Thanks to Dr Éoin Clarke (BedroomTax@hotmail.com) and his website, The Green Benches (http://www.greenbenchesuk.com/), named after the colour of seats in the UK House of Commons, a list is available of the 57 peaceful protests against the government's Bedroom Tax - the majority of which take place on Saturday 16 March 2013. Details can be confirmed through the hyperlinks in brackets below.

This is not the first government to be accused of being out of touch, and no doubt it won’t be the last. When the government is comprised largely of millionaires who have led unusually privileged lives, perhaps it is almost too easy an accusation to make. But when a government seems disconnected from the lived reality of its people to an extent that is quite evidently damaging, then the disconnect must be taken seriously.

Over the past few years the DWP has developed something of a reputation for having scant regard for facts or statistics. It has been accused by the UK Statistics Authority of twisting or misrepresenting figures in order to justify its own policies.