Access All: Disability News and Mental Health

Election interviews: The Green Party, Reform UK and Plaid Cymru’s disability policies

·34 min·3 clips

Emma Tracey interviews Green, Plaid Cymru, and Reform UK on their disability policies for the UK election.

This episode of Access All features interviews with representatives from three UK political parties as part of election coverage. Host Emma Tracey first speaks with Mags Lewis, a Green Party candidate with MS, who discusses the party's policies on disability benefits, mental health, housing, and education. Lewis pledges a 5% increase in disability benefits and reform of PIP assessments, funded by taxes on the wealthy. Kate Lamble from More or Less then analyzes the Green Party's housing pledge, noting that their manifesto promises 150,000 social homes per year but includes refurbished older stock, which may be less accessible. Next, Liz Saville-Roberts from Plaid Cymru, who uses hearing aids, talks about funding disparities for Wales, long waits for neurodiverse diagnoses, and mental health reform. She emphasizes cultural changes in the NHS and criticizes the Barnett Formula. Lamble returns to analyze Plaid Cymru's funding claims, comparing public spending per person in Wales and London. Finally, David Cornock, BBC political correspondent, summarizes Reform UK's manifesto, as the party did not provide an interviewee. He explains Reform's plans to reduce the welfare bill, require face-to-face PIP assessments, and scrap the Equality Act, with limited detail on social care or SEND support. The episode concludes with contact information and a promo for Newscast.

As heard by us

Election promises are tested against the everyday realities of accessible homes, support, access, and disabled representation.

Access All gives disability policy a practical election test, putting Mags Lewis of the Green Party and Liz Saville-Roberts of Plaid Cymru through listener questions before turning to Reform UK's manifesto when the party does not provide an interviewee.

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Why you'd press play

You want election coverage that gets from party manifestos to door widths, plug heights, and hearing aids.

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