• 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 / Politics / Trio of mayoral candidates show ‘contempt’ by snubbing disability hustings
Three people on a panel in front of a stage on which there are four chairs, marked Susan Hall, Sadiq Khan and Rob Blackie, with a sign saying 'No More No Shows' on the fourth chair

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

By John Pring on 11th April 2024 Category: Politics

Listen

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.”

 

A note from the editor:

Please consider making a voluntary financial contribution to support the work of DNS and allow it to continue producing independent, carefully-researched news stories that focus on the lives and rights of disabled people and their user-led organisations.

Please do not contribute if you cannot afford to do so, and please note that DNS is not a charity. It is run and owned by disabled journalist John Pring and has been from its launch in April 2009.

Thank you for anything you can do to support the work of DNS…

Share this post:

Share on X (Twitter)Share on FacebookShare on WhatsAppShare on RedditShare on LinkedIn

Tags: #NoMoreNoShows Conservatives Green party Inclusion London Labour Lib Dems mayoral hustings Real DPO Ruils Independent Living Zoë Garbett

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

‘Disastrous’ cuts bill that leaves legacy of distrust and distress ‘must be dropped’
3rd July 2025
Four disabled Labour MPs stand up to government over cuts to disability benefits
3rd July 2025
Silence from MP sister of Rachel Reeves over suicide linked to PIP flaws, just as government was seeking cuts
3rd July 2025

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

‘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

Silence from MP sister of Rachel Reeves over suicide linked to PIP flaws, just as government was seeking cuts

Disabled people receiving care were ‘ignored by design’ during the pandemic, Covid inquiry hears

Disabled activists warn Labour MPs who vote for cuts: ‘The gloves will be off’

GB News says it has nothing to apologise for, after guest suggests starving disabled benefit claimants

SEND inspections find services in just one in four areas usually lead to ‘positive’ outcomes for disabled children

Disabled MP who quit government over benefit cuts tells DNS: ‘The consequences will be devastating’

Disabled peers plan to ‘amend, amend, amend, amend, amend’ after assisted dying bill reaches Lords

Minister finally admits that working-age benefits spending is stable, despite months of ‘spiralling’ claims

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