The head of one of Scotland’s foremost disability rights charities says she turned down an MBE in the recent new year honours because the UK government was “fuelling hatred, blame and scapegoating of people with disabilities”.
Tressa Burke, chief executive officer of the Glasgow Disability Alliance, had been recommended by the prime minister for the honour for her services to people with disabilities. Over two decades, Burke has grown the organisation from seed into a nationally recognised voice for disabled people in Scotland’s largest city, and supported more than 5,000 members through the pandemic.
But in her letter declining the proposed award, seen by the Guardian, Burke told the Cabinet Office: “I feel that I cannot accept a personal honour because disabled people are being so dishonoured at this time.
“In fact we are being demonised, dehumanised and scapegoated for political choices and policy failures by consecutive governments.”
Burke, who emphasises she means no disrespect to colleagues in the voluntary sector who have accepted similar honours, explains that she received the letter of recommendation on the day of the UK budget, which introduced stricter assessments for personal independent payments, frozen or reduced universal credit health top-ups and cuts to the Motability scheme.
“The budget was an opportunity to send out a signal not about how much disabled people cost but about how much disabled people are worth and are valued by society.”
Instead, she says, it has “supercharged the inequalities and unfairness disabled people face”.
“It is fuelling misinformation. It is fuelling hatred. It is fuelling blame and scapegoating. When the biggest problem we have is that taxation needs to be addressed and if we could all get behind that, including the most wealthy people, we would be able to offer the provision of a welfare state.”
Burke also challenges the government’s “negative framing” of disability, which she says is happening at the same time as “growing attacks by the far right about whether or not [disabled] people have any entitlement to things and lots of misinformation”.
While she argues that “Scotland is doing better than the UK for sure”, Burke says her members will be watching carefully for the practical implementation of the Scottish government’s new disability equality plan, as well as what manifesto commitments are made before May’s Holyrood elections.
Burke, who will have been running the GDA for 20 years this coming May, said she also balked at “individualising” the achievements of her organisation.
The organisation is built around the twin pillars of supporting people at an individual level and reducing their social isolation, then building confidence and their collective voice to influence policy and services.
“Ultimately I am most proud of the people power of GDA – the board, the staff and the members – all disabled people working together to improve disabled people’s lives at the individual and collective level.”
“The peer support that members give each other, the friendships that have sprung up, people have even got married … that’s just something to be proud of. The sense of community and belonging that GDA members have. It feels like being part of a family for thousands of people.”
