Public and Commercial Services Union

Key organisations from across civil society are joined by academics in opposition to the governments welfare reforms

Over 50 academics have now signed up to the Compass and PCS coordinated campaign for “Welfare for all”

While the government under-pressure from private companies seems set to push ahead with its draconian welfare reforms academics from across the spectrum - experts in social policy, economics and welfare - have voiced their concern.

Dr Jonathon Rutherford says: "Academics have a vital role to play in challenging outdated and narrowly defined methodologies that legitimise punitive systems of welfare, privatisation and conditionality.

"Most of all as researchers, theorists and policy makers we need to imagine a new kind of democratic welfare state whose services people feel they have control over and which they can shape to suit their needs"

John McInally, PCS vice president says: "We really welcome the support of academics from a wide range of disciplines. It is further evidence of the broad appeal of our campaign against these proposals which would spell the end of the welfare state as we know it."

Academics supporting the campaign are:

• Dr Ben Rogaly - Senior Lecturer, University of Sussex
• Professor Sharon Gewirtz - Professor of Education, King’s College London
• Dr Marie Lall - Institute of Education, University of London
• Dr David Alderson - Senior Lecturer, University of Manchester
• Pat Devine - Honorary Research Fellow, University of Manchester
• Professor Norman Ginsburg - Professor of Social Policy, London Metropolitan University
• Dr Adam Hansen - Lecturer, Northumbria University.
• Dr David Byrne - Professor of Sociology and Social Policy, Durham Social Policy
• Professor Robert Hampson FEA, FRSA - Head of Department, Royal Holloway, University of London,
• Dr Catherine Needham - Lecturer, Department of Politics, Queen Mary, University of London
• Professor Julian Petley - Brunel University
• Dr. Eryl Price-Davies - Principal Lecturer, Thames Valley University
• Professor David Cottington - Director of Postgraduate Studies, Kingston University
• Dr Priscilla Alderson PhD FRSA - Professor of Childhood Studies, Institute of Education
• Dr Diane Taylor - Faculty of Humanities, De Montfort University
• Dr. Douglas Chalmers -Glasgow Caledonian University
• Dr Jonathon Rutherford - Middlesex University
• Professor Adrian Sinfield - Professor emeritus of social policy at the University of Edinburgh
• Dr Gideon Calder - Reader in Ethics and Social Philosophy, University of Wales
• Professor Warwick Funnell - Professor of Accounting, University of Kent and Visiting Professor, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne
• Dr Ian Greer - Senior Research Fellow, Leeds University.
• Professor George Irvin - University of London, SOAS
• Professor Peter Dwyer - Professor of Social Policy, Nottingham Trent University
• Kirsten Merrill-Glover - Senior Lecturer, University of Wales
• Dr Jo Littler - Senior Lecturer, Middlesex University
• Dr Jonathan Perraton - Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Sheffield
• Professor Steven Smith - School of Health and Social Sciences, University of Wales
• Pam Coare - Senior Lecturer in Continuing Education, University of Sussex
• David Parker - Emeritus Professor, University of Leeds,
• Professor Kevin Morgan - University of Manchester
• Steve Davies - Senior Research Fellow, Cardiff University School of Social Sciences
• Davina Cooper, director Centre for Law, Gender and Sexuality