A Political Manifesto By Molly Dog

My name is Molly (Molly Dog [with a blog] to my followers) and I am a 5 year old working class, dog, a Working Cocker Spaniel to be precise. I live in the beautiful place called Benfleet in Essex, where we have beaches, open spaces, parks, woods and lovely countryside and of course, that means nice walkies for me. I live with my owner, her mother and her sister in Thundersley – it comes up as Benfleet on address but we Thundersley-ers are trying to get Thundersley recognised. We are in the Castle Point borough and our MP, Rebecca Harris, is a fan of mine (and a good supporter of my owner). I’m a very political and well travelled dog, I have been to the House of Commons, the House of Lords, the Department of Health, NHS England, and even the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (to the Commonwealth Youth Forum). 

This is my manifesto for the upcoming election. #MollyDogforPrimeMinister

I am a working dog, an Assistance Dog. Therefore I have worker’s rights at heart, a good living wage for all, safe working hours, sick pay, option for flexible working and working from home where possible, maternity pay and rights, equality of access to employment and bereavement leave for parents whose child has died, amongst other things. I also have equal pay at heart, as a working female, we should be paid equal to our male peers – we’re not ‘worth’ less and shouldn’t be treated as so. Sexism shouldn’t be tolerated. Also, disabled people should not be discriminated against when applying for jobs, yes they have the right to an interview but they are still not employed or given a fair chance! Equality for all. 

I assist a disabled young lady named Lucy – known formally as Lucy Watts MBE – who suffers as a result of cuts to benefits, to care packages, the funding starvation of the NHS and the disgusting attitude towards disabled people that is often propagated by the government and the media. Disabled people are living at or below the breadline, more and more plunging into the deepest depths poverty and benefits keep being reduced. They think reducing benefits will get more disabled people into work, despite the fact it makes them even less able to work. People are losing out on their benefits and some losing their only ability to get out, their adapted Motability car. Cutting care packages leaves disabled people trapped – and again, where able to, still unable to work as they don’t have the care and support necessary to do so. We need more investment in the NHS and social care. Period. Oh and bring back the nurse’s bursary. You made a fatal (in every sense of the word) error by scrapping that. Shortsightedness is a common theme, no? The NHS is slowly dying with the cuts and privatisation. Our NHS is failing, not because of its own fault, but because of underfunding and underinvestment and constant selling off of services that then cost two, three, four, five, six (plus) times as much to buy-in. Wheelchair services needs better funding so people aren’t left fundraising for wheelchairs – and other equipment. You can’t fund everything, I know, but wheelchairs are essential equipment and if people can’t cope with a cheap bog standard wheelchair, they shouldn’t be left without or left fundraising. Also, disabled children should be able to get powerchairs before they start school. Social interaction and inclusion is vital and independence of movement and participation needs to be enabled through providing a powered wheelchair. Our 5 year old friend Fraser was refused a wheelchair he needed in order to start school as social inclusion was deemed unimportant and Fraser’s case not exceptional enough to provide funding for the wheelchair and his mum Shelley and dad Geoffrey were forced to fundraise for his powerchair. My mummy Lucy has also had to fundraise for her powerchairs, as the NHS couldn’t provide a suitable one each time – needs change too, thus wheelchair requirements change over time, so Lucy needing more than 1 wheelchair in a 5 year period is not ‘greedy’, her needs rapidly changed thus she needed a new wheelchair. Onto care packages. We need more funding! It is not a choice to need support and we shouldn’t be rationing meals, showers and other things as packages are cut and cut and cut some more. Social needs are important. Stop saying they aren’t. Stop telling people going out isn’t necessary. Stop telling my mummy Lucy she’s expensive and is taking care away from other people – she didn’t choose to have complex medical needs nor did her mum Kate choose to develop a brain tumour and have a stroke after more than 7 years of caring 24/7 with little support. We need more funding for the NHS and social care. Urgently. 

We need more investment in education, including for those with special educational needs, whether attending a mainstream or specialist school. They need help. Education is the cornerstone of society. Also, reduce those damn university fees! You’re making young people (and adults) struggle under the weight of humongous debts for most of their life! So wrong. However, we must also appreciate that education isn’t for everyone. Vocational courses, supported learning and apprenticeships need investment. 

I support #FinnsLaw in that attacks on working police dogs should be classed as level with attacking a member of the police force, not as criminal damage like for a property – dogs are living beings, not a piece of equipment or property! https://www.finnslaw.com/

I also support #LucysLaw to ban the sale of puppies by pet shops & all commercial 3rd party dealers. You can sign the petition here – https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/213451 

I welcome the recent Children’s Funeral Fund – at last! However the funeral sector is getting out of hand with the costs a little. Just saying. 

Changing Places toilets should become law. Changing Places toilets are truly accessible toilets with room for a wheelchair and 2 carers, has a hoist, adult sized changing table, a toilet with room both sides for a wheelchair or carer, lowered sink (and mirror) and curtain for privacy. They’re completely different to standard disabled toilets and benefit thousands upon thousands of disabled people like Lucy who have complex needs and can’t use a standard disabled toilet. 

Touching anyone without consent – including bum slapping – is assault if it is not wanted. Touching anyone in any way that makes them uncomfortable without their consent should not be tolerated. It’s a violation of their body autonomy. We need tighter laws around stalking. Cyberbullying needs to be clamped down on – it’s not ‘just harmless banter’ as is often said. Hate crimes against all minority groups including disabled people should not be tolerated and should bring longer sentences. 

We need more investment in the emergency services, into the police, the fire service and ambulance service. How can we respond to incidents or prevent crimes if we only have skeleton staff? 

I was a remainer in the EU referendum but to be honest, regardless of that I am terrified at the terrible mess Brexit has been so far, whether you voted leave or remain you’ve got to admit, it’s been a pretty shoddy and haphazard process so far! I worry for the future of the UK, including the NHS and the care sector and for people like Lucy who depend on staff from overseas, especially the EU, in order to function (Lucy requires 24 hour care from intensive care nurses and overnight carers and has lots of people from overseas). 

I could go on and on, but I appreciate not everyone is interested in reading the whole manifesto. These are just the highlights. 

My followers have been saying Molly Dog for Prime Minister for a long time. Maybe it is time someone with a heart and a love of everyone regardless of age, ability, race, religion, place of birth, status, class, sexual orientation and gender identity was in charge? 

Would you vote for me? I may be a dog but I seem to have more knowledge and more of a heart than our current incumbent PM and political party. And I ‘get’ the issues people face. And I give a damn about everyone. Every. Single. Person. 

Yours sincerely, 

Molly Dog. 

If you want to support my Manifesto, I request social media shares and if possible, a donation to my party – well, to my chosen charity, Dog A.I.D. (Assistance In Disability). They help disabled people like Lucy train their own dog to become their Assistance Dog – with less than a fraction of the funding of larger Assistance Dog organisations and running almost completely on volunteers, very very few paid staff. Isn’t that amazing? www.dogaid.org.uk 

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