Let’s not sugarcoat it: Labour has a disability problem, and the way they’ve handled the so-called “welfare reform” bill proves it.
Despite over nine months of relentless work by charities, disability organisations, and disabled people themselves, educating MPs, sharing lived experience, and offering real solutions, the bill passed through Parliament with barely a nod to those it affects most. It wasn’t about reform. It was about cuts. Wrapped in the same tired phrase: “We have to make difficult decisions”. But here’s the thing, it wouldn’t be difficult if disabled people had been consulted from the start.
We did our job. MPs who listened to us tried to do theirs. But Labour didn’t let them. When MPs like Rachael Maskell and Neil Duncan-Jordan voted against the bill after hearing our concerns, they lost the whip. Labour said they “went against the team”. But what kind of team punishes its members for standing up for disabled people?
Now, to add another layer of democratic erosion, the bill is going through the House of Lords as a Money Bill. That means it won’t be subject to proper scrutiny. No amendments. No committee stage. No real debate. Just a rubber stamp and a countdown to Royal Assent. If this bill is so right, so fair, so necessary, why won’t they allow it to be scrutinised?
This is textbook systemic bias. If The Labour Files exposed racism and factionalism within the party, this is the disability chapter. Disabled people have been treated as “the other” throughout this process. No accountability. No transparency. No meaningful consultation. Just exclusion and punishment.
Most media outlets have parroted the government’s spin, painting MPs who opposed the bill as “rebels” trying to bring down Labour. That’s a lie. They were doing their jobs. Just like we were.
Let’s also bust the myths they’re using to justify these cuts:
- The fraud rate for PIP is 0.2%, so low the DWP calls it “statistically zero”
- The welfare bill isn’t spiralling, £1.1 billion was underpaid to claimants last year
- Benefits aren’t wasted, they’re spent in local economies, supporting businesses and communities
Despite repeated claims in the media that Labour “rebels” had successfully forced all disability-related cuts to be dropped, this is factually untrue. While some concessions were made, £2 billion in cuts are still being pushed through via changes to Universal Credit , specifically the LCWRA (Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity) element. These cuts disproportionately affect chronically ill and disabled people, and are what is being passed through the House of Lords as a Money Bill on Tuesday 22nd July. The media’s framing, suggesting the rebels were trying to destabilise Labour or that the worst was over, has been not only misleading but harmful, given the scale of impact this legislation will have on vulnerable communities.
Now we move onto the narrative of “economic inactivity”. Many disabled people pay taxes, many others did before becoming ill. Benefits are not a drain, they’re a lifeline. They keep people housed, fed, and cared for. That money flows back into society. It’s not inactivity, it’s survival.
To make matters worse, we don’t even have a bias-free Disabilities Minister. Stephen Timms holds both the Social Security and Disability portfolios, a clear conflict of interest. As our petition states:
“The conflation of duties presents a clear conflict of interest.”
“Disabled people’s concerns are being undermined, sidelined and deprioritised.”
This is David vs Goliath. And when David lands a blow, when we educate MPs, shift the narrative, and expose the truth, Labour responds with retaliation, not reflection.
We need more than platitudes. We need a welfare system that listens, a party that represents all its constituents, a media that tells the truth, and a Minister for Disabled People who isn’t conflicted from the outset.
If The Labour Files taught us anything, it’s that silence enables discrimination. So let this be the beginning of the next exposé: Labour’s disability problem is real, and we’re not staying quiet about it.
Love Sally
…and Foggy (OBVIOUSLY) xx