Official BASE Statement: Downgrading the Minister for Disabled People

Statement issued 15th December

BASE and its collective membership are deeply dismayed by the Prime Minister’s abrupt decision to officially downgrade the critical role of Minister for Disabled People to a junior position within his cabinet.

Whilst we cautiously welcome Mims Davies’s stated commitment to “ensure there is always a strong safety net for the most vulnerable in our society, while tearing down barriers so that every disabled person can realise their potential and thrive,” it is incredibly hard to envisage how this ambitious goal can be practically achieved when the role is absorbed as part of a much larger, diluted portfolio.

The Impact on Disability Confident Employers

BASE is highly concerned that it will become significantly harder to persuade mainstream employers of the huge, tangible benefits of becoming Disability Confident if this vital agenda isn’t championed directly from the very top of government. There is already a frustrating disconnect between those employers who are merely signed up to the Disability Confident scheme and those who actively and meaningfully employ disabled people in practice.

With the recent launch of Universal Support, having a dedicated, senior Minister for Disabled People is more important than ever before. True leadership is required to enable the National Disability Strategy to finally evolve from a distant vision into an everyday reality for millions.

Read the BBC News Coverage: Job of minister for disabled people downgraded