To not recognise Kemi Badenoch's views on ASD?

[Locutus2000]

The likely next leader of His Majesty's opposition

The Tory leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch has been criticised for a campaign pamphlet that said autistic people received “better treatment” and “economic privileges and protections”.

A pamphlet published by Badenoch’s campaign team at the Conservative party conference argued that conditions such as anxiety, as well as an autism diagnosis, had gone from something “people should work on themselves as individuals” to “something that society, schools, and employers have to adapt around”

I'd love to know what improved treatment and economic privileges I should be getting - maybe I forgot to apply.

What do Kemi supporters find attractive?

It really is like watching a very opinionated and ill informed eight year old trying to be PM. I'm embarrassed for her. She has no self-awareness at all.

I bet she has never even spoken to a family about their experiences of services either.

I've had to apply for two tribunals for a special school place and the correct DLA (they've ignored their own legal parameters). There is no respite whatsoever. Barely see a consultant annually to discuss future care. Oh and took well over year for a diagnosis, which is good by all accounts.

Not to mention having to put up with raising a severely disabled son with comorbid ID whilst working full-time and chasing professionals in a failing, shit system.

😂😂😂yeah, so many privileges.

Someone take the shovel off this woman.

she an immature and ignorant busybody who is out to pick a fight with just anyone. It's her trademark. She will be a gift to the hapless labour government if she becomes the leader of the opposition. of course she is talking out of her arse and she knows is. She knows is wrong, and controversial hence she does it. Let's see whom she targets next. She must be working of a very long spreadsheet. We could probably play Badenoch Bingo here. I wouldn't get wound up by it (and 2 of my children are in the spectrum and have been terribly failed by the system)

I don't recognise Kemi Badenoch's views on almost everything.

Pretty standard for the trounced opposition to go through a couple of complete duds as leaders while they regroup. There's no point expecting any real contenders for a good few years.

😧Omg that is truly bad. Absolutely horrendous and MPs do make some serious faux pas at times, but that is something else altogether.

I'm actually shocked!

Although I remember her snide rowback after Diane Abbott nasty little racism ordeal. So I guess I shouldn't be altogether surprised, but still....

What an arse

DD missed 3 years of education, I had to push and push to get seen. We got a diagnosis with no funding attached. I had to fight all the way. There is now zero support now she is 18, other than what I pay for.

What does she think happens ? You get an ASD diagnosis, and the Autism fairy makes sure society adapts to your needs?

I just don't get why you would alienate yourself from everyone apart from wealthy, middle-aged men. We all probably know someone who is neurodiverse, disabled or from one of the other groups she likes to attack. We are all aware of their struggles and what they have had to overcome. Even as a mother apparently you are getting too much maternity pay. Well that's a lot of people youve pissed off there. How is that going to help you win the next election? It's baffling.

She is like one of those outlandish z-list celebrities who thinks any attention is good attention.

I just don't get why you would alienate yourself from everyone apart from wealthy, middle-aged men.

@Soukmyfalafel

Because that's the demographic of the people who will be voting for her. The Tory party membership is extremely small—it's pretty much just a few thousand golf playing middle-aged men from the South East. That's why we landed up with Boris, and then Truss. When it gets down to the final two, they will reliably choose the more lunatic candidate.

Yeah but it's not many people is it? Sounds like they are just trying to save themselves from extinction. I though Cleverly was the better option in terms of getting support back, but even he fucked it up for himself.

Whoever is supplying these people with a certain stimulant must be laughing. It gives you all the arrogance and confidence, whilst completely depleting your logic, self-awareness and reasoning. 😂

I try not to take any notice of politics because they're all as bad as each other I think! But ds is autistic, as am I, so I'll be following this thread !

No publicity is bad publicity though. Kemis had at least 8 different threads on MN over the last few days and whilst it might not be good for her I bet it works in favour for the Tory's overall. They need to out reform Reform and get the dissenters back and crap like this may well do it.

I'd love to hear from people who say that OP is being unreasonable (or the statement she is making). Personally I think it's regressive, abhorrent although not altogether surprising.

The country is in flames (with not much sign of the current government having a solid plan to fix any of the key issues) and both Tory leadership candidates focus on absolutely empty culture wars bullshit like this.

It’s what I expect from the Tories of course, but I still despair. Where are the strong leaders with real vision? We have not needed them
more in my lifetime.

They'll try out-Reforming Reform, and it will be a disaster. They'll need to go through their Hague, IDS and maybe even Howard phase before they land on another appealing centrist like Cameron and get back into power. There's really no point even talking about whoever wins this contest.

What do Kemi supporters find attractive

”She knows what a woman is!!!” 🙄

even a stopped clock is right twice day

Whether she actually believes it or not she is making her opinion very clear to appeal to the people who agree with it. The people who don't have autistic children but who feel their children are impacted in school because of a child who is (there are plenty of threads on here about it), people who struggle with working and paying for childcare and think that other parents who have badly behaved children (again plenty of threads here about using ADHD/autism for poor behaviour) get more help.
This tactic is to appeal to people who don't already vote Tory more than the ones who do. Sow dissent and demonise working mothers and now autistic children (more benefit bashing).

it's almost like she's saying controversial stuff just to get attention 🤔

I suspect her target audience is people whose views are bigoted, but they would never admit them and want to pat themselves on the back about how progressive they are for voting for a black woman. Plenty of those in the Conservative Party ranks.

Badenoch and Jenrick cut from the same cloth. They don't think before they speak.
Jenrick accused British special forces of killing rather than capturing terrorists.

Obviously one of them will be the next leader of the Tories but I'd bet my house on it whoever wins will last a year max.

They all know what a woman is. Most of them are too scared to piss off violent, mentally ill men to say it.

I sadly do recognise those views, though from nearly 20 years ago when my kids were small. I even knew a paediatrician back then who largely held similar views, even put in writing that my son's communication difficulties and 'odd cadence to speech' were because I have a foreign accent. It's frustrating to see them still around.

The pamphlet is amusing in a grim way that it's clear they have no idea on the law - diagnosis is not the legal criteria to meet the disability part of the Equality Act.

She's perfect as leader of the Tories if you want them to be a shambles for a long time. She's come after maternity pay, immigrants, the mentally ill and the autistic.

It’s not that she is some fearless truth-teller. It’s just that she already has a base who welcomes “telling it like it is” on trans issues, alongside other issues they regard as indulgences of the guardianistas.

If her base were pro-trans she’d be out there getting photo ops with Dylan Mulvaney or whatever. She’s empty.

How stupid do you have to be not to able to work out that most autistic people would happily swap their supposed advantages in return for not having to deal with the much greater disadvantages?

I gather Sunak always thought Badenoch was dim and incompetent, and only appointed her a minister to appease the right wing. Looks like he was correct.