SNP mentions disabled people just twice in general election manifesto

The SNP has said almost nothing in its manifesto about how it would fight for the rights of disabled people at Westminster if its candidates are elected as MPs next month, five years after its last general election manifesto faced similar criticism.

At the last general election in 2019, there were three mentions of disability or disabled people in the SNP manifesto, and this time there are just two across its 32 pages.

Many policies with a specific impact on disabled people, such as social care, local government, education, parts of the social security system, and many aspects of transport, are devolved to the Scottish government.

But the party still offers little to attract disabled voters across those areas where responsibility has not been devolved.

The manifesto makes pledges to push for improvements to LGBT+ rights, children’s rights, and the rights of asylum-seekers, but makes no such promises on disabled people’s rights.

The key policy it offers is that its MPs would push the UK government to “scrap proposed punitive welfare reforms for sick and disabled people which will take support away from some of the most vulnerable people in our communities”, but it offers no further details.

This is likely to refer to Conservative plans to tighten the work capability assessment (WCA), which will mean 371,000 disabled people losing their entitlement to extra support – and becoming subject to conditionality and sanctions – by 2028-29.

The WCA reforms will increase employment by just 10,000 by 2028-29, the Office for Budget Responsibility has estimated.

The SNP, which already has responsibility for providing some benefits, wants all social security powers to be devolved to the Scottish government.

Other SNP policies that could be of interest to some disabled people are a pledge to push for reforms to statutory sick pay so it is available to lower-paid workers and no longer has a four-day waiting-period, and to work with the UK government to ensure an effective compensation scheme for victims of the infected blood scandal.

The party also promises to push for disabled veterans with a war disablement pension to be exempt from an assessment of their income if they need social care, as already happens in Scotland.

An SNP spokesperson said this morning (Thursday): “Given the devolved nature of much of disability policy, it’s important to note that the SNP is not standing to be the next UK government.

“Our 2021 manifesto [for the Scottish parliament elections], where we were standing for government, included a whole manifesto for people with disabilities.”

Marion Fellows, the SNP candidate for Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke, had said earlier: “In the face of continued Westminster austerity promised by a future Labour or Tory government, the SNP is committed to advocating for and supporting people with disabilities to ensure they reach their full potential – as our SNP MPs in Westminster have consistently championed.

“As announced in the SNP’s manifesto this week, people with disabilities would be among those eligible to benefit from a statutory social benefit tariff for their energy, broadband and mobile charges – supporting them with the cost of living and easing financial burdens.”

Picture: SNP leader John Swinney

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