Labour MPs and PPCs support our Autism / Neurodiversity Manifesto!

“We support the Autism and Neurodiversity Manifesto drafted for the Labour Party and look forward to its implementation by a Labour government.”

  • John McDonnell MP (Hayes and Harlington)
  • Clive Lewis MP (Norwich South)
  • Stella Creasy MP (Walthamstow)
  • Stephen Twigg MP (Liverpool West Derby)
  • Tonia Antoniazzi MP (Gower)
  • Debbie Bannigan PPC (Rugby)
  • Nadia Whittome PPC (Nottingham East)
  • David Drew MP (Stroud)
  • Kate Green MP (Stretford and Urmston)
  • Bill Esterson MP (Sefton Central)
  • Sharon Hodgson MP (Washington and Sunderland West)
  • Danielle Rowley MP (Midlothian)
  • Nick Thomas-Symonds MP (Torfaen)
  • Daniel Zeichner MP (Cambridge)
  • Kerena Marchant PPC (Basingstoke)
  • Ian Murray MP (Edinburgh South)
  • Margaret Beckett MP (Derby South)
  • Emma Lewell-Buck MP (South Shields)
  • Ann Clwyd MP (Cynon Valley)
  • Jonathan Reynolds MP (Stalybridge and Hyde)
  • Daniel Johnson MSP (Edinburgh South)
  • Ruth George MP (High Peak)
  • Lisa Forbes MP (Peterborough)
  • Peter Kyle MP (Hove)
  • Seema Malhotra MP (Feltham and Heston)
  • George Howarth MP (Knowsley)
  • Imran Hussain MP (Bradford East)
  • Mike Davies PPC (Bath)
  • Lucy Burke PPC (Bury South)
  • Joanne Ainscough PPC (Wyre and Preston North)
  • Emma Hardy MP (Hull West and Hessle)
  • Sandy Martin MP (Ipswich)
  • Helen Russell PPC (Mid Worcestershire)
  • Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP (Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven)
  • Samantha Charles PPC (West Worcestershire)
  • Rory Shannon PPC (Bromsgrove)
  • Felix Ling PPC (Stratford-on-Avon)
  • Richard Quigley PPC (Isle of Wight)
  • Chris Ruane PPC (Vale of Clwyd) 
  • Justin Madders PPC (Ellesmere Port and Neston)
  • Dinah Mulholland PPC (Ceredigion)
  • Rebecca Jenkins PPC (Redditch)
  • Greg Marshall PPC (Broxtowe)
  • Dr Coral Jones PPC (North Thanet)
  • Wes Streeting MP (Ilford North)
  • Lucy Caldicott PPC (Dudley South)
  • Kim Snape PPC (South Ribble)
  • Dr Adam Thompson PPC (Amber Valley)
  • Rachel Eden PPC (Reading West)
  • David Morgan PPC (Aldridge-Brownhills)
  • Ruth Jones MP (Newport West)
  • Sue Aitkenhead PPC (Poole)
  • MP = Member of Parliament
  • MSP = Member of Scottish Parliament
  • PPC = Prospective Parliamentary Candidate

*MP/PPC denotes their status prior to the calling of the general election on 12 December 2019. They are now candidates, or in a couple of cases, former MPs.

Your MP or candidate can add their name to this statement by emailing manifesto@ndlabour.com

They (and you!) can read the Manifesto here: https://www.ndlabour.com/our-policies/

You can find your local MP or candidate here: https://vote.labour.org.uk/

Share this content:

29 comments

comments user
Marta Garcia

*** Readers are asked to read the replies to this comment, which correct its inaccuracies.

I would like to know if any of these MPs are aware that you don’t include high needs, severe and non-verbal autistics? Last time I checked your manifesto you have not mention 1. Day care centres 2. Special schools 3. Families and carers… you also say some along the lines of of “facilitate education for those autistic children that are cognitively able”? I would like to know what exactly you mean by that? Those that are more challenged don’t deserve an education? Looking forward to hear from you.

    comments user
    Janine Booth

    We do include the full range of neurodivergent people. You have no evidence to suggest that we do not.

      comments user
      Janine Booth

      These are our policies on education, verbatim from our Manifesto. They are very clear. They include everyone.

      They do not include the wording that you accuse.

      • Education

      Well-funded, publicly-run and accountable schools.

      Smaller class sizes.

      Varied teaching and assessment methods, recognising diversity in people’s learning style and pace.

      Neurodiversity training for all teachers and teaching assistants as part of core training.

      Provision for neurodivergent students and all schools, colleges and universities.

      No cuts in support through Education and Health Care Plans.

      Consideration of neurodiversity in early years and SureStart.

      Education about neurodiversity in the curriculum, including support with social interaction.

      Take the stress out of studying. Take measures to support the mental health of teenagers (including neurodivergent teenagers).

    comments user
    Janine Booth

    Our policies on independent living, support and services includes the following:
    Provide appropriate, publicly-controlled and accountable care close to home, family and/or other support networks.

    That is for *all* autistic and otherwise neurodivergent people, appropriate to each person’s specific needs. Of course that will include day care facilities.

    comments user
    Janine Booth

    Also, our Manifesto does not include the wording that you “quote” – or anything like it. Really, if you are going to sling accusations, I would suggest making the effort to find the passage you object to and quote it verbatim.

comments user
Graham Hanks

There is nothing in any of our literature that suggests that we do not support ‘severe’ autistics, whether non-verbal, high needs or otherwise. We support all neurodivergent people, including all types of autism, adhd, dyslexia. dyspraxia and even Downs Syndrome.

comments user
Wendy Hallett

Well it would of been nice to receive an answer from our email to our MP Lindsey Hoyle when my daughter was fighting her LEA . She turned to him for support when she was at her lowest ebb he didn’t even bother to reply. We know he received the email. My granddaughter is non verbal severely autistic and my daughter was actually told by the judge does she really need school. Attitudes towards autism are often widely inaccurate and I will be perfectly frank with you until you have a child with special needs you have no idea what those parents, siblings relatives go through on a daily basis. Unfortunately staunch labour as I am I have become increasingly cynical and embittered towards the shambles that are our MPs. The only time they ever bother with is or court our views is at election time. Whilst austerity has made our family have to fight hard for our “D” ‘s needs from the Muppets in power now, I honestly don’t believe if it will be any different from labour and that saddens me. Especially when I never see our MP defending the rights of these people.

    comments user
    Janine Booth

    That’s awful that you didn’t receive the support of your MP when you needed it.

    Our Manifesto has been put together by a team of neurodivergent people, many of whom are also parents of kids with special needs, including some who are severely disabled. So we do know what a struggle it can be to claim even the most basic support and rights. That’s why we are promoting this set of radical and practical policies which will significantly improve the lives of autistic and otherwise neurodivergent children and adults.

    We don’t claim that every Labour MP is perfect – far from it! – but our policies mean that things will definitely be much better under a Labour government. We won’t stop fighting when Labour wins the election, but we will find it much easier to achieve progress.

comments user
Wendy Hallett

I have to admit I am concerned that labour are signing up to stop ABA which is the therapy my granddaughter receives without this we would have been lost. NHS s.l.t. told us D would never talk with the help of a therapy used by ABA advocates called Talk tools she is now learning to speak and is finding her voice and using words appropriately. I would ask Labour to look at ABA before dismissing it, it gets a lot of bad press but we have empirical evidence that it has worked for our D. This is learning through play and motivation. Individually tailored to meet the needs of each autistic child. It is expensive but if you want to talk about inclusivity and participation for those most vulnerable in our society then it shouldn’t be dismissed. All parents of children with special needs need a say in their child’s lives they need to listened to as they are the experts. More importantly that child needs to be given their voice and have (where possible) a say in their own lives. It’s an emotive subject but if labour want to implement a fair policy for all people with disabilities both child and adult it’s one that can’t be rushed because of an election in December. You need to speak to both parents and those who access disability services, and not those in power . Ordinary everyday people from all parts of the country, as unfortunately services are now a postcode lottery.

    comments user
    Fiona Clarke

    Wendy, I’ve just been reading the appendix. You say you want Labour to look at ABA before dismissing it and I did read it as asking for there to be an urgent review. As you are aware, as well as being very costly, there are huge concerns over the low quality evidence base of ABA and PBS and lack of understanding or acknowledgement of how their methods can harm. In my view asking for proper review of ABA as well as other options (such as low arousal and Synergy) can only be a good thing for everyone.

    comments user
    Janine Booth

    The Manifesto does not include stopping ABA. It proposes examining the concerns expressed by many autistic people about ABA. Such an examination would obviously include supporters of ABA being able to give their point of view. So, our policy proposes to do exactly what you advocate.

    The Manifesto also proposes regulating treatments offered to autistic and otherwise neurodivergent people. That is a fair an responsible policy, as the alternative is to allow an unregulated market to continue.

    I am interested as to how you got the idea that the Manifesto says ‘Stop ABA’. Are there ABA advocates spreading this misinformation?

    comments user
    Marta Garcia

    Wendy, you are the voice of reason… rest assured they will get rid of ABA at the first chance they have (we don’t use ABA with my child but I respect families that use it), still they deny it… Everybody knows that many autistics (or at least the most vocals) hate ABA, they believe it’s abuse. There’s so much articles about this out there (just google it) that I kind of find it strange they are trying to deny this (to win support obviously). I would be totally in favour of a review of ABA and many other therapies, so we can be better informed in which is the most positive and get better outcomes depending on the individual needs, but it would have to be an objective, non-bias study… I’ve trying to lobby several Labour MPs about the lack of severe and non-verbal representation in this community and trying to organise so the voices of high needs autistics are heard. I might have misread the part that said “those cognitive able” (I apologise for that, I red the manifesto couple of months ago and I couldn’t find the link with it, I got it now) but the rest of what I said still stand. Where is your mention of day care centres? Where is your mention on special schools? Your mention of therapies such as OT and SLT (so important in early intervention)? And, your mentioned of parents carers or family member that care for high needs autistics? They are nowhere… proving you are either not including the people that can feed you back these things (like I am right now) or the people that say that are talking for high needs are absolutely clueless about high needs actually… I would love to know who is giving this very ill advice on how to approach severe, nonverbal autistics and their families? Many thanks.

      comments user
      Janine Booth

      Marta, having admitted to misquoting our Manifesto, your “argument” is now reduced to asserting that we don’t mean what we publish. I can assure you that we do.

      Otherwise, you simply repeat points (eg. about day care centres) which we have already answered.

comments user
Rebecca Jenkins

I fully support the Autism and Neurodiversity Manifesto drafted for the Labour Party and look forward to its implementation by a Labour government. This is vital and important.

comments user
Wendy Hallett

Marta has a valued argument on slts at the moment the NHS is so backward not just with early intervention but they seem unwilling to discuss any other valuable alternatives to their own outdated ones. It’s almost like a one shoe fits all approach which is worrying as austism like any other disability is very individual. I have just been on a level 2 course talktools program, in a class of 20, two were slts from the NHS the rest were private. Trying to get an SLT that is good that is interested in different approaches is near impossible. There is certainly a north south divide. The two NHS practitioners were from Islington and Barnett. Whilst I don’t want to see everything implemented from America we are missing out on good best practices for our non verbal children. Policies need putting in place that are viable, realistic and work, at the moment the NHS is failing our most vulnerable. I am extremely sceptical about Labours proposals for disabilities , it needs to include ABA and talktools if parents want this. This then also needs proper regulation, at the moment we have expensive day care centres or private companies that are failing both parents and clients alike. I would also include charities in the above with expensive CEOs that have no knowledge what those at the coal face actually do . If Labour are true to their word and genuinely committed to bettering these lives then they need to start speaking to parents and clients. It’s not good enough to have working political parties you need to talk to those who use these services on a daily basis. It needs to be across the divide , all social and economic backgrounds. We have a postcode lottery at the moment and it’s fundamentally wrong. We use a lot of private provision can you imagine how a lot of parents who are on minimum wage feel when they cannot afford to access these services??? I will never vote for a party that has a man like Rees Mogg in it …But come on Labour start activating yourself… You already have a right wing press against you …Start listening because I don’t believe you are …

comments user
Janine Booth

What you argue in this comment is exactly what our Manifesto says: fund support and interventions, provide local, accessible support, end waiting lists, regulate treatments.

I understand that there is a lobby at work trying to frighten parents into thinking that we want to ban ABA, but a read of our Manifesto will debunk this. Some people like ABA, many autistic people intensely dislike it. In that situation, the only answer is to investigate and regulate. We can’t just allow it to be practised without regulation on any autistic person whose parents want it without any investigation into the serious concerns about it that autistic people have raised.

comments user
Melanie

Will you acknowledge that there are girls across the spectrum? Not just ones with the ” female presentation”? It feels like girls who received an early diagnosis are invisible.

    comments user
    Graham Hanks

    Absolutely! If we have given the impression that we don’t recognise girls/women across the spectrum then that is an issue of wording that maybe needs looking at and we apologise. I myself actually present more like the so-called ‘female’ presentation of autism than male, and I certainly know of females that do not fit the stereotype of the female presentation.

      comments user
      Janine Booth

      The very first sentence of the policy section of the Manifesto is:
      Diagnostic/identification service available to all, without delays, which recognises neurodivergent conditions in girls and women as well as in boys and men.

comments user
Graham Hanks

We are all neurodivergent in this organisation. I myself am an autistic father to three autistic kids – one of whom is at a special school – which I am very supportive of, they are brilliant with him. To assume we are against the idea of special schools is making some very wild jumps of imagination. If we don’t mention specific measures it is because we want proper investigations of the suitable pathways before committing to pushing for any particualr protocol. If we push for ABA and it then becomes proven that it is harmful, how much damage will we have done?

You have to remember that there is a whole spectrum of what is called ‘ABA’ from simple reward charts, to kids being electrocuted to condition them into behaving a certain way (yes it really does happen in this day and age! look up the Judge Rotenberg Centre to see just how nasty the extremes of ABA can become). The whole ABA process was originally Gay Conversion Therapy, but when Lovaas got too much heat over his controversial methods, he switched to using it on Autistic children instead. there may be less extreme versions of ABA these days, but it all still has it’s roots in gay conversion.

Many of the Autistic people arguing against ABA are doing so because they had ABA used on them as kids and are very angry and bitter about it. Are you suggesting we ignore the psychological harm done to these people and have their testimony brushed under the carpet?

This is why we want a proper investigation into the different types of ABA, and regulations set in place to prevent the possibility of the more abusive versions being used in the UK.

comments user
Michelle

I was thinking of voting Labour for the first time due to this Brexit mess the Conservatives have got us in. This is despite both your leader and party being in absolute shambles which frankly, epitomizes the state of this once great nation. I find myself however, after reading your condescending and dismissive replies to those parents asking for clarification, rethinking my choice. You have reminded me why I don’t vote Labour. Why don’t you admit the questions being asked of you are above your pay grade and you just don’t know the answers, rather than referring back to your unicorn manifesto. Let’s face facts, no one believes political parties are actually going to deliver on their empty promises. Manifestos are like a child’s fairytale, albeit far more imaginative and one of many reasons politicians are widely disrespected. You no longer have a duty of care for the long term future of your country, only your term in office. We are all well aware of this disappointing reality.

Learn the facts and history about ABA objectively, before presuming it’s a dangerous therapy. True, some autistic adults are unhappy about their ABA experience… unfortunately they were taught under the Lovaas method. Like medication and other therapies, ABA has also evolved so don’t judge ABA VB by an outdated method which is no longer used in this country. Look to America – ABA VB is their most widely used therapy, highly regulated and successful. The state of CA is the best for SEN – a good starting point for your research. I agree ABA needs regulation – parents using it are also screaming out for regulation but the government have really dropped the ball on this… as they have with SEN overall.

ABA VB is extremely effective and provides a very positive approach for ASD individuals. My son says his therapist is his best friend… hardly the words you’d expect from an autistic child who’s enduring abusive therapy. If you want to look at abuse, why don’t you fix the state of the ‘jails’ in which innocent autistic children and adults are held against theirs and their families will, whilst being physically and mentally abused under the guise of care.

Drop your ignorant attitude towards families who endure special needs on a daily basis. Explaining you have spoken with SEN families doesn’t mean you understand the lives of these people, far from it. Don’t sweep ABA under the carpet when it’s is the one therapy with scientific backing and data.

As for you Graham, being an autistic individual yourself, you have made your mind up which side of the fence you sit on which is sad that even with the therapy you may have had as a child, you can’t see both sides. Maybe had you been fortunate enough to have ABA VB therapy, it’d help you see this matter in an objective manner.
Gay conversion… I’ll be sure to tell my gay consultant and gay tutor they are in the wrong industry. They must have missed that memo.

    comments user
    Janine Booth

    We are not politicians. We are grassroots, neurodivergent Labour Party members.
    We have set up a website that – unlike most – allows people to post comments, ask questions, and even insult us. We allow these comments and we engage with them.
    If you read that as condescending or dismissive, then that is your choice to do so. It is does not reflect the truth.

    It is quite bewildering to me that when our Manifesto explicitly calls for regulation of treatments, and for investigation into concerns about ABA, that ABA advocates repeatedly post comments here which attack us for opposing ABA. You say you support regulation – so why the hostility?
    Please engage with what our Manifesto actually says.

    You advise us to “fix” detention in ‘care’ facilities, as though you think we have the power to do so. To remind you, we are not the government. We are a group of autistic and otherwise neurodivergent Labour Party members. Our manifesto addresses this and many other issues.
    I am tempted to ask whether you have read our Manifesto, but I expect you would find that condescending and dismissive.

    We *are* members of families with special-needs kids and adults. We are not “ignorant” of special needs. We live this every day. And we don’t do this for a “pay grade”.

    Unfortunately, your evangelism for ABA seems to have led you to ignore who we actually are and what we actually say, in favour of an inaccurate cariacture.

    comments user
    Graham Hanks

    How condescending to assume that if I’d had ABA I might be somehow a better, more objective person now! Are you suggesting that I am somehow not a competent person because of lack of ABA? Or simply that my views don’t matter because I have not been made to think like you?

    For your information, I am an active autism researcher who has extensively studied the history of ABA, I’m also currently studying Neuroscience at University, specialising in autistic neurology. So when I talk about Lovaas originally using ABA as gay conversion therapy before switching to using it on Autistic kids, I know this from having actually read up on the history of ABA.

    I’m also the parent to three autistic kids – one of whom goes to a special school. Indeed many of our organisers are autistic parents of special needs kids – so its wrong to assume we know nothing of SEN families.

    By the way I think you will find your Gay friends would be just as angry about the history of gay conversion therapy as many Autistic are about ABA, given that it was an attempt to convert gay people into straight people!

comments user
Wendy Hallett

Please come and see ABA in practice…Of course it’s about reward… Electrocution my god you think I would do that to my grandchild!!! There were some terrible practices in the 70s as there were terrible inhuman treatment of autistic people both young and old. This is a play based therapy with reward no punishment. I am glad you found a fabulous SEN school unfortunately we didn’t . I think each parent knowing the ability of their child has a right to decide their future, and as much as you can find those autistic adults who hate ABA , I can find those that advocate for it. My Granddaughter is at the lower end of the spectrum and we need people and policies put in place to fight for those autistics who have no voice. The silent minority who yester year would have been placed in a mental institution so before you scream ABA abuse let’s think on that.

    comments user
    Janine

    Thanks. this is exactly what we will do!
    Our Manifesto commits to investigating concerns and regulating treatment. Of course this will involve watching them in practice and listening to the views of both supporters and opponents of particular treatments.
    It seems to me that you actually support what our Manifesto is saying, so I am confused by the hostility being shown.

    comments user
    Graham Hanks

    No one is suggesting that you personally would electrocute your grandchildren. But I assure you it does happen – not in the 70’s but today. Again I urge you to look up the Judge Rotenburg Center, which to this day uses electric shocks to punish children! We are not asking for abolition of ABA but a proper review of current practices, and proper safeguards put in place to ensure practices like those at the Judge Rotenburg Center never reach these shores. I’m sure you too would want to see laws making sure more extreme forms of ABA are not introduced over here.

comments user
Wendy Hallett

I will also refute the idea that I am evangelical over ABA regulation is something I would respect and adhere to. Unfortunately SEN schools whilst regulated and inspected still do not always serve as best practice to sen children. I think your tone is angry because I’m not agreeing with you and whilst I appreciate this is an open forum and respect your views, that dosent necessarily mean I agree with them. I feel this makes you angry which I don’t understand, reasoned debate can only help our Sen children, which is all I care about. ABA should be regulated and I hope labour would do this but dismiss at your child’s peril just my take. I shan’t reply anymore as I hate upsetting anyone I just love open debate but if it offends as it is I shall say no more. Much respect Wendy

    comments user
    Janine

    I’m not sure who it is you think is being angry in their tone, as your comment is a comment on the post rather than a reply to a particular comment. Please remember that autistic people often do not use ‘tone’ in the same way as non-autistic people do; we tend to just use the words we mean.
    I hope you don’t mean me. I am not angry at all. I’m rather sad at the repeated insults directed at ND Labour, and the inaccuracies posted about our Manifesto, but none of that has come from you, Wendy. The suggestion of ‘evangelism’ was explicitly addressed to Michelle, not to you.

Post Comment