I am requesting help on Twitter, and social media in general, to get the message across to Assembly Members across Wales that there is still time to reverse the awful decision to close WILG and transfer all responsibilities for Independent Living to local authorities.
This is a crucial time for the #SaveWILG campaign as we are hoping to convince Assembly Members that they need to take action and protect people with high care and support needs across Wales by saving the Welsh Independent Living Grant.
We should be respectfully sending these Tweets to First Minster Mark Drakeford (@fmwales) and Deputy Health Minister Julie Morgan AM (@JulieMorganLAB). Both of these politicians are genuinely good people who I believe who will do their best for us. However, the more we can display the strength of feeling behind the #SaveWILG Campaign, the more evidence they have that they are doing the right thing in not listening to civil servants or Local Authorities
Other key people to contact are members of the Petitions Committee who are continuing to consider our petition – David Rowlands (@DavidRowlandsAM ), Janet Finch Saunders (@JFinchSaunders), Mike Hedges (@MikeHedgesAM), Rhun Ap Iorwerth (@RhunapIorwerth) and Neil McEvoy (@neiljmcevoy). Any pressure we can put on politicians has to be a good thing as they need to realise the devastation that the decision to close WILG will have on disabled people and their families. The outgoing Carwyn Jones (@fmwales) and Huw Irancca Davies (@huw4ogmore) are also worth a tweet to remind them that this campaign is still going strong.
Hashtags
The following hashtags are good to use at the end of the suggested messages below as they will increase the potential audience and help raise awareness. For a full run down on how hashtags work you can click here but in the meantime we have hashtags to decide on and tweets to send. Some suggested hashtags are as follows:
Obviously the following hashtags should be used only when the associated TV programme is being aired, or on the relevant day of the week. For example, #bbcqt should only be used while ‘Question Time’ is being aired. Likewise, the popular hashtag #FridayFeeling should only be used on a Friday.
#bbcqt
#bbctw
#marr
#WalesLive
#ITVSharpEnd
#Brexit
#BrexitShambles
#MondayMotivation
#TuesdayThoughts
#WednesdayWisdom
#ThursdayThoughts
#FridayFeeling
#WeekendVibes
#Corrie
#Emmerdale
#EastEnders
A general list of AM Twitter handles can be found below along with a suggested Tweet and electronic postcards and memes that can be attached to Tweets for greater impact. Even if you only manage to Tweet a handful of AMs, this could make a real difference to disabled people across Wales.
Thanks for your support.
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SUGGESTED TWEETS (these can be edited accordingly but serve as a guideline. You may also use these suggested Tweets as Facebook messages):
@fmwales @JulieMorganLAB Brexit may seem like the only game in town, but while politicians squabble over our withdraw from the European Union, disabled people with high care and support needs across Wales are in danger due to the loss of WILG. #SaveWILG #BrexitShambles
@fmwales @JulieMorganLAB @MikeHedgesAM @KenSkatesAM @IanCLucas @jeremycorbyn @UKLabour are honouring the vote at conference that decided on their Brexit strategy, so why aren’t @WelshLabour listening to the overwhelming vote at conference in April 2018 to #SaveWILG? #Brexit
@fmwales @JulieMorganLAB A must watch for everyone. What sort of society is highlighted by the loss of WILG and the tripartite system? #SaveWILG – Social Model of Disability https://youtu.be/24KE__OCKMw via @YouTube
@fmwales @JulieMorganLAB Who is in charge of policy in Wales? The Welsh Government or the Welsh LGA? The former needs a tighter reign on the latter to stop them ruining lives. Now is the time for the @WelshGovernment to show humanity and humility to #SaveWILG
@fmwales @JulieMorganLAB @vaughangething @KenSkatesAM @MikeHedgesAM @lesley4wrexham @johnpringdns Essential reading shows how the Welsh Government are failing to protect Disability Rights in Wales… #SaveWILG https://nathanleedavies.wpcomstaging.com/2019/01/27/ehrc-report-into-disability-rights-in-wales-savewilg/?fbclid=IwAR2pP0WeR0aYsJMCA2-IJTFHGGl3m03_QkYisJgRQLAk1FXIuZGVrRFmWt0
@DavidRowlandsAM @JFinchSaunders @MikeHedgesAM @RhunapIorwerth @neiljmcevoy @SeneddPetitions Essential reading. This is ur chance to support disabled people with high care needs across Wales. https://nathanleedavies.wpcomstaging.com/2018/11/02/are-things-changing-in-welsh-labour-specific-to-saving-the-welsh-independent-living-gran
@MarkIsherwoodAM @JFinchSaunders@MikeHedgesAM @RhunapIorwerth @neiljmcevoy @SeneddPetitions Essential reading from @johnpringdns: https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/welsh-governments-independent-living-decision-threatens-support-of-hundreds/ … #SaveWILG<
@fmwales @JulieMorganLAB Social care is in crisis. Those with the highest care and support needs rely on WILG and governmental support. The tripartite system for deciding care packages must be preserved and protected. #SaveWILG
@fmwales @JulieMorganLAB Disabled ppl with high care and support needs are in search of your support to maintain Independent Living for all. #SaveWILG
@fmwales @JulieMorganLAB This is the impact of closing the ILF in England https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-living-fund-post-closure-review We will not let the same thing happen in Wales. #SaveWILG
@fmwales @JulieMorganLAB #SaveWILG – The Movie https://nathanleedavies.wpcomstaging.com/2018/09/28/savewilg-the-movie/ … via @wordpressdotcom
These Tweets should be accompanied by some of the many postcard photographs, electronic postcards and memes.
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I have updated this list of Twitter handles which was a little dated. Please remember that messages can also be sent via Facebook with accompanying memes.
David Melding @DavidMeldingAM
Lynne Neagle @lynne_neagle
Gareth Bennett AC/AM @GarethBennettAM
David Rowlands AC/AM @DavidRowlandsAM
Hefin David AC/AM @hef4caerphilly
Caroline Jones AC/AM @carolineUKIP
Dr Dai Lloyd AC/AM @DaiLloydAM
Michelle Brown AM @MishBrownAM
Carwyn Jones AM/AC @AMCarwyn
Joyce Watson AM @JoyceWatsonam
Nathan Gill @NathanGillMEP
Neil Hamilton AC/AM @NeilUKIP
John Griffiths AM @JGriffithsLab
Vikki Howells AM @VikkiHowells
Ann Jones AM @ann_jonesam
David Rees @DavidReesAM
Neil McEvoy AM @neiljmcevoy
Ken Skates AM @KenSkatesAM
Dafydd Elis-Thomas @ElisThomasD
Mick Antoniw AM @MickAntoniw1
Jayne Bryant AM @JBryantWales
Mike Hedges @MikeHedgesAM
Julie James AM account @JulieJamesAM
Rebecca Evans AM @RebeccaEvansAM
Eluned Morgan @Eluned_Morgan
Jane Hutt AM @JaneHutt
Rhianon Passmore @rhi4islwyn
Elin Jones @ElinCeredigion
Vaughan Gething AM @vaughangething
Mark Drakeford AM @MarkDrakeford
Mark Isherwood AM @MarkIsherwoodAM
Angela Burns @AngelaBurnsAM
Mohammad Asghar AM @MohammadAsghar
Lesley Griffiths @lesley4wrexham
Nick Ramsay @NickRamsayAM
Andrew RT Davies @AndrewRTDavies
Huw Irranca-Davies AM @huw4ogmore
Russell George AM @russ_george
Rhun ap Iorwerth @RhunapIorwerth
Julie Morgan @JulieMorganLAB
Sian Gwenllian AC/AM @siangwenfelin
Janet Finch-Saunders @JFinchSaunders
Lee Waters AM @Amanwy
Alun Davies @AlunDaviesAM
Jeremy Miles AC/AM @Jeremy_Miles
Jenny Rathbone AM @JennyRathbone
Mark Reckless AM @MarkReckless
Dawn Bowden AM @Dawn_Bowden
Llyr Gruffydd AC/AM @LlyrGruffydd
suzy davies @suzydaviesam
Darren Millar AM @DarrenMillarAM
Steffan Lewis @steffanlewis
Adam Price @Adamprice
Hannah Blythyn AM @hannahblythyn
Kirsty Williams @Kirsty_Williams
LeanneWood @LeanneWood
Bethan Maeve AM/AC @bethanjenkins