After the General Election the number of Disabled MPs in the House of Commons has increased from three to five. But this number still means that there are less than 1% of the parliamentary total.
Jamie Szymkowiak, founder of the One in Five campaign for disabled politicians said, “one in five of us self-identify as being disabled, which includes mental health, learning disabilities and long term health conditions. The biggest barrier is the cost of standing for election and getting through the selection process. I call on Government to start offering grants to disabled people to help cover those costs”.
The five disabled member of parliament are; Marsha de Cordova (who defeated Jane Ellison in Battersea, and who is registered blind); Jared O’Mara who has cerebal palsy and took the SHEFFIELD HALLAM seat from Nick Clegg and Lib Dem MP Stephen Lloyd who is deaf and returns after losing his seat in 2015. Conservative MPs, Robert Halfon, who has cerebal palsy and osteoarthritus and Paul Maynard, who also has cerebal palsy were re-elected.