Tory Leadership Frontrunner Kemi Badenoch Takes Aim at Vulnerable Groups

Parents of autistic children face significant challenges in getting support from the state, with one in five assessments for education, health, and care plans (EHCPs) being refused by local authorities. This systematic barrier to care is compounded by the lack of nearby special needs schools and transport options, leaving many families to bear the financial burden of their child's needs. Kemi Badenoch's assertion that autistic families receive economic advantages and protections is a misleading one, given the reality of parents like myself who have had to shell out tens of thousands of pounds for our child's care.

Key Takeaways:

• Kemi Badenoch has written the foreword for a pamphlet titled "Conservatism in Crisis", which insinuates that families with autistic children are to blame for the rise of the "bureaucratic class" and the failure of free market capitalism.
• The pamphlet suggests that autistic families receive economic benefits, including better treatment at school and transport to and from home, which is far from the reality faced by many families.
• According to Robert Buckland, a top Tory, the section of the pamphlet on autism is "muddled" and conflates it with anxiety, a criticism echoed by autistic individuals who often suffer from anxiety alongside their condition.
• Buckland also stated that the section "didn't seem to be based on any evidence" and mixing up autism with mental health is not right.
• Badenoch has a history of punching down on vulnerable groups, including her attack on maternity pay, describing it as "excessive" despite Britain's maternity offering being one of the stingiest in the OECD.
• Badenoch would pull Britain out of the European Convention on Human Rights if efforts to reduce immigration fail, highlighting a disturbing tendency to erode protections for vulnerable people.

Statistics:

• 93% of EHCP assessments are requested by parents on behalf of their autistic children (Source: National Autistic Society).
• 1 in 5 EHCP assessments are refused by local authorities (Source: National Autistic Society).
• 700,000 people with autism in the UK are economically inactive (Source: Robert Buckland's report on barriers to work for autistic people).
• Britain's maternity pay is ranked 27th out of 37 OECD countries (Source: OECD).

Sources:

• "Conservatism in Crisis" pamphlet.
• Robert Buckland's report on barriers to work for autistic people.
• Times Radio interview with Kemi Badenoch on maternity pay.
• National Autistic Society.
• Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).