Crippen Cartoons cartoons at the cutting edge of disability

Don’t get me wrong, I think the post could be extremely useful, especially if the person appointed actually worked with disabled people and our groups and organisations.

It’s just that we’ve had a series of ministers in this role who seem hell-bent on doing the complete opposite; seemingly working against us and doing everything they can to undermine any progress we’ve made over the past few decades.

Take our present incumbent (please!), Justin Tomlinson. A man with a history of leaking parliamentary reports, voting down such bills as the one protecting the benefits of disabled children and those undergoing cancer treatment, and appearing to suggest that families facing a cap under the Universal Credit scheme could take in a lodger. In fact, just the sort of person we want fighting our corner (not!).

You’ll have read in previous blogs that he’s also quite happily misled fellow MP’s regarding the apparent success of the nine regional ‘disability’ networks he was instrumental in setting up a couple of years ago. These were intended to “amplify” the voices of disabled people, but as we all know, they are nothing more than a sham.

Problems recounted by those people involved with the few groups that have managed to get going, tell us that when they eventually appoint a Chair and manage to arrange a meeting, they are often cancelled at short notice, resulting in problems associated with rearranging support workers, travel plans, etc. A meeting which should have given a heads up about the UK Disability Strategy Survey was also cancelled at the last minute.

Tomlinson also has the nerve to tell the various select committee members who have queried the status of the Regional groups that everything is going great, adding that he found it: “a very, very rewarding part of my role”. Oh yeh?!

It’s a bit like ‘the emperor’s new clothes’ where no one wants to be the first person to point out that he’s not actually doing his job! I’ll say it for them then … TOMLINSON, YOU’RE A SHAM – YOU’RE SACKED!

Description of cartoon for those using screen reading software

A young disabled boy is standing with his mother and is pointing at a naked Justin Tomlinson. However, Tomlinson has pieces of paper covering his body along with a few pieces that have dropped off. The papers read liar, fibs, un-truths, misleading information, leaks and more lies. Behind Tomlinson are two signs that read Disability Unit and Justin Tomlinson MP. The disabled boy is saying to his mother: “That man has covered himself with a tissue of lies!”