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Disability Bitch and the MP hecklers
10th February 2011
• Disability Bitch is published every Thursday.
Readers, this weekend, the UK's newest disabled MP was profiled in a national newspaper. If you hadn't heard of Paul Maynard last week, you probably have now. He's been prominently featured in every major newspaper on an almost daily basis ever since.
Readers, this weekend, the UK's newest disabled MP was profiled in a national newspaper. If you hadn't heard of Paul Maynard last week, you probably have now. He's been prominently featured in every major newspaper on an almost daily basis ever since.
I'd love to link to the article which caused the furore but it's behind a paywall and you have to offer a pound for the privilege, so allow me to summarise it:
Paul Maynard, Conservative MP for Blackpool and Cleveleys, has cerebral palsy and epilepsy because he was strangled by his umbilical cord at birth. He slurs his speech a little. He met Margaret Thatcher while he was a child at special school. He does not want his disability to define him, but he does want to use his own experiences to speak out on behalf of other people. During the various election campaigns he fought, potential voters mocked him and doubted his ability to be an MP because he is disabled.
Paul Maynard, Conservative MP for Blackpool and Cleveleys, has cerebral palsy and epilepsy because he was strangled by his umbilical cord at birth. He slurs his speech a little. He met Margaret Thatcher while he was a child at special school. He does not want his disability to define him, but he does want to use his own experiences to speak out on behalf of other people. During the various election campaigns he fought, potential voters mocked him and doubted his ability to be an MP because he is disabled.
Now he is in parliament, things are seemingly not very different. When he spoke up in a House of Commons debate in support of axing child trust funds recently, a group of MPs pulled faces at him, "really exaggerated faces" according to Paul and he cannot say with certainty that they were mocking his impairment, but 'it felt like it'. He kept talking until he had finished his point. The article doesn't explain what his point was, though.
So there we are. Usually at this juncture I would make a series of hilarious jokes, cleverly dissecting the views and opinions of our new high-powered elected representative and disabled comrade-in-arms. Remember when then-Home Secretary David Blunkett said his blindness was an inconvenience rather than a disability? I changed my name to Inconvenience Bitch and wrote a whole column about how stupid that was. It was both brilliant and hilarious!
Unfortunately, despite the coverage, I still have no idea what Paul Maynard's views and opinions are. I do, however, know a great deal more than I'd ever wish to about his umbilical cord.
Unfortunately, despite the coverage, I still have no idea what Paul Maynard's views and opinions are. I do, however, know a great deal more than I'd ever wish to about his umbilical cord.
The noise around Paul's experience in parliament was so widespread that even Trevor Phillips, head of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, briefly remembered disability discrimination is in his remit and said he was 'sickened' by the allegations.
Very little of the extensive reportage bothered to mention what Paul was trying to say during the debate in question. Which kinda means the people who were shouting him down have succeeded.
Let me at least correct this omission.
Click the following image to watch the debate in which Paul was allegedly mocked:
Very little of the extensive reportage bothered to mention what Paul was trying to say during the debate in question. Which kinda means the people who were shouting him down have succeeded.
Let me at least correct this omission.
Click the following image to watch the debate in which Paul was allegedly mocked:
If you scroll to 18:36 you can hear Paul's contribution
In the debate, Paul said that Child Trust Funds failed both the 'Ronseal test and the rhododendron test' of legislation. He went on to say he meant they did not do what they said on the tin, and looked beautiful but choked off wider growth.
Hmm. So, possibly the reason the abuse Paul received has been more widely reported than his views is because it is a darn sight more interesting, but I digress. In that vid, you can only see Paul, not the nearby or opposition benches, and there is a bit of jeering about five minutes after he stands up. If anyone's pulling faces, we can't see them here.
At one point in his 25 minute speech, we do notice Paul getting a bit agitated and suggesting that a fellow MP ought to learn some manners.
At one point in his 25 minute speech, we do notice Paul getting a bit agitated and suggesting that a fellow MP ought to learn some manners.
In my life, any time I've bothered to suggest to a third party that someone's behaved toward me in a discriminatory manner, I've always been asked if I'm SURE that's what happened, as if I might've been in some way mistaken and the person concerned was actually singing my praises.
I too have cerebral palsy and people do make 'spastic faces' at me on a regular basis. Those people are usually ten years old, but it does happen.
Many commentators have expressed shock and outrage that MPs - our elected representatives and lawmakers - have behaved in this way. Readers, I'm not particularly surprised, and you won't find me resorting to outrage; if I were to get upset every time something like this happened, I'd barely have time to eat.
Mostly I'm just bored and disappointed that Members of Parliament can't come up with insults that are more creative.
I too have cerebral palsy and people do make 'spastic faces' at me on a regular basis. Those people are usually ten years old, but it does happen.
Many commentators have expressed shock and outrage that MPs - our elected representatives and lawmakers - have behaved in this way. Readers, I'm not particularly surprised, and you won't find me resorting to outrage; if I were to get upset every time something like this happened, I'd barely have time to eat.
Mostly I'm just bored and disappointed that Members of Parliament can't come up with insults that are more creative.
Facebook / Twitter
If Paul Maynard's bored of being laughed at by his colleagues in the House of Commons, he could always join me on Facebook and @DisabilityBitch and be laughed at by me instead.
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politics, cerebral palsy, prejudice, discrimination, Paul Maynard
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Comments
Well, what a fuss.. or not? The real issue is the fact that it IS SO commonplace for disabled people to be devalued in much more subtle ways, that I often even begin to wonder if I AM imagining it. At lewast this is obvious - so doubt there. But the truth is more mundane and at the same time radical. A lot of people are prejudiced and can only work with stereotypes, but it is a little disappointing that MPs are so like the rest of us. But hey isn't that representative democracy?
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Tories exist to be laughed at, Maynard is letting down the side here...
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I am disabled and considered myself pretty much "disability aware" but I'm still well and true on the learning curve. Many years ago I made friends with a fellow swimmer, Bob, who has CP, and we sometimes go for a chat and a drink afterwards. One day I asked another friend, Jim, to join us. Afterwards Jim was furious with me, saying "Do you realise how offended Bob must be, what with you pulling faces, like as if you are imitating him?"
I was mortified. I had absolutely no idea I was doing it. Afterwards when I met and chatted with Bob I was aware that there was something inside me that wanted to copy his facial mannerisms and I had to be conscious to keep a "flaccid" or stone face.
Another friend suggested this "copying" was a mis-placed form of empathy and that reflecting other people's facial expressions is a common but unconscious form of communication (regardless of whether the person has CP or not).
I wonder if there has been any academic research on the subject?
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I also went to a special school, but luckily I wasn't forced to meet Thatcher. Maybe Mr Maynard should sue them for the unfortunate side-effect of turning him into a Tory....
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The only thing MP's are creative about is their expenses
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