Letter to Labour MPs: Back our Manifesto!

We have sent this letter to all Labour MPs. You can see the current list of MPs (and PPCs) endorsing it here: https://www.ndlabour.com/2019/10/29/support-the-manifesto/

Millions of UK citizens – and thousands of your constituents – are autistic, dyslexic, dyspraxic or otherwise neurologically divergent. Millions more are their carers, families, friends and workmates. We face discrimination, lack of appropriate services and even abuse, in a society which does not see the world as we do.  

Over the last three years, a group of neurodivergent Labour Party members has been developing an Autism and Neurodiversity Manifesto for the party, with the support of John McDonnell and in consultation with the wider labour and neurodiversity movements. The result is a collection of radical, practical policies that will significantly improve the lives of neurodivergent people, which you can read here: https://www.ndlabour.com/our-policies/   Highlights include:

• workplace accessibility assessments
• state provision of assessment of dyslexia, dyspraxia and other neurodivergent conditions in adults
• accessible, local, early care and support services instead of distant, long-stay ATUs
• neurodivergence to be a protected characteristic under the Equality Act with the same legal protections as disability
• regulation of treatments aimed at autistic and other neurodivergent people
• neurodiversity to be included in core training for education workers.

If Labour adopts this Manifesto, it will win the support of many of the millions of people whose lives are impacted by neurodivergent conditions, whether that be attention deficit disorders, Tourette syndrome, dyscalculia, the conditions mentioned above and many more. And it will be in a position to deliver real and lasting benefits.

A motion to adopt the Manifesto was submitted to this year’s Party conference but not prioritised for debate. We are now asking MPs and PPCs to add your names to this simple endorsement of our policies:
“We support the Autism and Neurodiversity Manifesto drafted for the Labour Party and look forward to its implementation by a Labour government.”

To kick this off, we have the endorsements of John McDonnell MP, Clive Lewis MP, Stella Creasy MP and Stephen Twigg MP. As you can see, we enjoy support from all wings of the Party!   Please show your support for this by replying to this email.   Thank you.  

Yours in solidarity
Janine Booth
Manifesto Group Convenor
Neurodivergent Labour