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Merry Cross

@merryx24.bsky.social
254 followers 101 following 412 posts

She/her. Disability activist, ancient old crone, cat lover, poet. Absolutely pro all humans and anti all isms.

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Reposted by Merry Cross
mgwarrior.bsky.social @mgwarrior.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
#DisabilityPrideMonth Sending you love 🤍
Disability Pride Month
Sending love to those:
Embracing their disability, searching for answers, navigating a late diagnosis, unmasking and reclaiming joy, challenging internalized ableism, feeling they're "not disabled enough," balancing pride with pain, existing in a world not built for you, advocating for accommodations.
@blueskylearningto
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Oliver @oliver48.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
I wonder how many Labour MPs would sign a motion calling on Starmer to fulfill the 10 pledges that got him elected Labour leader ...
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Owen Jones @owenjones.bsky.social · 13/07/2025
The judgement of history will be merciless.
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Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 13/07/2025
The makers of our film ‘Gaza: Doctors Under Attack’ tell the shocking inside story of how the BBC basically failed at journalism and at being informant, and refused to air the documentary on Gaza that we at Zeteo, with Channel 4, then acquired:
observer.co.uk
BBC bosses pulled our film on Israel attacking Gaza’s med...
The producers' story of how the corporation repeatedly delayed and ultimately shelved their damning documentary
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Dana Goldberg @dgcomedy.bsky.social · 07/07/2025
The DOJ says there’s no client list and Epstein wasn’t murdered, which means there’s DEFINITELY a client list and Epstein was murdered.
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Stop School Cuts @schoolcuts.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
Joanne has seen first-hand the impact of more than a decade of school cuts and she’s turned that anger into action. All of us have a role to play in turning the tide on a generation of cuts.
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John Harris @johnharris1969.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
This www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...
mirror.co.uk
'My support plan was my lifeline - Keir Starmer must not scrap them'
Hannah Steadman, 19, who suffers from several chronic conditions - including epilepsy and autism, delivered an open letter to the prime minister, sighed by over 10,000 people
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Susie Dent @susiedentwords.bsky.social · 12/07/2025
Word of the day is ‘swullocking’, from 19th-century East Anglian dialect: sultry, sweltering, and sudiferous (sweat-inducing).
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anitabellows.bsky.social @anitabellows.bsky.social · 12/07/2025
Minister ignored concerns from disabled advisers, months before publishing cuts bill www.disabilitynewsservice.com/minister-ign... via @johnpringdns
disabilitynewsservice.com
Minister ignored concerns from disabled advisers, months before publishing cuts bill
A minister ignored concerns about proposed benefit cuts that were raised in a meeting by his own network of disability advisers, months before the government published its ill-fated universal credi…
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david-s.bsky.social @david-s.bsky.social · 12/07/2025
Instead, after years of Tory destruction of the public services and support we depend on to live, and if possible, work, (as will anyone in future depend who becomes chronically ill or disabled through no fault of their own), Labour is now driving the final nails into the coffin, with attacks on our benefits, Access to Work and SEND, while doing nothing to address the crisis in social care except kick it into the long grass again.
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Joshua Walker @bigjosh84.bsky.social · 12/07/2025
The world feels off its axis, and yet- there’s still light. Still fire. Still us. These poems aren’t solutions. They’re flares for the ones holding on. Maybe one of them finds you. 💙 #Poetry #HopeInDarkness #BlueskyPoets #WritersOfBluesky #poems
This poem is about surviving by staying loud in spirit, even when forced into silence. It came from the feeling of being expected to shrink—to stop resisting—but realizing that sometimes just existing is resistance. It’s for anyone who’s been told to be quiet and chose instead to burn.

⸻

The Fire Refuses Silence

I’ve bitten my tongue ‘til it bled truth,
swallowed the heat just to make peace.
But fire does not shrink when it grows old
it learns to burn without release.

My silence wasn’t silence.
It was kindling.
It was the hum beneath the scream.
It was survival singing soft
through the seams.

They thought I’d hush with time
that ruin would teach me to fold.
But I was forged in backlash,
in stories untold.

I don’t need to shout.
I exist. That’s the riot.
The fire refuses silence
and I refuse quiet.
This poem explores a love that was intense, beautiful, and doomed—something fragile pretending to be strong. It’s about the way intimacy can feel like a storm: electric, dangerous, impossible to contain. Even in the wreckage, something survives. This is a poem about the strength that remains after love shatters.

⸻

Glass Heart in a Thunderstorm

We wore our love like armor made of glass,
Fragile shields beneath a sky of storms.
Each touch a spark that threatened to trespass,
Lightning strikes where quiet passion forms.

You spoke in riddles wrapped in velvet night,
A siren song that lured me to the edge.
But thunder rolls beyond the softest light,
And cracks the calm where secrets dare to pledge.

I gather shards of promises you broke,
Piecing truth from shards of whispered lies.
Our story’s flames ignite the midnight smoke
A firestorm beneath unforgiving skies.

Yet in the wreckage, something fierce remains
A heart reborn through loss, and love’s refrains.
This poem was written for anyone feeling worn down by the chaos of the world. It’s about collective resilience—the kind that doesn’t roar but endures, that refuses to be broken no matter how heavy the headlines get. We may not come through unscathed, but we will come through.

⸻

We Will Survive This

The air is wrong.
The sky keeps bleeding headlines.
But so do we
we bleed poems,
we bleed kindness,
we bleed truth the world can’t choke.

They want us tired.
They want us fractured, folded.
But we gather.
We hold the line with cracked hands.
We hum lullabies that never forget.

No, we don’t move fast.
But we move.
Together.

And when they say
it’s already too late,
we laugh softly,
and begin again.

We will survive this.
Not untouched.
But unbeaten.
This poem explores how pain, chaos, and emotional fragmentation can become a kind of raw, defiant art. It’s about owning every scar, every storm inside, and refusing to edit the truth out of what makes you whole. Beauty isn’t always calm—it’s often carved from the wreckage.

⸻

Canvas of the Broken Mind
A chaos blooms beneath my fractured skin,
Colors collide where anger meets desire.
I paint my scars where silent screams begin,
A twisted dance of flame and funeral pyre.

Your voice, a jester in this court of night,
Mocks shadows lurking in the corners deep.
We chase the ghosts that flicker out of sight,
And cradle secrets that we dare not keep.

Yet in the madness, clarity will shine
A fractured light that breaks the darkest cage.
The wild heart’s art, both broken and divine,
Transforms the pain and fury into rage.

So here I stand, a canvas torn but true,
A masterpiece of chaos born anew.
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Owen Jones @owenjones.bsky.social · 12/07/2025
Israel has announced it's building a concentration camp in Gaza. Imagine seeing this news and deciding you should aim your fire at the few politicians speaking out, rather than condemning the crime. On Israel and Nazi comparisons 👇 www.owenjones.news/p/on-israel-...
owenjones.news
On Israel and comparisons with the Nazis
After Israel announces it's building a concentration camp, condemning the few politicians speaking out is morally twisted
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bsazzled.bsky.social @bsazzled.bsky.social · 12/07/2025
UK LABOUR govt.
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Dr Julia Grace Patterson @jujuliagrace.bsky.social · 13/07/2025
I really hate it when people say “my taxes pay your wages” to public sector workers. I have never heard a doctor or nurse say “my training, my long nights studying after work, my moving around from job to job, my absorption of £100,000 in student debt saved your life”.
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The Scales ⚖️ @shakethescales.bsky.social · 13/07/2025
Whatever you got up to this week, Roger Hallam was still in a jail cell... #FascistBritain
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Raimo Kangasniemi @rk70534.bsky.social · 13/07/2025
'“Israeli authorities’ arrest of journalist Israel Frey underscores authorities’ growing intolerance of freedom of expression... #Israeli authorities must immediately release Frey and all detained Palestinian journalists, and end their ongoing crackdown on the press...”' cpj.org/2025/07/isra...
cpj.org
Israel arrests Israeli journalist over tweet, opens terrorism investigation  - Committee to Protect Journalists
Nazareth, Israel, July 10, 2025—Police arrested and detained journalist and activist Israel Frey on Wednesday, July 9, in Tel Aviv after the State Attorney’s office opened a criminal investigation on ...
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Oliver @oliver48.bsky.social · 13/07/2025
To help form a new socialist party please follow @transformpolitics.bsky.social @majorityuk.bsky.social @wedeservebetteruk.bsky.social @wearecollective.bsky.social @zarahsultana.bsky.social @jeremycorbyn.bsky.social and register at actionnetwork.org/forms/join-t... this #SocialistSunday
actionnetwork.org
Join Team Zarah
Join our team to fight for a brighter future.
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Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 12/07/2025
“We should be investing in people’s independence, not leaving them on the sidelines or pushing them into poverty.” Government ignores warnings of new DWP deaths, & UN intervention, as MPs pass universal credit cuts bill - @johnpring.bsky.social www.disabilitynewsservice.com/government-i...
disabilitynewsservice.com
Government ignores warnings of new DWP deaths, and UN intervention, as MPs pass universal credit cuts bill
Labour MPs have voted to impose £2 billion-a-year cuts on disabled people who cannot work, despite a last-minute intervention by UN disability rights experts, and repeated warnings that the bill wi…
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Dave Jackson @davejcksn.bsky.social · 12/07/2025
www.disabilitynewsservice.com/urgent-lette...
disabilitynewsservice.com
Urgent letter from UN to Labour government warns: We think your cuts continue Tory attack on disability rights
A UN committee of disabled experts has told the government that its new benefit cuts bill appears to be a fresh attack on disabled people’s rights, a year after it issued a similar warning to the C…
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Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 12/07/2025
“The government must stop playing games with our lives. Rights are not optional.” ‘Complete shift in thinking’ needed on education of disabled children, says ALLFIE - @johnpring.bsky.social www.disabilitynewsservice.com/complete-shi...
disabilitynewsservice.com
‘Complete shift in thinking’ needed on education of disabled children, says ALLFIE
Inclusive education campaigners have called for a “complete shift in thinking” on how disabled children and young people are educated, just as the government faces public uproar over reforms to the…
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Liz Herrieven @drlizherrieven.bsky.social · 12/07/2025
This is a long-ish read, but well worth it. The coroner has done a really good job of highlighting how Myles’ learning disability led to his death. Issues raised for both primary care and acute trusts. #LearningDisability #HealthInequalities www.georgejulian.co.uk/2025/07/11/m...
georgejulian.co.uk
georgejulian.co.uk » Myles’s Inquest: Coroner’s conclusion
[I was in court in Bradford today for the coroner’s conclusion of Myles’s inquest. I have reproduced in full his summing up and conclusion, which was that Myles died from a natural death to which neglect contributed. The coroner is issuing two Prevention of Future Death reports, one to the Dalton Surgery (GPs) and one to […]
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Nyaoko @geminianeyes.bsky.social · 12/07/2025
I see this and am reminded that wearing glasses is a disability accommodated. www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
'Autofocus' specs promise sharp vision, near or far
Start-up firms and researchers are working on lenses that can change their focus.
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Ethelfleda @aethelfleda.bsky.social · 12/07/2025
Pitting children in poverty against disabled people in poverty, as though no money can be saved or raised elsewhere is a new and unacceptable low for Starmer and Co. ignoring the fact that many of the poorest children are in disabled households. Truly despicable #disability #starmer
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Merry Cross @merryx24.bsky.social · 11/07/2025
I just signed ILGA-Europe's petition with All Out that could really change things for LGBT+ people. Add your name and join me in the fight for LGBT+ rights! a.allout.org/s/Pa1eQ/
a.allout.org
🚨 EU’s Equality Betrayal – Act Now to Stop It!
The EU is abandoning a crucial anti-discrimination directive, leaving millions unprotected. This is a dangerous setback for equality. Sign now to demand that European leaders reverse course and commit...
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Merry Cross @merryx24.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
Shame on the Labour MPs who voted for the Welfare Cuts. I am having to control myself in what I write.
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Ricky Kumar T @rickykumart.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
Great showing of disability protesters who made it down to Houses of Parliament! Absolutely fucking shameful of a Labour government to raise their (and ours) anxieties this way…not very Labour at all. Absolutely fucking shameful. #TakingThePIP #C4News
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Merry Cross @merryx24.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
I hope the Welfare Bill will be voted down. If not, Timms will do a review (he can't be trusted) & says MPs would only know whether it would result in primary or secondary legislation, depending on the outcome. If the latter, MPs would NOT be able to debate it again! Exposed by John McDonnell MP.
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mjara @marsnek.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
Happy disability pride month! Remember that capitalism deliberately excludes us from the workforce! Everyone should read Capitalism & Disability. Besides being a great educational piece, it can do wonders in helping people unlearn internalized ableism.
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Ruth H @therehn.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
Marsha de Cordova Labour MP for Battersea drawing connections between Disability benefits, people taking their own lives, do not resuscitate orders and our lives are not being valued. The UN found no significant improvements in the treatment of disabled people in the UK last month. #TakingThePIP
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Inclusion London @inclusionlondon.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
From the vigil outside parliament, great to hear that Rachael Maskell's amendment has been chosen - now is the moment for MPs to choose: either they work with us or against us. Vote this bill down! #TakingThePIP #WelfareNotWarfare #DisabilityBenefits
Dozens of disabled people collected outside parliament, with signs like no cuts to disability benefits.
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TandemKate @tandemkate.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
#Disabled people’s aids should never be confiscated unless essential to reduce an immediate risk: Removing aids is the same thing as forcible restraint. Police should never have taken Isra’s wheelchair. Mobility aid laws & guidance need updating urgently.
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TandemKate @tandemkate.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
From the article: “as Isabelle our CEO stated: “There is currently, bizarrely, no guidance for the police to say the police must not confiscate anybody's wheelchair.” There should be no argument about it. That must be corrected ASAP.” #DisabilityJustice #Accessibility
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Z2K (Zacchaeus 2000 Trust) @z2ktrust.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
Tomorrow MPs will vote on rushed disability benefit cuts which will leave people who become disabled without vital support. Don't delay - write to your MP and tell them to vote against the cuts⏰ z2k.eaction.org.uk/cuts-legisla...
z2k.eaction.org.uk
Ask your MP to vote against dangerous cuts to disability benefits
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Merry Cross @merryx24.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
Another important read, especially for those likely to be talking to the media today or tomorrow.
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Chris McCabe @3salmon.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
Act Now: Write to Your MP About Welfare Benefit Cuts - Inclusion London www.inclusionlondon.org.uk/campaigns-an...
inclusionlondon.org.uk
Act Now: Write to Your MP About Welfare Benefit Cuts
Take Action, Today
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Sophie Molly @sophiemolly.co.uk · 30/06/2025
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Starmer’s disability benefit concessions are not enough, says rebel Labour whip
Exclusive: Vicky Foxcroft, who resigned as whip over welfare bill, urges ministers to work with affected people on changes
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UK Politics News // Papernaut @ukpolitics.papernaut.co · 30/06/2025
THE GUARDIAN: Government cuts to disability benefits spark outrage as leftist MPs call for a fair welfare system; adapting policy to genuinely uplift those in need is essential for Labour’s future. - by Richard Burgon
theguardian.com
Dear PM, thanks for the welfare concessions, but I still won’t vote for your bill. Scrap the whole thing | Richard Burgon
Your government is choosing to balance the books on the backs of disabled people. That’s not the country we are supposed to be building, says Labour MP Richard Burgon
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Centre for Ageing Better @ageingbetter.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
"There is a huge unmet need for accessible homes with supply woefully failing to keep up with demand. For certain accessibility features, progress has been frozen in time for over a decade." Says our Chief Executive, Dr Carole Easton OBE. Read more: buff.ly/nubEswR #AccessibleHomesNow #Ageism
buff.ly
The postcode lottery of finding an accessible home
New Centre for Ageing Better analysis reveals how few homes in the UK are fully accessible, and the huge regional variations with some residents' chances of finding an accessible home six times lower…
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Jim Wallace @jwallit.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
Starmer is simply a pig. A disgrace to the Labour Party and the heroes who preceded him. open.substack.com/pub/anothera...
open.substack.com
Keir Starmer's two-tier disability system is unacceptable
Keir Starmer has backtracked on his proposed disability cuts, but only to the position of creating a two-tier disability system in which people who become disabled in the future face lose out.
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Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 28/06/2025
“But Sir Stephen Timms appeared to suggest that a disabled person being financially ‘comfortable’ on benefits was a bad thing.” Timms says cuts must go ahead, despite being reminded of risk that disabled claimants could die - @johnpring.bsky.social www.disabilitynewsservice.com/timms-says-c...
disabilitynewsservice.com
Timms says cuts must go ahead, despite being reminded of risk that disabled claimants could die
The minister for social security and disability has insisted that billions of pounds a year of cuts to disability benefits must go ahead, despite the risk that they will once again cause countless …
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Merry Cross @merryx24.bsky.social · 28/06/2025
When even the Beeb starts telling it how it is...!
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Jerry Foley 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 🇮🇪 @foleyjerry.bsky.social · 28/06/2025
#ToriesGone358 #Labour #Change #NoDisabilityCuts for New Claimants! #TaxTheSuperRich This 👇
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jimame.bsky.social @jimame.bsky.social · 28/06/2025
voxpoliticalonline.com/2025/06/28/s...
voxpoliticalonline.com
Starmer’s Disability Cuts Row Sparks Leadership Crisis
Keir Starmer’s disability benefit U-turn hasn’t ended a row—it’s exposed a deeper crisis in his leadership. He's losing trust fast.
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Westie @westie1.bsky.social · 28/06/2025
“Disability benefit deal shows Labour’s true colours. Riddle me this: if it’s wrong to expect a disabled person to cope without additional support today, why is it OK for another person with the same disability to go without that support in the future?” northwestbylines.co.uk/politics/dis...
northwestbylines.co.uk
Disability benefit deal shows Labour’s true colours
Last minute compromise over disability benefits cuts may have saved Starmer, but rebels' climbdown suggests they only care about their seats
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Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 28/06/2025
“These offers of concessions are a glimpse into the window of the soul of the government ; that they think people are protesting these cuts for their own gain not the wellbeing of all disabled people,” says Cherylee Houston” www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
theguardian.com
‘Worse than anything under the Tories’: changes to welfare bill anger disability campaigners
Government concessions fail to appease disabled people’s groups, concerned that disabled people in the future will be condemned to poverty
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angels4peace.bsky.social @angels4peace.bsky.social · 28/06/2025
Attention DPAC 😂 #TakingThePIP #disability #DPAC
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Lomelindi12 @lomelindi12.bsky.social · 28/06/2025
Just caught Starmer’s rolling out the “welfare costs are spiralling” stuff on the news (in the context of disability benefits) Ahem www.disabilitynewsservice.com/minister-fin...
disabilitynewsservice.com
Minister finally admits that working-age benefits spending is stable, despite months of ‘spiralling’ claims
A minister has finally admitted that spending on working-age benefits is stable, and is not spiralling out of control, despite months of claims from his own department and fellow ministers. Sir Ste…
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