Feature article on Rosa Monckton in Guardian Society section, written by social affairs commentator Amelia Gentleman.
Includes Monckton’s frank assessment of the recent Commons seminar which she co-organised:
Rosa Monckton spent many weeks bringing together parents of children with severe learning disabilities for a seminar in the House of Commons late last month. She arranged for the minister for disabled people, Esther McVey, and the children and families minister, Edward Timpson, to listen to the problems they face. Yet Monckton, who is emerging as a serious campaigner on disability, describes the occasion as a “farce”.
Around 40 parents (most of them mothers) from all over the country came to speak about the difficulties they had arranging respite care, support and proper education for their children.
Timpson attended the meeting at the start, told parents how valuable the occasion was as an opportunity for him to learn about their concerns, and left shortly afterwards. McVey arrived a few minutes before the end of the session, after most of the parents had finished speaking, and apologised for having missed the meeting and said very little else before leaving.
“We really wanted the ministers to listen,” says Monckton. “It was a complete disgrace that they didn’t. I wanted them to listen and understand from the parents directly: this is what it is like, this is what your policies are doing, this is what needs changing. I think it is insulting. If any mother in that room needed it to be confirmed how low down in the food chain this issue is, that confirmed it,” she says. “There was palpable anger in the room.”
The article is well worth reading in full…