Political parties urged to prioritise disabled people as new research shows they feel ignored by politicians

Charities and campaigners have written to the main political parties urging them to prioritise disabled people in their election manifestos.

The open letter, signed by Rosie Jones, Sophie Morgan and Ben Elton, states: “There are 16 million disabled people in the UK. We are one in four of the population. But too often we are left out, our needs sidelined and our voices ignored.”

New research from disability equality charity Scope has revealed that almost eight out of 10 disabled people think politicians are out of touch with their lives, and 74% believe they don’t understand disabled people.

More than half (58%) of disabled people think politicians don’t care about them, while six in 10 think the parties will not prioritise their needs at the election. Responding to this, Scope has its “manifesto for an equal future” which calls for all political parties to commit to ending the price tag that comes with disability, to close the disability employment gap and to transform outdated attitudes.

Award-winning disability campaigner and businessperson Dr Shani Dhanda said: “Disabled people need to be recognised, listened to, and understood. This has to happen now, at election time, and from the next government.   

"One in four of us are disabled - that's a significant proportion of the voting population, and we’ll make a difference at the next election. Being disabled in 2024 shouldn’t be this tough. Life shouldn’t cost much more if you are disabled. 

“Our job prospects and career trajectory should match everyone else’s. We need to get to the point where everyone – up and down the country - automatically sees what we can do and the benefits we bring.”   

NationalWorld previously reported how the government downgraded the job of Minister for Disabled People for months following the last Cabinet reshuffle. Mims Davies was only given the same title as Minister of State as her predecessor Tom Pursglove on Friday, after four months in the role.

Scope CEO Mark Hodgkinson said:  “Disabled people feel repeatedly overlooked and politicians need to make much greater efforts to understand their lives. Progress towards disability equality must be accelerated by a future government.  

“Disabled people are a force to be reckoned with, and whose voices must be respected in this election. We are urging all political parties to seize the opportunity to set out how they will create an equal future for disabled people. 

“We need to see a positive vision from our politicians; to make this country one of the most accessible, progressive and dynamic in the world with disability and disabled people at the heart of our national life.”

Labour’s Shadow Minister for Disabled People, Vicky Foxcroft told NationalWorld: “Scope’s findings show what happens to people’s perceptions of what government can deliver for them when they have been treated as an afterthought by successive Conservative governments for the last 14 years.

“Time and time again, this government has taken disabled people for granted. Labour is committed to the social model of disability and to co-production. 

“A future Labour government will deliver for disabled people by working with them to create policies which remove the barriers in society that they face. We will support disabled people to ensure they can thrive, not just survive.”

A government spokesperson said: “We are committed to building on our strong track record of supporting disabled people, having delivered cost of living support to millions, increased benefits by 6.7% this month, and succeeded in reaching our target of getting one million more disabled people into work, five years ahead of schedule.

“Our £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan will help over a million more people, including those with long term health conditions, look for and stay in work, and our National Disability Strategy and Disability Action Plan will improve the lives of disabled people across the country.”

Ralph Blackburn is NationalWorld’s politics editor based in Westminster, where he gets special access to Parliament, MPs and government briefings. If you liked this article you can follow Ralph on X (Twitter) here and sign up to his free weekly newsletter Politics Uncovered, which brings you the latest analysis and gossip from Westminster every Sunday morning.