Tory backbencher Philip Davies caused outrage today by telling Parliament that disabled people should work for less than the minimum wage, reports Shamik Das.
Tory backbencher Philip Davies caused outrage today by telling Parliament that disabled people should work for less than the minimum wage. The remarks were described as “outrageous and unacceptable” by a select committee chair, and “a preposterous suggestion” by a leading charity. Davies made his comments during a debate on the Employment Opportunities Bill, which had its second reading today.
Anne Begg, chair of the work and pensions committe, said:
“These comments are utterly outrageous and unacceptable. To suggest that disabled people should be treated as second class citizens is shocking and shows just what a warped world some Tories demonstrate they inhabit.”
Davies also said people with learning difficulties should be made to work for sub-standard wages – made to work for less than £5.93 an hour.
Responding, Mind spokeswoman Sophie Corlett said:
“It is a preposterous suggestion that someone who has a mental health problem should be prepared to accept less than minimum wage to get their foot in the door with an employer.
“People with mental health problems should not be considered a source of cheap labour and should be paid appropriately for the jobs they do.”
Last month, Davies described Britain’s contribution to international aid as “stark raving mad”; more sinister were his recent comments that there was nothing offensive about ‘blacking up’.
Davies had said:
“Why it is so offensive to black up your face… I have never understood this.”
As I said before, what a sad, pathetic little man Mr Davies is.
98 Responses to “Tory MP: Disabled should work for less than minimum wage”
Yusuf Solley
Tory backbencher Philip Davies. Absolutely shameful. http://t.co/n2eSx0p
Al Smith
So @PhilipDaviesMP think the disabled should be able to work for below min. wage. And eat less than minimum food? http://bit.ly/m5oJkA
Janis Sharp
@JanisSharp ToryMP @PhilipDaviesMP says disabled people should consider working for less than min wage: http://t.co/k1pwWUK (via @ShamikDas)
John Franglen
RT @leftfootfwd: Tory MP: Disabled should work for less than minimum wage http://t.co/cM9lEdE
Leon Wolfson
Lady Eris;
Not only is it an attack on the minimum wage, it’s saying that disabled people deserve less of society. More, it’d be expensive (since they would be able to claim standard benefits based on the low rate of pay).
Also, where do you draw the lines on “disability” and “want to”? I’m dyslexic, for example, and while I’m perfectly capable of functioning at a high level (sure, my handwriting /sucks/), do I “qualify”? More, if the universal benefit sees I refuse a £3.50/hour job, should I then be penalised for “turning down work”?
It’s bad for society to undermine the minimum wage, and it’d bad for disabled people, too, since this government WOULD, I believe, love to force them into severely underpaid work.