Edinburgh North and Leith MP Deidre Brock has secured an adjournment debate at Westminster on Thursday afternoon.
This comes after the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) which published a report on the UK Government’s record to date. The report condemned the effects of government policies as a human catastrophe.
Deidre Brock MP will today demand urgent action from the UK Government to tackle their ‘shameful’ failures on disabled rights.
The UN provided over 80 recommendations for improvements in a report last August but the UK Government failed to act.
Deidre said:- “That a rich nation like this neglects its international obligations on disability rights is utterly appalling.
“The UK Government’s record on disability rights should shame any government – but not this one it seems. Their obsession with austerity is impoverishing people, stripping away their rights and their ability to live full, dignified and independent lives.
“It’s policy choices to pull support that makes people more vulnerable and more isolated, it’s not the normal state of affairs. Society is disabling people and it has to change.
“There is no sign of it ending yet though. Two of the three disability premiums that were in Employment Support Allowance are missing from Universal Credit so severely disabled people will lose £78.35 per week from their income – that’s about £340 per month. Research done by the Citizens Advice Bureau in East Lothian showed that disabled recipients of Universal Credit will lose up to one fifth of their income.
“The UK Government must now commit to getting round the table with disabled organisations. They must act to tackle their failures and to build the fair society that they seem intent on destroying.”
It appears to Deidre that things are getting worse and worse for people with disabilities, and she thought she should speak up. She’s hoping that the Minister will respond with some indication that there is positive action on the way.
The full report is here.
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
