Trio of mayoral candidates show ‘contempt’ by snubbing disability hustings

Three candidates to be the next mayor of London have refused to explain why they failed to turn up to a packed hustings event that would have allowed disabled people from across the capital to question them on their policies.

Just one of the four candidates invited, Zoë Garbett, for the Green Party, turned up to answer questions at the sold-out event (pictured), with more than 100 people attending, and about another 100 watching or listening online.

Conservative candidate Susan Hall, Labour’s Sadiq Khan – the current mayor – and Liberal Democrat Rob Blackie all sent spokespeople to replace them rather than turning up themselves to face questions from disabled people.

Inclusion London, which organised the event, has now launched a #NoMoreNoShows campaign to ensure that candidates for the upcoming general election attend disability hustings, rather than sending replacements.

Svetlana Kotova, Inclusion London’s director of campaigns and justice, told the event as it began that she and her colleagues were “deeply disappointed” at the failure of the three candidates to attend.

She said: “We did everything we could to convince them to come.”

Kotova said their failure to attend was “really, really concerning for the democratic process; we think it’s really important that candidates talk to disabled people and hear from disabled people.”

Inclusion London has shared its own manifesto with all four candidates, with demands across equality and inclusion, transport, housing, work and study, poverty and policing.

Inclusion London’s co-chair, Adam Gabsi, who was chairing the hustings event, told Disability News Service (DNS) afterwards that Hall, Khan and Blackie had been invited in “numerous ways” but had still not attended.

He said: “Even though I am very proud of our hustings, the work that went into it and the turnout, I am deeply disappointed and frustrated that the aforementioned politicians failed to engage and sent representatives to speak on their behalf.

“Hustings are an integral part of the democratic process and ignoring disabled people gives us the impression that our concerns are not worthy of being listened to and our votes are not important.

“This is an election year and disabled people deserve better treatment.

“We should be listened to and spoken to directly. We do not want to be ignored and a repeat of the mayoral candidates’ behaviour is unacceptable.”

Spokespeople for Hall, Khan and Blackie had not responded by noon today (Thursday) to requests from DNS to comment on their failure to attend the hustings.

But Jack Gilbert, chief executive of Real, a disabled people’s organisation (DPO) based in Tower Hamlets, east London, who attended the event and asked a question about disability hate crime (see separate story), said the trio’s failure to attend was “very disappointing”.

He told DNS: “Time and again, disabled Londoners are considered as an after-thought, whether it’s in the design of transport infrastructure, or other matters to do with housing, or policing.

“The potential leaders of London had an opportunity to give a clear message that they saw disabled Londoners in a different, new light, and they missed that opportunity.”

Disabled activist Jamie McCormack, who also attended the event, said: “The supposed Big Three talk about inclusion and the importance of each voter, but when the candidates get an oh-too-rare chance to hear from Deaf and disabled Londoners they show their contempt by sending stand-ins.

“This mirrors the lack of progress in creating positive change for 1.2 million Deaf and disabled Londoners.

“Telling us in warm words what they think we want to hear when we know exactly how hard things are and the failures of the Greater London Authority and successive mayors in tackling the big issues, I honestly found insulting.”

He also pointed out that none of the candidates appeared yet to have created any campaign material in British Sign Language.

He added: “If they want our votes, they will have to do so, so much better, but I fear they won’t.”

Hallie Banish, campaigns manager for the DPO Ruils Independent Living, also expressed concern at the trio’s failure to attend.

She said: “We were deeply disappointed that only the Green Party candidate came to the Inclusion London hustings.

“Representatives from Labour, Lib Dems and Conservative parties told us that engaging with disabled people and our organisations is a top priority for their party’s candidate, particularly from the start of any process.

“Why, then, did the candidates themselves not show up and speak with us?

“How are we to expect them to prioritise the views of disabled people and take action as the mayor of London, if they decline our invitation to a hustings?

“We are not a tick-box exercise, and we hope the future mayor is serious about tackling entrenched ableism in the Met, the lack of accessible and genuinely affordable homes, inaccessible public transport and all other issues that affect disabled Londoners.”

Laura Vicinanza, policy and stakeholder engagement manager for Inclusion London, said: “We are deeply disappointed that of the four parties represented at hustings, only the Green Party sent their mayoral candidate.

“We heard from other candidates via their spokespeople, but we know how important it is to be able to engage directly with the candidates we’re voting for and ask for clear commitments in a way that is accessible to us.

“Our rights as disabled people must be valued and upheld by all our elected representatives.

“Hustings are a vital part of the democratic process – a chance for politicians to talk directly with voters.

“If we don’t use our democratic rights, we will lose them, so we’re calling for all political parties to commit to #NoMoreNoShows for London-wide community hustings.”

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