Noreen Bailey and husband, John, aren't flag waving anarchists or Trotskyites. They are just foster parents for two severely disabled adults and a third with special needs. Every day is a challenge just looking after the family. Yet they've been vilified in the mainstream press, derided by Salford Mayor Ian Stewart and almost criminalised. Their `crime'? Standing up for their sons' rights.
Back in February the couple learnt that Salford Council was to make cuts for transport and escorts to day centres for special needs adults, and Noreen began a campaign to save the service (see previous Salford Star article – click here). Later she proposed that campaigners against all cuts hold a charity and fun day Rally On The Lawn to show the Council the depth of feeling in community about loss of services.
Salford Council's dirty tricks department went into action, with the Council refusing permission to hold the Rally and the mainstream media running stories to frighten people off. Attendees would be trespassing and brides would have their big day ruined (see previous Salford Star articles - click here and click here). The BBC then pulled a planned interview with Noreen about the Rally.
In the event, over three hundred people came to the Rally, including many parents and carers pushing their children's wheelchairs - despite everyone half expecting the riot police to turn up. These were some of the most vulnerable people in the city trying to save public services…
"I was disgusted" says Noreen "We just wanted to be able to tell the Mayor how we felt. It was wrong how we were treated."
But even after the Council's dirty tricks there was more to come. A consultation to cuts in Salford Council services – arranged only after MP Hazel Blears had got involved – ran until 26th May (after the local election – see previous Salford Star article – click here) - but Noreen was visited by a social worker before the consultation closed telling her that Council transport for her sons would be withdrawn.
The reason? The couple have got a van which they bought with their own money for John to transport the three sons. Since then he's had cancer (under control), and now emphysema and asbestos on his lungs.
"He's still trying to do things but he can't do it like he used to" says Noreen "If we lose the transport the lads are maybe going to be at home all day because I can't take two wheelchairs everywhere…four times a day we'd have to be in and out of the van with them.
"If we did try and take them ourselves we'd have to take our third son with too, and he hates going out of his bedroom because he's autistic, so it will mean disruption for him" she adds "But really I can't expect John to go every morning taking them on and off the van…"
To recap. Salford Council, led by Mayor Ian Stewart, as part of its cuts to vulnerable adults wanted to cut their transport without a consultation. After Noreen met the Salford MP a consultation was hastily arranged – but before that consultation ended Noreen, and others, were already being told that transport for their sons was being cut.
Meanwhile, when Noreen and three hundred other people tried to tell Salford people what was happening through a fun, peaceful Rally On The Lawn outside the publicly owned Civic Centre, she was almost criminalised and felt the full force of the Council's dirty tricks department.
Contrast Salford Council's attitude with that of the council in Nottingham which, having heard about the hardship that would be caused by withdrawing transport for severely disabled members of its community and their carers, overturned its decision.
"Nottingham overturned it, so it can be done" says Noreen "But the Mayor told me it can't be done. Nobody here gives a damn. I keep looking back at when this Mayor got elected and said he was going to protect the vulnerable. Am I imagining it?
"The Mayor went down to London for that meeting with the Government and I was furious" she adds "He put all these business in line to be talked about and then us with a little piece at the bottom. How can he do that when it should be the people who should be talked about first. He doesn't want to know us. He wants to push us as far away as possible. This is like Animal Farm."
And John is still coming to terms with the fact that it's a Labour Council treating its most vulnerable citizens like this…
"It's disgusting" he says "I can't understand how working class people can have all the cuts, Labour should be sticking up for the people. We've got to fight for the kids because they can't fight for themselves, with them having special needs."
Even at this 11th hour Noreen is still hoping the Council will reconsider, and has joined campaigners against other cuts in a joint email to councillors with pleas and questions for which they are awaiting answers…
"They've already done the cuts but this is to see if they can overturn them" Noreen explains "We're so desperate, we're all fighting our own corner but it doesn't mean that we don't think about all the other services that are being cut.
"The Mayor needs to come to our houses and walk a day in our shoes" she says "because then he may have a bit more of a heart…"
Tomorrow, Wednesday 11th June, there is a lobby of the full Salford Council meeting, beginning at 8:30am outside the Civic Centre, and then in the public gallery where campaigners will watch petitions being handed over to councillors.
* See also how Salford Council has a £6.5million pot of money set aside for cuts it cannot make, plus the questions to Salford councillors that remain unanswered - click here
Main photo shows Noreen Bailey speaking at Rally On The Lawn with Hanky Park's James Davenport
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