Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty also known as ECAP, is a left-wing organisation which aims to be a solidarity network for working-class people particularly the unemployed and disabled. It is independent from government and operates by

direct democracy Direct democracy or pure democracy is a form of democracy in which the Election#Electorate, electorate decides on policy initiatives without legislator, elected representatives as proxies. This differs from the majority of currently establishe ...

. It is one of many similar claimants groups set up with similar political purposes. ECAP's website hosts benefit advice and articles about the group's activities. The group has frequently been involved in opposition to benefit sanctions, opposition to

workfare Workfare is a governmental plan under which welfare recipients are required to accept public-service jobs or to participate in job training. Many countries around the world have adopted workfare (sometimes implemented as "work-first" policies) to ...

and fighting for the right to be accompanied at jobcentres ECAP has drawn inspiration from the advocacy of the Scottish Unemployed Workers Network and supported their member Tony Cox during his trial. ECAP have held presentations alongside speakers like Lynne Friedli and the IWW. Its affiliate, Edinburgh Claimants has been acting as an independent advocacy group and claimants union since the 1980s as part of the

Edinburgh Unemployed Workers Centre Edinburgh Unemployed Workers Centre, also called Broughton Unemployed Workers Centre or simply "The Centre", was an organisation set up by the local Labour Party in Edinburgh, Scotland, as a means of aiding the local unemployed find work in 1981. ...

. It has been based at the

autonomous centre of Edinburgh The Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh, also known as ACE, is an infoshop and autonomous social centre in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 1997, although it follows on from previous groups. Antecedents ACE formed out of the Edinburgh Unemploye ...

since 1997. ECAP is a member of the Action Against Austerity network and signatory to "From Yes to Action" The group is featured in the end credits of

Ken Loach Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a British film director and screenwriter. His socially critical directing style and socialist ideals are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as poverty (''Poor Cow'', 1967), homelessne ...

's film I Daniel Blake due to its role in helping script writer

Paul Laverty Paul Laverty (born 1957) is a screenwriter and lawyer best known for his screenplays for films directed by Ken Loach. Birth and early career Paul Laverty was born in Calcutta, West Bengal, to an Irish mother and Scottish father. He was educat ...

with researching the film.

References

{{Reflist Poverty in Scotland Politics of Scotland Organisations based in Edinburgh Poverty-related organizations Left-wing politics in the United Kingdom Left-wing activism Unemployment in the United Kingdom