Once upon a time in a land not too far away lived a Pursglove. No one was sure what he actually was but felt that with his gleaming white smile and honest open face he was the ideal thing to represent the darker side of the organisation he worked for. They’d tried various other creatures in this role, but despite trying really hard, nothing they did stopped the darker side of the organisation from continuing to ooze through.
This foul darkness that emanated from the organisation was as a result of many years of hard work by the more senior creatures that controlled it. Together they had evolved cruel and unnatural practices that that had squeezed the last drop of hope from those that were depended on them for their very existence.
“What we want you to do for us” they told the Pursglove, “is to raise the hopes and expectations of these minions, so that just when they start to think that they can see a light at the end of the tunnel, we smash them back down again, thus saving ourselves billions of pounds in unclaimed benefits! This statement was accompanied by evil laughter as they complimented each other on a strategy well thought out.
So, the Pursglove made an announcement to the effect that he was launching a new action plan that he claimed would help transform the minion’s everyday lives for the better. And not only that, but it would also lay the foundations for longer-term change.
His gleaming smile and round honest face convinced many of the minions that what he said was the truth, and they began to allow a glimmer of hope to raise again. But others, who could see the dark traces of the organisation floating around the Pursglove, recommended caution.
Getting into his stride now, the Pursglove told the minions that not only would he be transforming their lives, but that he would be launching a review, along with setting up a new webpage, drawing up two sets of guidance and two feasibility studies, and also carry out awareness-raising, including the creation of a new badge for businesses to give their staff to show they have received approved “awareness” training! And all before breakfast!
The Pursglove rounded this off by saying that this was the “immediate action” the organisation plans to take in 2023 and 2024 to move towards making the country “the most accessible place in the world for everyone to live, work and thrive”.
By this time the minions had started to tune out the meaningless drivel that was issuing from the Pursglove’s lips. They remembered the many initiatives that the organisation had set up in the past, only to scrap them in a short space of time, and how all of these new Pursglove initiatives had the same feel about them. In fact, they began to recognise that it was just another PR exercise whose main aim seemed to be to create confusion and hide the real task of making more money for the privileged few who benefited from being a part of the organisation.
Strangely enough, in a parallel universe a similar story has unfolded which you will be able to read about in Disability News Service.
Description of cartoon for those using screen reading software
The Prime Minister and the Minister for disabled people are standing alongside of each other. Pursglove is holding a book entitled ‘Grim Tales’. On the wall behind them is a sign that reads ‘Department of Works and Pensions’ with the strap line ‘Still doing it to you!’. Several disabled people representing groups and organisations of disabled people are in front of them looking perplexed. The PM is saying: “And here’s Uncle Pursglove who’s going to read you all a fairy tale!”
Crippen Cartoons 