Disabled Labour

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Conference
2015 National Disabled Members' Conference
Date
3 July 2015
Decision
Carried

Conference will note the Labour election defeat in May 2015 and the return of a Tory Government. Conference will further note the lack of any policies likely to benefit people with disabilities in the Tory party manifesto or Queens Speech. Moreover, a further round of welfare cuts and reduction of services is proposed.

Conference will further note the Labour Party manifesto for people with disabilities and the work carried out by the Shadow Minister for Disabilities. These are examples of excellent work however they rarely get communicated in the mainstream.

Conference will also note that the Labour organisation Disability Labour was silent during the General Election and failed to organise anything of note if at all. This left members with disabilities with few avenues to get disability issues on the General Election agenda. There is also evidence that members with disabilities have tried to join Disability Labour, or ask questions about its work, but have received no reply. This creates the question – is it functioning at all? Members with disabilities are now wondering who they can turn to get disability issues heard politically and how they can get active within the Labour movement on disability issues.

Conference therefore calls upon the National Disabled Members Committee working with Labour Link to do the following:

1.Continue to send delegates to National Labour Link Forum and raise motions on disability issues.

2.Make representations to the Labour Party on Disability Labour to see what help can be given to re-energise it.

3.Continue to liaise with the Shadow Minister for Disabilities to get disability issues heard.

4.Encourage members with disabilities who are Labour Party members to raise disability issues with constituency Labour Parties either at meetings or through correspondence.

5.Continue to campaign nationally, regionally and locally on disability issues.