November 2008

Trevor’s betting slip

There was almost a surprising political defection by the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) chair Trevor Phillips at the Liberal Democrats party conference.

Phillips – whose organisation’s first year was described in these pages last month as chaotic, unimpressive and weak – had received another ear-bashing from a disability activist.

Phillips ended up betting the Liberal Democrat Disability Association member a bottle of his choice that he couldn’t find a more accessible venue than the hotel hosting the EHRC’s fringe event.

When the Lib Dem man came up trumps, he said he’d rather Phillips – once described as “a New Labour man to his bootstraps” – signed up for a year’s membership of the association.

In the event, EHRC rules prevented Trev joining a political organisation, so his new pal had to settle for the bottle, or a donation to his favourite charity.


DWP’s brief encounter

Good to know that the Department for Worthless Promises, sorry, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), is well briefed on its new minister for disabled people, Jonathan Shaw.

When one of Backchat’s colleagues rang the DWP press office for some information on the new man, he was told they had had to Google Mr Shaw to find out anything about him.

Backchat is delighted that they’ve found such a high-profile operator to take up the cudgels on behalf of disabled people in the corridors of Whitehall.


Scoping for talent in N7

Meanwhile, reported sightings of a perma-tanned creature from the world of showbusiness prowling the streets near Scope’s head offices in exotic north London.

Her purpose quickly became clear when she approached a colleague of short stature and asked if she would like to be an extra in the next Harry Potter film.