Anger and frustration over Labour’s ‘disgraceful’ decision not to appoint Foxcroft as disability minister

The new government has yet to announce who will be Labour’s minister for disabled people, but the decision not to appoint Vicky Foxcroft to the post has set back relations with significant parts of the disabled people’s movement.

Foxcroft, who has instead been appointed as a government whip, spent nearly four years working to develop relationships between her party and the movement as Labour’s shadow minister for disabled people.

Despite widespread unhappiness among disabled people with some of Labour’s policies, and its failure to take a stronger stance on disability rights, she was widely liked and respected.

The decision not to appoint her is even more of a setback as she had confirmed shortly before the election that she now identifies as disabled herself, and so would have been the first disabled person in the post since Labour’s Anne McGuire between 2005 and 2008.

But her appointment as a government whip will mean she will not be able to take part in parliamentary debates, or speak publicly on disability issues, other than on constituency matters.

Rick Burgess, a spokesperson for Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People, said: “We hosted a national disability hustings on 2 July with Disability Rights UK and Inclusion London at the People’s History Museum.

“We were proud to say that all of the representatives were disabled people – including Vicky Foxcroft, the shadow minister for disabled people (pictured).

“Vicky has been working hard in that role, making connections with grassroots disabled people’s organisations and giving many disabled people hope for the new government.

“Vicky made strong pledges on behalf of the Labour Party and we’re concerned about how that’s going to be actioned without her as minister for disabled people in this new government.

“Once again, under the Labour Party, disabled people feel as if we were promised the earth to win our votes, and now our rights have been kicked to the kerb.”

The response on social media was also overwhelmingly negative.

One disabled campaigner, Catherine Hale, consultant researcher at King’s College London and founder of Chronic Illness Inclusion, described the decision as “very disappointing and wasteful”.

She said on Twitter that Foxcroft was her MP and had “worked really hard as shadow minister for disabled people for four years and built a wealth of knowledge about our issues.

“For those in our movement to have to start again is exhausting and demoralising.”

Dennis Queen, from the Disabled People’s Direct Action Network (DAN), said the move to sideline Foxcroft was “disgraceful” and called on the government to “bring back Vicky”.

It was still not clear by 11am this morning (Thursday) who Labour will appoint as its minister for disabled people.

Keir Starmer, the prime minister, has now appointed six work and pensions ministers, but most of their roles have not yet been announced.

The six are work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall, Sir Stephen Timms – who chaired the Commons work and pensions committee in the last parliament and served as a DWP minister under the last Labour government – Alison McGovern, Andrew Western, Emma Reynolds and Baroness Sherlock.

It is unlikely that Starmer would appoint a member of the House of Lords to the disability post, while McGovern was previously Labour’s shadow employment minister, and this Twitter post suggests she will take the employment role in government, while Reynolds has already been appointed as pensions minister.

This suggests that either Timms or Western will be the new minister for disabled people, although with his ministerial experience Timms is more likely to be given a welfare reform role.

In the Department of Health and Social Care, Starmer has – as expected – appointed Wes Streeting as health and care secretary, while Stephen Kinnock has unexpectedly been named minister of state for care.

Andrew Gwynne, who served as shadow minister for social care, has instead been appointed as junior minister for public health and prevention.

Last year, Gwynne told a fringe meeting at Labour’s annual conference that he wanted to be remembered by Labour party members as “the Nye Bevan of the 21st century” for building a new National Care Service if Labour won power.

Meanwhile, Bridget Phillipson has been appointed secretary of state for education and minister for women and equalities, while Anneliese Dodds has been appointed as a minister in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and minister for women and equalities in the Department for Education.

It is not yet clear how Phillipson and Dodds will divide the role, but it is unlikely that their responsibilities will include the minister for disabled people position.

Dodds said on Twitter that she would be working with Phillipson on the equality agenda and would “deliver our plans to support women and girls, advance race equality, break new ground for LGBT+ rights and stand up for disabled people”.

Picture: (From left to right) Vicky Foxcroft, Mags Lewis, Charles Fifield and Baroness [Sal] Brinton at last week’s national disability hustings

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