Tory sneers at disabled
THE failed former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith has launched an arrogant attack on the Sunday Express crusade to save Remploy jobs, saying disabled staff just sit around drinking coffee all day.
Iain Duncan Smith has launched an attack on the Sunday Express crusade to save Remploy jobs
In a heartless outburst, the Work and Pensions Secretary said he wanted to save money by closing factories and getting more people into "proper jobs".
The shameless snub came on the day the Tories were battered at the ballot box in elections across the UK.
He delivered it in a face-to-face confrontation as we delivered more than 15,000 "Save Remploy" signed protests from our readers. Editor Martin Townsend, political editor Kirsty Buchanan, Remploy worker Mark Holloway and administrator Julie Haynes from the Barking factory were waiting in the lobby when Mr Duncan Smith strode through with his wife Betsy.
Seizing the opportunity, we urged him to rethink plans that will leave 1,518 disabled workers out of work with little prospect of new jobs at a time when unemployment is at a 17-year high of 2.7million.
An irate Mr Duncan Smith was unapologetic, however.
How far do you want to go with the idea that you can choose to do exactly what you want
In a tirade campaigners later branded "unbelievable arrogance", he stormed: "Is it a kindness to stick people in some factory where they are not doing any work at all? Just making cups of coffee?
"I promise you this is better. Taking this decision was a balance between how much do I want to spend keeping a number of people in Remploy factories not producing stuff versus getting people into proper jobs."
Stunned, Julie, 55, said: "We work in our factories!"
The minister barked back: "You don't produce very much at all."
Mark, 46, who has cerebral palsy, said 95 per cent of Remploy staff axed under Labour's 2008 closure programme still do not have jobs.
Asked why the disabled were being robbed of a choice between a segregated or mainstream workplace, Mr Duncan Smith snapped: "How far do you want to go with the idea that you can choose to do exactly what you want?"
He said he would look at any viable plan to keep open the 18 Remploy factories at risk and may extend the 90-day consultation period.
He warned, however: "The reality is for those that are not viable it does not make any sense at all keeping people sitting not doing anything."
Mr Townsend vowed: "The Sunday Express crusade to Save Remploy will step up a gear now as we campaign harder to stop these catastrophic closures.
"Remploy provides dignity, support, security and self-esteem to its staff. This is not only a fight to save jobs but to reward hard work and endeavour, something a Conservative-led Government should be only too willing to support."
Last night shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne attacked the "unbelievable arrogance" of accusing disabled workers of doing "nothing more than putting the kettle on".
Mr Duncan Smith was the widely derided Tory leader from 2001-2003.