It’s hard to believe that we’re on week 756 of general election season.
That’s because we’re not – it’s only week four. But fuck me doesn’t it feel like it?
Voting for the Red Tories at the general election
Maybe it’s because we had the build-up and the will-he, won’t-he like we were watching the shittest romcom in the world, but god this month has been the longest of my life.
But one way or another, in less than two weeks time we will get these scumbags out, we will have seen many many Tories cry in sports halls, and while the UK has its biggest sleep ever (hungover or bored to death from Starmer already) the new PM will be sworn in.
But for many, there’s still the question of who they’re going to vote for – because we’ve not exactly got a bumper crop of options. Quite a few of us have resigned ourselves to the fact that in order to keep the Tories out we’re going to have to vote for Tories in red and hope they can be held accountable.
PM candidates all Elevenerifing each other to show who hates disabled people more
So surely you’d think that the people who are all running for PM would be going out of their way to get disabled people on their side and win their votes? Lol of course not, that would mean they would have to actually think about us.
Instead, its been a clown car of who can be the most hateful – like Farage hearing Sunak went to Tenerife so he went to Elevenerife – and they’re making even less sense than all the Mandys, Karens, and Sandras in the Jay Slater Facebook groups.
Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve finally had all the manifestos out. For disabled people who’d felt invisible so far in the cycle, it meant we got to see what the major parties were pledging to do to ‘help’ us – though we of course knew many of their feelings about us already, either through the Tory’s actions over the last few years or Labour’s silence.
Suffice to say it’s the same bullshit hatred we’ve had spewed at us from the Tories for months and nowhere near enough reassurance from the Labour Party that it’ll be any different.
Can’t trust the Lib Dems are far as Ed Davey can get on a paddling board without falling off
The ones with the best policies are unfortunately the Lib Dems. There’s a plan to completely rehaul the welfare system and even enshrine the UNCRDP in law. It’s just a shame that you can’t trust the Lib Dems as far as you can throw them after getting into bed with the Tories last time. Though Ed Davey would probs volunteer to be yeeted if it meant another publicity stunt.
Despite everything they say, many of my generation will never trust them not to throw us under the bus again for another taste of power, exactly as they did in 2010.
For all Davey is projecting himself as this care-free uncle having the time of his life on teacup rides and taking the water slide five times, his refusal to take responsibility for the Lib Dems past is very troubling.
Admitting your party is responsible for disabled deaths wouldn’t go down well on a teacup ride
The Lib Dem leader was asked SIX times by Sky News whether he thought austerity was a mistake – and he refused to answer every time. He also specifically denied that the ConDem austerity policies were to blame for the NHS crisis, instead saying the problems only started in 2015 when we got a full Tory government (though they didn’t really have anyone stopping them before then).
Instead, he spaffed on about renewable power, whilst looking in so much pain that he’d need the NHS nurses the coalition cut very soon.
When you can’t take responsibility for your past actions which killed untold amounts of disabled people, how are we supposed to trust you now?
Breaking: Nigel Farage is still a cunt and Greens are still irrelevant
Reform unsurprisingly are an absolute shower of hateful shit when it comes to disability rights. John Pring at DNS reported that their general election manifesto not only suggests huge benefit cuts but would also risk the safety of benefits claimants. But we didn’t expect much from a party that panders to the lowest scum of humanity, Nigel Farage.
Maybe if we doused all disabled people in milkshake Reform would care?
Whilst the Greens are mostly irrelevant, there was one piece of ableist bullshit that caught my eye. The West of England Centre for Inclusive Living (WECIL) are holding a deaf and disabled people hustings for Bristol candidates. Unsurprisingly many candidates aren’t bothering to show up, and that includes leader of the Green Party Carla Denyer.
Considering the Greens are the only party pledging to increase benefits, you’d think she’d want to put her money where her mouth is.
Cesspit media sucking off the DWP again
Outside of the general election trail, we see how the disgusting rhetoric so many politicians peddle trickles down into the cesspit media and is then fed to the public.
Birmingham Live, a paper so vile I’ve blocked them on Twitter for stealing my stories twice now, this week published one of the most violently ableist pieces I’ve seen in a while. I won’t link because they don’t deserve the views quite frankly:
The shameless DWP benefit cheats whose PIP application lies were busted on camera
Some were caught shopping in Aldi or running a 5K – while others were spotted travelling the world
Cried the bastards, a dog whistle to the worst possible people in humanity who think disabled people should wear sackcloth and never leave the house. The accusatory tone of a disabled person having the audacity to shop in Aldi is so outrage mining its ridiculous – because how dare someone on benefits shop at the cheapest supermarket in the land?
Fuck me next they’ll be inspecting our shopping bags to make sure we’re not buying any treats – but then that’s exactly want the plan to make PIP paid in vouchers would do.
The DWP know what they’re doing… well, about spreading disabled hate at least
The fact the DWP has released this when their own figures show there was literally 0% PIP fraud last year shows just how desperate they are to claw back voters by appealing to those who think we spend all our money on fags and booze, are all secret window cleaners, and run marathons of a weekend.
Make absolutely no mistake, headlines like the above are a deliberate and violent attack on disabled people by the media and the DWP. It’s only going to get worse as the general election and next government cycle rolls on.
So we need to be there to fight.
And some good news – I’m writing a new book!
I haven’t shared any disabled joy here in a while and it’s high bloody time isn’t it? I’m thrilled to be able to tell you all that I’m writing a book all about the history of UK disability rights activism and what we’re still fighting for.
As you all know by now, disability rights is a huge part of my life. However, due to being a fresh-faced beauty I wasn’t there for a lot of it and I’m by no means the ultimate expert – luckily for me I know people who are and were. The date is yet to be set in stone but it’ll be coming sometime in July 2025, published by Hurst.
The as-yet-untitled book will take you all with me while I learn more and help us all remember why we fight. A cover reveal will be coming soon and I’ll be updating you all on Twitter first.
Featured image via the Canary
