• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About DNS
  • Subscribe to DNS
  • Advertise with DNS
  • Support DNS
  • Contact DNS

Disability News Service

the country's only news agency specialising in disability issues

  • Home
  • Independent Living
    • Arts, Culture and Sport
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Housing
    • Transport
  • Activism & Campaigning
  • Benefits & Poverty
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
You are here: Home / News Archive / Lib Dems would scrap disabled people’s minister

Lib Dems would scrap disabled people’s minister

By guest on 30th October 2009 Category: News Archive

Listen

Liberal Democrat plans to cut costs across government would mean there would be no minister for disabled people if they won power at the general election.

Nick Clegg, the party leader, outlined the move as part of his plans for delivering “better politics for less”.

Clegg says a Liberal Democrat government would save £1.82 billion by “reforms that cut back waste in central government and the Houses of Parliament, making vital savings that can be ploughed back into more important public services”.

His plans would see the number of government departments cut from 24 to 14, the number of ministers reduced by nearly half to 73, and the number of ministers within the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) cut from five to four.

This would mean there would no longer be a minister for disabled people, a post currently held by Jonathan Shaw, but a new post of minister of state for work and disabled people.

A Liberal Democrat spokesman defended the move, saying that Shaw is also the minister of state for the south east.

He said: “Labour has often appointed a minister, commissioner or independent body when it has wanted to give the appearance that it is acting on an issue despite little real change. 

“In this instance, it is especially difficult to take the government’s commitment seriously when the minister of state for disabled people is also the minister of state for the south east in his spare time.

“We need ministers to take effective action for disabled people across government, not just token gestures.”

But Mark Harper, the Conservative shadow minister for disabled people, said it was vital to have a minister for disabled people so there was someone who can “talk with colleagues across government to make sure that all policies properly take into account any particular requirements disabled people have, not just those in the DWP”.

Harper said the post showed how importantly a government treats disability issues.

5 October 2009

Share this post:

Share on X (Twitter)Share on FacebookShare on WhatsAppShare on RedditShare on LinkedIn
A photograph shows an audience raising their hands in a BSL sign. The words say: 'BSL Conference 2025. The future starts with us. Leeds 17-18 July. Be part of shaping the future of Deaf cultures and identities. Get 10% off with BDA10'

Related

‘Muddled’ blue badge reforms ‘are to blame for renewal delays’
6th February 2015
UN debate will be reminder of true inclusive education
6th February 2015
IDS breaks pledge on PIP waiting-times, as tens of thousands still queue for months
30th January 2015

Primary Sidebar

On the left of the image are multiple heads of different colours - white, aqua, red, light brown, and dark green - all grouped together, then the words ‘Campaign for Disability Justice. Sign up to support. #OpportunitySecurityRespect’
A photograph shows an audience raising their hands in a BSL sign. The words say: 'BSL Conference 2025. The future starts with us. Leeds 17-18 July. Be part of shaping the future of Deaf cultures and identities. Get 10% off with BDA10'

Access

Latest Stories

Government ignores warnings of new DWP deaths, and UN intervention, as MPs pass universal credit cuts bill

Urgent letter from UN to Labour government warns: We think your cuts continue Tory attack on disability rights

Race against time to secure DWP deaths evidence before parliament passes new benefit cuts bill

‘Complete shift in thinking’ needed on education of disabled children, says ALLFIE

Minister ignored concerns from disabled advisers, months before publishing cuts bill

Frustration after government only issues partial ban on new floating bus stops

Report suggests five big ideas that could transform disabled people’s mobility

My new book shows exactly why we need the disability movement, says disabled author

‘Disastrous’ cuts bill that leaves legacy of distrust and distress ‘must be dropped’

Four disabled Labour MPs stand up to government over cuts to disability benefits

Advice and Information

Readspeaker
A photograph shows an audience raising their hands in a BSL sign. The words say: 'BSL Conference 2025. The future starts with us. Leeds 17-18 July. Be part of shaping the future of Deaf cultures and identities. Get 10% off with BDA10'

Footer

The International Standard Serial Number for Disability News Service is: ISSN 2398-8924

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site map
  • Bluesky
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Threads
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2025 Disability News Service

Site development by A Bright Clear Web