Green Party calls on Labour to appoint Shadow Minister for Disabled People

7 December 2016

* Lack of opposition has left disabled people feeling ‘alone, attacked, and unprotected’

The official opposition must urgently appoint a Shadow Minister for Disabled People to fight Government policies which leave them feeling “alone, attacked and unprotected”, the Green Party has said.

Mags Lewis, Green Party disability spokesperson has written an open letter [1] to Jeremy Corbyn asking him to fill the position vacated by Debbie Abrahams, now Shadow Minister for Work and Pensions, in June.

The letter says:

“With the UN report and the current green paper consultation this is a crucial moment for disabled rights and we urgently need robust leadership from the opposition. We must to do better and work together to place the issues facing disabled people on the agenda.”

Lewis, who is disabled, said Labour should give the role to a disabled politician to help increase representation.

Lewis said:

“The lack of opposition from the Labour party in the face of damaging policies and relentless cuts from the Conservative Government have left disabled people feeling alone, attacked, and unprotected.

“Labour must not only fill the vacant position of Shadow Minister for Disabled People – it must seek to fill the role with a disabled person. As many have said before me, there should be nothing about us without us.”

ENDS.

For more information contact: press@greenparty.org.uk / 0203 691 9401

Notes:

1.

Dear Mr Corbyn,

Disabled people urgently need and deserve a Shadow Minister for Disabled People.

Disabled people are still reeling from the daily onslaughts to their lives of Government cuts and policy, and the recent UN report confirmed what many of us already experience - that austerity cuts hit disabled people unfairly. We feel alone, attacked, and unprotected.

A functioning and supportive opposition fighting these cuts and pressuring the Government to support disabled people with more than words, is essential. It is therefore a great concern to me and many other disabled people that, since Debbie Abrahams became Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in June, the Shadow Minister for Disabled People post has remained vacant. The resulting confusion this has caused, with even Labour ministers seeming unclear about who is doing what, is worrying.

Debbie Abrahams may still speak on disability issues but she is now a shadow Secretary of State and I fear both roles will suffer. The damage this can cause is two-fold - not only does it suggest that the Minister for Disabled People post can be amalgamated or unfilled without any detrimental impact on disabled people, but it also sends a message that disabled people are not important, that we can be sidelined, that we have nothing to offer. It is crucial we see more disabled people in politics and Labour has the opportunity to make this happen by appointing a disabled person to this role.

With the UN report and the current green paper consultation this is a crucial moment for disabled rights and we urgently need robust leadership from the opposition. We must to do better and work together to place the issues facing disabled people on the agenda.

I hope you can take this opportunity to review the current position, and fill this post urgently.

Best wishes,

Mags Lewis, Green Party disability spokesperson

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