New analysis shows disabled people’s strongest allies among MPs

New analysis shows a pool of just 28 MPs who have shown themselves to be the strongest allies to disabled people when voting on crucial disability rights legislation in the last month.

The group of 28 allies includes three Labour MPs – Brian Leishman, Chris Hinchliff and Rachael Maskell – who were yesterday (Wednesday) suspended by the Labour party for campaigning and voting against cuts to disability benefits.

Two others from the group of allies – Dr Rosena Allin Khan and Bell Ribeiro-Addy – were stripped of their trade envoy roles.

To compile the list, Disability News Service (DNS) has examined the voting records of MPs on the assisted dying bill and the universal credit and personal independence payment bill.

The disabled people’s movement has been strongly united in opposing both the private members’ bill that will legalise assisted suicide, and the government bill that was originally set to cut billions of pounds a year from both personal independence payment (PIP) and universal credit (UC) but will now cut billions only from the health element of UC.

The analysis shows just a small core of 21 Labour MPs on the left of the party, as well as one Plaid Cymru MP, and six Independent MPs, who voted to protect disabled people’s rights to the maximum extent possible across four Commons votes on 20 June, 1 July and 9 July.

DNS checked whether MPs voted against the terminally ill adults (end of life) bill at its third reading on 20 June; voted against the universal credit and personal independence payment bill at its second reading on 1 July; voted against a Conservative amendment to the bill on 9 July that called for harsher cuts for those with “less severe mental health conditions” and to remove entitlement for disability benefits from “foreign nationals”; and voted against the cuts bill at its third reading on 9 July.

The list of Labour allies who opposed all four includes three disabled MPs: Marsha de Cordova, Emma Lewell, and Marie Rimmer.

A handful of other MPs – including disabled Liberal Democrat MP Steve Darling, Independent MP Jeremy Corbyn, and Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood – did not quite make it onto the list of allies because they voted against the assisted dying bill and against the government’s cuts to disability benefits but abstained on the Conservative cuts amendment, rather than voting against it.

The list of allies may make it easier for disabled activists and lobbyists to know which MPs are likely to be open to further approaches around disability rights in the coming months.

Linda Burnip, co-founder of Disabled People Against Cuts, said: “It’s shocking how few MPs are on this list and we are grateful to those who have supported disabled people in the last month, but hugely disappointed in those that haven’t.”

Among those not on the list, she particularly highlighted former Labour shadow ministers for disabled people Vicky Foxcroft and Debbie Abrahams, who she said “know only too well what problems we face” but failed to vote against the government on the cuts bill.

Lindsey Ni Aodha, a key organiser with Crips Against Cuts, said: “Disabled people tell us how distressed they are that their pleas to their MPs have been ignored, or how betrayed they feel in having MPs who have chosen to vote for legislation many disabled people view as a death sentence.

“I feel deeply grateful to see my own MP’s name listed as an ally, but the low numbers of MPs voting to protect disabled people, despite widespread public outcry nation-wide, illustrates a picture of a political elite moving further and further right, whilst becoming increasingly detached from the realities of everyday life for the people of this country.”

She said the list was full of some of the “fiercest advocates for our rights” who are “MPs who have made it clear that the people of this country should always come before party politics”.

She added: “When disability rights are protected, so are workers’ rights, so are children’s rights, so are our rights to healthcare, so are women’s rights, so are the rights of people of colour – creating a society that is safer and fairer for all who live in it.”

The votes analysed by DNS only cover the two pieces of legislation on assisted suicide and cuts to disability benefits, with a much wider range of legislation likely to come before the House of Commons in the coming months and years, on issues such as accessible housing and transport, adult social care and inclusive education.

The full list of allies is: Diane Abbott (Labour); Dr Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour); Richard Burgon (Labour); Ian Byrne (Labour); Marsha De Cordova (Labour); Mary Kelly Foy (Labour); Mary Glindon (Labour); Chris Hinchliff (Labour); Imran Hussain (Labour); Ian Lavery (Labour); Brian Leishman (Labour); Emma Lewell (Labour); Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour); Rachael Maskell (Labour); Andy McDonald (Labour); Abtisam Mohamed (Labour); Grahame Morris (Labour);  Margaret Mullane (Labour); Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour); Marie Rimmer (Labour); Jon Trickett (Labour); Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru); Shockat Adam (Independent); Iqbal Mohamed (Independent); Apsana Begum (Independent); Zarah Sultana (Independent); Ayoub Khan (Independent); and Adnan Hussain (Independent).

Picture: (Clockwise from top left) Emma Lewell, Marsha de Cordova, Dr Rosena Allin-Khan and Rachael Maskell

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