hayman
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
haymanh@parliament.uk

Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5790
hennessyp@parliament.uk

Lord Hoffmann
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 6067
hoffmannl@parliament.uk

Baroness Hogg
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5417
hoggs@parliament.uk

Baroness Hollins
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/baroness_hollins

Lord Hope of Thornes
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
HopeJAD@parliament.uk

Baroness Howarth of Breckland
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 8744
howarthv@parliament.uk

Baroness Howe of Idlicote
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 6581
Fax: 020 7219 1991
howee@parliament.uk

Lord Hutton
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 1639
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_hutton

Lord Hylton
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3883
Fax: 020 7219 5979
hyltonr@parliament.uk

Lord Imbert
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_imbert

Lord Inge
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 8706
ingep@parliament.uk

Lord Janvrin
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 6989
janvrinr@parliament.uk

Lord Jay of Ewelme
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3941
jaymh@parliament.uk

Lord Jones of Birmingham
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3232
mpst.jones@berr.gsi.gov.uk

Lord Kakkar
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
kakkara@parliament.uk

Lord Kerr of Kinlochard
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_kerr_of_kinlochard

Lord Kilclooney
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 6443
Fax: 020 7931 7211
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_kilclooney

Lord Knights
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_knights

Lord Krebs
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_krebs

Lord Laming
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 1414
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_laming

Lord Levene of Portsoken
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_levene_of_portsoken

Lord Lewis of Newnham
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5093
lewisJ@parliament.uk

Earl of Listowel
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 2247
listowelf@parliament.uk

Lord Lloyd of Berwick
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3169
lloydAJ@parliament.uk

Lord Low of Dalston
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 4119
lowc@parliament.uk

Lord Luce
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 6147
luceR@parliament.uk

Earl of Lytton
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/earl_of_lytton

Lord McCluskey
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
emily@johnsmithtrust.org

Baroness McFarlane of Llandaff
McfarlaneJ@parliament.uk

Baroness Maningham-Buller
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/baroness_manningham-buller

Countess of Mar
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 8627
Fax: 020 7219 1991
marm@parliament.uk

Lord Marshall of Knightsbridge
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_marshall_of_knightsbridge

Lord Martin of Springburn
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
martinm@parliament.uk

Baroness Masham of Ilton
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 6302
Fax: 020 7219 5979
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/baroness_masham_of_ilton

Lord Mawson
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 6949
mawsona@parliament.uk

Lord May of Oxford
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 6958
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_may_of_oxford

Baroness Meacher
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 4081
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/baroness_meacher

Lord Millett
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 6380
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_millett

Lord Mogg
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_mogg

Lord Molyneaux of Killead
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Fax: 020 7219 2347
mckeem@parliament.uk

Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/viscount_montgomery_of_alamein

Lord Moran
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
Fax: 020 7219 5979
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_moran

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 8727
morgand@parliament.uk

Lord Moser
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3283
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_moser

Baroness Murphy
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 2277
murphyel@parliament.uk

Lord Mustill
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_mustill

Lord Neill of Bladen
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_neill_of_bladen

Baroness Neuberger
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 2716
neubergerj@parliament.uk

Lord Nicholls of Birkenhead
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
nichollsd@parliament.uk

Lord Nickson
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_nickson

Duke of Norfolk
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3175
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/duke_of_norfolk

Lord Northbourne
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3884
Fax: 020 7219 5933
northbournec@parliament.uk

Baroness O’Loan
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 8724
oloann@parliament.uk

Baroness O’Neill of Bengarve
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 4120
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/baroness_o%27neill_of_bengarve

Lord Ouseley
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 8725
ouseleyh@parliament.uk

Lord Owen
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_owen

Lord Oxburgh
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 4341
Fax: 020 7219 5979
oxburghe@parliament.uk

Lord Palmer
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 6452
Fax: 020 7219 0785, 020 7219 5979
palmerad@parliament.uk

Lord Pannick
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_pannick

Lord Patel
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 8702
naren.patel@nhs.net

Lord Patten of Barnes
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 8736
pattenc@parliament.uk

Earl Peel
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/earl_peel

Lord Powell of Bayswater
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5451
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_powell_of_bayswater

Baroness Prashar
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 6792
prasharu@parliament.uk

Lord Quirk
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 2226
Fax: 020 7219 5979
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_quirk

Lord Ramsbotham
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 8752
ramsbothamd@parliament.uk

Lord Rana
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3295
dsrana@andrashouse.co.uk

Lord Rees of Ludlow
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_rees_of_ludlow

Lord Rees-Mogg
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
amtraco@btconnect.com

Lord Renwick of Clifton
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_renwick_of_clifton

Baroness Richardson of Calow
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 0314
richardsonk@parliament.uk

Lord Rix
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 0315
Fax: 020 7219 5979
leigh.banks@mencap.org.uk

Earl of Rosslyn
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
rosslynn@parliament.uk

Lord Rowe-Beddoe
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 6255
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_rowe-beddoe

Lord Sacks
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
info@chiefrabbi.org

Lord St John of Blesto
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3886
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_st_john_of_bletso

Lady Saltoun of Abernethy
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 0313
saltounf@parliament.uk

Earl of Sandwich
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3882
sandwichj@parliament.uk

Lord Saville of Newdigate
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_saville_of_newdigate

Lord Scott of Foscote
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 6373
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_scott_of_foscote

Lord Skidelsky
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 8721
skidelskyr@parliament.uk

Viscount Slim
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 2122
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/viscount_slim

Lord Smith of Kelvin
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_smith_of_kelvin

Earl of Snowdon
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/earl_of_snowdon

Earl of Stair
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
dalrymplej@parliament.uk

Baroness Stern
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
sternvh@parliament.uk

Lord Stern of Brentford
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 1300
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_stern_of_brentford

Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5488
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_stevens_of_kirkwhelpington

Lord Stevenson of Coddenham
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_stevenson_of_coddenham

Lord Steyn
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_steyn

Lord Stirrup
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5979
stirrupg@parliament.uk

Lord Sutherland of Houndwood
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 1618, 07753 489643
sutherlands@parliament.uk

Lord Tanlaw
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 4613
tanlaws@parliament.uk

Lord Templeman
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_templeman

Viscount Tenby
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5403
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/viscount_tenby

Lord Thomas of Swynnerton
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_thomas_of_swynnerton

Lord Tombs
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
tombsf@parliament.uk

Lord Turnbull
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_turnbull

Lord Turner of Ecchinswell
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_turner_of_ecchinswell

Baroness Valentine
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/baroness_valentine

Lord Vincent of  Coleshill
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
Fax: 01962 734921
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_vincent_of_coleshill

Lord Walker of Aldringham
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
walkermjd@parliament.uk

Lord Walpole
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3173
walpolerh@parliament.uk

Lord Walton of Detchant
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3102
Fax: 020 7219 5979
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_walton_of_detchant

Baroness Warnock
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 8619
warnockh@parliament.uk

Viscount Waverley
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3174
waverleyJD@parliament.uk

Lord Weidenfeld
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_weidenfeld

Lord Williamson of  Horton
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3583
williamsond@parliament.uk

Lord Wilson of Dinton
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_wilson_of_dinton

Lord Wilson of Tilyorn
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3161
wilsondc@parliament.uk

Lord Woolf
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 3156
Fax: 020 7219 0785
stevensonmm@parliament.uk

Lord Wright of Richmond
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5353
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_wright_of_richmond

Baroness Young of Hornsey
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Tel: 020 7219 5991
younglo@parliament.uk