Wednesday, 19 June 2024

UK General Election 2024

The table below summarises key points with the potential to affect people with disabilities and health conditions. My summary is: 

  • Voting for Liberal Democrat, Green or Plaid Cymru has better outcomes.
  • Labour seems to have small positive movement. 
  • Scottish National Party appears to be fairly neutral
  • Conservative are seeking to reform disability benefits, with otherwise small positive movement.
  • Reform UK seem to have mostly negative outcomes.  

Party

Positive highlights

Negatives

Others

Liberal Democrat

·         Health: More GPs. Support for long term health conditions. Access to new medications.

·         Benefits: Reform PIP to stop reassessments. Increase statutory sick pay.

·         Care: Free personal care. Paid carers leave. Higher carer allowance.

·         Transport: Improve accessibility at stations and blue badges.

·         Rights: Disability pay gap reporting. Several improvements to rights.

·         Education: More SEND funding. Free BSL lessons.

Nothing on housing.

 

Braille manifesto. Other formats soon.

Green

·         Health: Reduce waiting lists. Better diagnostics. Cancer plan.

·         Benefits: All disability benefits +5%. End benefit sanctions.

·         Care: Free personal care. Higher carer allowance.

·         Transport: Make public transport accessible. 20mph speed limits.

·         Rights: Protection for disability pay gap. Additional support in employment.

·         Housing: Right for inclusive housing. Cater for disabilities in social housing.

·         Education: Fully inclusive and accessible schools, more SEND funding.

No negatives of note.

No other manifesto formats.

Labour

·         Health: Reduce waiting lists. More GPs & Nurses. Routes to specialists. Reduce health inequalities.

·         Benefits: Improve employment support for those with disabilities & reasonable adjustments.

·         Care: Create National Care Service. Explore better support.

·         Transport: Ensure rail accessibility.

·         Rights: Equal pay right for disabled. Disability pay gap reporting.

·         Education: Improve inclusivity. Change SEND decisions.

Nothing on housing.

Manifesto includes ableist language.

Other manifesto formats soon.

Conservative

·         Health: NHS spending above inflation. More GPs and Nurses. Community diagnostics. Remove barriers to new treatments. Research support. Other support plans.

·         Benefits: Simpler and fairer process for those affected by severe conditions.

·         Care: Stand behind carers. Cap social care costs.

·         Transport: Improve accessibility at 100 stations. Potential ban on pavement parking.

·         Rights: Deliver disability action plan. Make UK accessible.

·         Housing: Encourage different forms of housing.

·         Education: 60,000 more SEND places.

Not clear if reforms to PIP and disability benefits are positive or negative, but seeking fewer claimants.

No other manifesto formats.

Reform UK

·         Health: Target zero waiting lists.

·         Benefits: Exemption on reassessment for serious disabilities.

Change Equality Act. Scrap DE&I rules. Face-to-face PIP/WCA meets.

Nothing on Care, Transport, Housing or Education.

No other manifesto formats.

Plaid Cymru

·         Health: More GPs. Support for pharmacies. Community diagnostics. Plans and support for various health conditions.

·         Benefits: Oppose WCA changes, Increase statutory sick pay.

·         Care: National Care Service for Wales, free at point of use.

·         Rights: Incorporate UN Rights of Persons with Disabilities into UK law.

Nothing on Transport, Housing or Education.

Several formats for manifestos.

Scottish National Party

·         Health: Boost NHS funding. Reduce waiting times.

·         Benefits: Improve statutory sick pay. Scrap negative welfare reforms for disabled and carers.

·         Care: Reverse moves to stop overseas care workers.

Nothing on Transport, Rights, Housing or Education.

Large print manifesto. Other  formats soon.


I apologise for the inability of Blogger to accept a table with formatting!

Please note that this table has been pulled together from a fairly quick read of these seven manifestos. I may well have missed some points, and there is potential for me to have misunderstood some things on a quick read.

However - this may make you think about the upcoming election in a different way!!

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