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All Party Parliamentary Group on ME is re-registered at Westminster

eafw

Senior Member
Messages
936
Location
UK
Thanks Charles, can you say a bit more about what this group can and cannot do ? Could they push for NICE reform or release of PACE results, or more bio research, or better media representation ? Do they work with patients or patient groups ?

Your link says "Although it does not have any formal powers, it plays an important role in drawing the attention of MPs, Ministers and Lords to M.E. related issues."

which could be something or nothing really.
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
The Countess of Mar was re-elected and new officers were elected for the remaining positions. The named Officers of the APPG are now:

Chair: Sir Peter Bottomley MP
Co-Chair: Countess of Mar
Vice-Chair: Mark Tami MP
Secretary: Jacob Rees-Mogg MP

Jacob Rees-Mogg! He's very high-profile. Interesting that he's interested in us.

Many thanks to all of these MPs who've signed up to help us. :thumbsup:
 

eafw

Senior Member
Messages
936
Location
UK
Jacob Rees-Mogg! He's very high-profile. Interesting that he's interested in us.

Worrying, I'd say. He is pro-benefit cuts, pro-UKIP (says they are "natural allies to the Conservatives"), pro-zero hours, defended Lord Freud's comments that "people with disabilities aren't worth a minimum wage". He voted against an inquiry into the effects of the government’s Welfare Reform policies, and (ETA) against a provision for carers in the bedroom tax.

So quite a package really.
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
Worrying, I'd say. He is pro-benefit cuts, pro-UKIP (says they are "natural allies to the Conservatives"), pro-zero hours, defended Lord Freud's comments that "people with disabilities aren't worth a minimum wage". He voted against an inquiry into the effects of the government’s Welfare Reform policies.

So quite a package really.

Yowser... going to be interesting to see what his take is on ME, then.
 

eafw

Senior Member
Messages
936
Location
UK
Peter Bottomley, who is chairing the group is another Tory, same stable as Rees-Mogg. Anti-poor and anti-disabled, establishment old-boy. This is bound to inform the way they operate. I do wonder what is their interest here ?
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
Peter Bottomley, who is chairing the group is another Tory, same stable as Rees-Mogg. Anti-poor and anti-disabled, establishment old-boy. This is bound to inform the way they operate. I do wonder what is their interest here ?

My fervent hope is that they have a family member who has ME and want to do something to help.
 

worldbackwards

Senior Member
Messages
2,051
One possibility - the likes of Rees-Mogg are very anti-state. It has been the press on the right who have supported parents of children with ME against over-bearing and harmful state intrusion. Haven't a clue where this is going but, you know, just saying.

He's quite funny from a distance. When he's having an influence over public policy that controls your life - not so much
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
I can see people from the extremes of all party political views being useful for ME if they've got a serious interest in making our lives better - and as we know, it's often having a family member with it that drives people to help.
 

JamBob

Senior Member
Messages
191
Do MPs volunteer to be officers in the group or are they asked to join? What is the procedure?
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
Do MPs volunteer to be officers in the group or are they asked to join? What is the procedure?

Loads of us, I suspect, wrote to our MPs asking them to join the group. I don't know how officers are chosen within the group.
 

user9876

Senior Member
Messages
4,556
One possibility - the likes of Rees-Mogg are very anti-state. It has been the press on the right who have supported parents of children with ME against over-bearing and harmful state intrusion. Haven't a clue where this is going but, you know, just saying.

He's quite funny from a distance. When he's having an influence over public policy that controls your life - not so much

I imagine he will be bad for some issues such as over general disability benefits but he could be good on others as you say perhaps around state influence.

In general I think its encouraging that there is a mix of MPs. I seem to remember that Bottomley was on the left of the Conservatives, Rees-Mogg is on the right and then there is a Labour MP as well.

It would be interesting to know if they have personal experience (friends or family).
 

Chrisb

Senior Member
Messages
1,051
Hello everyone,

this is my first attempted post so if it all goes wrong please bear with me. I realise that I am a month late for this particular party, but that is quite quick for me.

Many of you will remember that Peter Bottomley will have very useful family experience regarding NHS provision for M.E. but there may be some under 35 unfamiliar with the history. If Peter needs any guidance as to how we come to be in the state we are in all he needs do is roll over in bed - and ask his wife.

My memory of the time is somewhat hazy but I do recall a meeting when the consultant whom I had been seeing announced that his clinic was to be closed and provision would in future be made by nurses or therapists providing some therapy under supervision of psychiatrists. It was agreed that this was wholly irrelevant and that the only option was to get on as best one could outside the health system. No care is better than wrong care. I suspect that this is the experience of many.

Stay with me I'm coming to the point.

This was in 1992/93. I presume that the lead-in time for such changes is 3+ years. Virginia Bottomley was made a junior Health Minister in 1989 and Minister for Health in 1992. As a former psychiatric social worker it would be surprising if she did not have views on the psychiatrisation of this condition. Decisions made within the department while she was a Minister led directly to the sidelining of ME and caused a substantial hiatus in research and proper medical provision. The people who came to prominence on her watch are still causing damage-long after she moved to the Lords.

Oh well. It's a good job we are not accountable for our spouses. We can only hope that Peter is keen to rectify matters as best he can and gain some approbation for doing so. Approbation seems to have been in short supply for Virginia's career. An article in the Independent from 1994 entiled "Ginny Knows Best" refers to a Telegraph poll calling her Britain's most insincere politician. An anagram and quote from consultants are perhaps more revealing. (Sorry, I have not learned how to make links)

Having got that off my chest I must point out that I have no animus against Peter Bottomley. Anyone moved by Margaret Thatcher to the Northern Ireland Office before being sacked is likely to be sound. I wish him and the rest of the group well in their deliberations.
 

worldbackwards

Senior Member
Messages
2,051
Hello everyone,

this is my first attempted post so if it all goes wrong please bear with me.
*waves*
Decisions made within the department while she was a Minister led directly to the sidelining of ME and caused a substantial hiatus in research and proper medical provision. The people who came to prominence on her watch are still causing damage-long after she moved to the Lords.
OK, I'm curious. A psychiatric social worker and Thatcherite Tory running the DoH - now that sounds like a fairly explosive combination.
An article in the Independent from 1994 entiled "Ginny Knows Best" refers to a Telegraph poll calling her Britain's most insincere politician.
In her defence, I'm sure she'd wilt under the competition today.
Sorry, I have not learned how to make links
Easy, just copy them into the box if it's a web address. Any links on VB's sidelining of ME itself would be very interesting as well.
 

shahida

Senior Member
Messages
120
ME seems so relatively common it's likely they know people with it. That's probably the only time you'd get such right wingers involved in helping the disadvantaged. But i wonder why C. Mar isn't chair.