The Don’t Cut Us Out Campaign group who are currently protesting against West Sussex County Council’s cuts to social care in Chichester this morning have released the video which the council banned from its chamber.
To present their petition with more than 5,000 signatures to the council, they produced a short video to show council members in their meeting this morning at 10.30am (Friday October 19).
The group said some of the people wanting to present the petition are unable to do so in person because of their disabilities and so a video was produced which can be seen on the {http://www.dontcutusout.org.uk/?p=2794|DCUO website| Don’t Cut Us Out website}.
The county council decided this would be unsuitable to use as part of the council meeting.
Its view is that in a formal debate in the chamber the five minute opening address is given by one person and should deal specifically with the petition.
Charities and the Liberal Democrat opposition party have criticised this stance as discriminatory against disabled people. but the council says this is the policy that applies to all such debates and the speaker would not normally be permitted to show a video of other protesters.
Because the speaker is disabled, the county accepted the use of audio visual aids so that he could effectively speak to the council but they were not prepared to allow a broader video which went beyond that offered to any other speaker in a debate.
What do you think? Leave your comments below or write a letter to ct.letters@sussexnewspapers.co.uk