The government still doesn’t have a disabilities minister and that’s probably for the best

In January The Independent revealed that 17,000 sick and disabled people had died while awaiting decisions on their claims for disability benefits. The Tories have been a disaster for people like me

What do you do as shadow minister for disabled people when you don’t have anyone to shadow?

That’s the dilemma facing Marsha de Cordova.

More than two weeks after the previous incumbent, Sarah Newton, quit over Brexit there is still no replacement. Tory vice chairman James Cleverly took time out from his busy schedule composing snarky tweets to tell Radio Five that there probably won’t be one until the crisis is resolved.

There was a certain logic to what he said. As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, most of the Conservatives’ appointees have struggled to manage a year in the post before moving on. But given the way Theresa May keeps losing ministers, the next one could struggle to manage a week.

At this rate, it won’t be long before she, or her successor, has to ask the Downing Street cat to take a turn through the revolving door that’s characterised the portfolio.

It’d probably do a better job than some of those that already have. They’ve ranged from the quietly ineffectual to the callously uncaring to Esther McVey.

Forget the moggy. Given the choice between her and Marvel uber-villain Thanos, I imagine most disabled people would opt for the giant purple guy with the Infinity Gauntlet. I know I would.

For those who haven’t seen Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos eliminated half the life in the universe at its climax. But at least he’s an equal opportunities genocidal maniac who never mendaciously tried to pretend Titan (his home) was a “world leader in disability rights”.

Variations on that line have been trotted out by the Department for Work & Pensions and its ministers in response to some of the critical reports they have faced concerning the way Britain treats its disabled people.

They’ve been pinned by the Parliamentary Work & Pensions Committee (repeatedly), Demos, various disability charities, the United Nations...

Last week the National Audit Office had a go, taking aim at the DWP for a “disappointing lack of insight” when it comes to helping disabled people find jobs.

Its missive contained some real humdingers. But they’ve all contained some real humdingers.

“Britain is a world leader…” blah, blah, bleurrgh. FYI, that last non-word serves as an attempt to put my throwing up at this point into a literary format.

Not having a minister in post has drawn criticism from disabled people’s organisations and charities as well as from de Cordova and no wonder. Their policy people must be as frustrated as she is.

Cleverly said there are still civil servants in the department and they’re working jolly hard, but civil servants are supposed to implement decisions, not take them.

Nor can they be held accountable democratically for the policies that have made millions of disabled people miserable at best, suicidal at worst. And now I’m not joking.

In January The Independent revealed that 17,000 sick and disabled people had died while awaiting decisions on their claims for disability benefits. The testing regime regularly coughs up examples of injustice so extreme that many writers would reject them as too outlandish were they up for inclusion in works of fiction. Barely a week goes by without my getting alerted to some fresh example. They’re all dreadful, but so common have they become that to get them into the news these days you need them to be bona fide horror stories.

“Britain is a world leader…” Bleuurrgh. Bleurrgh. Bleurrgh.

Newton, the most recent disabilities minister, proposed appointing a network of “disability champions” as a means of influencing the policy of a government that doesn’t care enough to actually pay them for the (considerable) work they are supposed to do. So, plus ca change.

She did at least do the community a favour by resigning over Brexit to fight off a no deal. The current situation is bad, but what we would be faced with courtesy of that hardly bears thinking about.

Even Thanos might think twice about it. He almost looks like an Avenger (the good guys) when set against Jacob Rees-Mogg and his yahoo chums.

Still, with the government in chaos, and unable to resolve the issue, we might be heading for yet another general election. That means there is a decent chance that de Cordova will get the next shot at the job.

By contrast to most of those who’ve had it, she actually knows something about the subject because she actually has a disability (she’s visually impaired).

When it comes to the way Britain deals with its disabled citizens, that almost counts as revolutionary.