Brexit

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Conference
2019 National LGBT+ Conference
Date
20 September 2019
Decision
Carried as Amended

Conference is aware that UNISON and the National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Plus (LGBT+) Committee and Self Organised Group have consistently expressed concerns about the Government’s policies on Brexit.

For disabled LGBT+ members, the prospect of a no deal exit from the European Union (EU), and the impacts as outlined in the “Yellowhammer” report, leaves us with a stark future:

• Continuing and significant disruption to the supply of medicine, lasting up to six months

• Many medicines, including life-saving agents for cancer diagnosis and therapy, cannot be stockpiled and for those that can, stockpiles could run out

• The impact on the economy would reduce money available for the National Health Service (NHS) and social care

• Tens of thousands of NHS staff and care workers from the EU would be left in limbo, intensifying the staffing crisis

• Pensioners, students and travellers from the United Kingdom (UK) to the EU will have to access healthcare in a different way

• There will be a disproportionate and negative impact for those on a lower income

• Rising food and fuel prices

• An increase in inflation may have a significant impact on social care providers, resulting in provider failure

Conference notes that many LGBT+ disabled members will be disproportionately impacted as disabled people are more likely to be in receipt of lower incomes, more likely to be users of health and social care services and may require medication for longer term health conditions. Conference is further concerned that there will be a potential detrimental impact for our Trans members accessing health and social care services in the UK and EU.

Conference believes that under the Tories watch, our precious public services have been decimated. The ramifications from Brexit are likely to impact this further and possibly take some public sector services past breaking point. We note that many of our members as LGBT+ disabled members, service users and workers in health and social care will be severely impacted.

Conference again notes the damning report from the United Nations in August 2017 condemning the UK Tory Government’s failure to uphold disability rights. The report raised over 60 areas of concern; from education to employment, from housing to health and from transport to social security. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) is still not currently part of UK law and equality protections for disabled LGBT+ people post-Brexit are likely to be weaker as a result.

Conference therefore calls on the National LGBT+ Committee to:

1)Continue to work with Labour Link to highlight these concerns to MP’s

2)Consult our disabled LGBT+ members to gain a picture of what is happening on the ground

3)Encourage branches and regions to continue to support our members from the EU working in the NHS, social care and public sector organisations

4)Continue to champion public services and our members working in them

5)Support calls to incorporate the UNCRPD into UK law