JUDE BACKS CALL FOR JARGON FREE POLITICS

Juderedpic Jude Robinson, Labour's parliamentary candidate for Camborne, Redruth & Hayle has joined learning disability charity Mencap in calling for all political parties to ensure their election material is accessible to everyone.

Jude said "I was more than happy to sign up to this pledge because jargon drives me up the wall! Even so, it is easy to slip into it whatever walk of life you are in and get used to words and phrases that are completely meaningless to everyone else. I'm not surprised it puts people off voting, so this is a serious issue."

In a recent survey, Mencap found that more than 90 percent of the voting population don’t understand complicated phrases used in political literature

That’s why learning disability charity, Mencap has launched its Get My Vote campaign. Get My Vote aims to empower people with a learning disability to vote by persuading the political parties to make their manifestos and information more accessible.

Only a quarter of the one million adults with a learning disability in the UK voted in the last general election, compared to two thirds of the general population.

Many people commented that they didn’t understand what political parties stood for because of the difficult language used

A right most of us take for granted is effectively being denied to people with a learning disability because politicians do not speak to them in a way that is clear and accessible.

Mark Goldring, chief executive of Mencap said: “The fact that 9 out of 10 people do not understand the language used by politicians reinforces the need for an end to the jargon that surrounds Westminster. It’s time for politicians to use language that people they represent can understand. Mencap believes that politicians have a responsibility to ensure that everyone, including people with a learning disability, can understand their policies so that they feel informed enough to vote. If they don’t, there is something very wrong with our democracy.”

Jude said: “This is important for people with learning disabilities and for very many more people too. It isn't surprising that people switch off when confronted by jargon but our right to vote should also include a right to clear information."

Ismail Kaji, of Mencap who has a learning disability, said: “Even getting registered to vote is difficult; there are so many forms to fill in and they are not always easy to understand. I vote because it is important to tell politicians what I care about such as more jobs and schools. It isn’t always easy to decide who to vote for as politicians are not clear about what they say. They need to communicate better and there needs to be less talk, more action for people with a learning disability.”

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Notes to Editor:

For more information about Mencap’s Get My Vote campaign, please contact Stacey Kerr, 020 7696 6017 / jenny.brannan@mencap.org.uk

(i)   Mencap’s political jargon survey was conducted on behalf of Mencap by Opinion Matters. The study was carried out between 12/3/2009 and 12/9/2009 and generated from a sample of 1,207 UK adults.
(ii)   In May 2008, research conducted by United Response revealed that fewer people with a learning disability may be taking part in the democratic process than previously thought. Only 16 per cent of respondents voted in the last general election. Research commissioned by the Department of Health relating to the 2001 general election suggested a figure of 31 per cent.
(iii)   In a recent Mencap study, 45 per cent of people said the reason they didn’t vote was because they didn’t understand what the parties were talking about.

Mencap has tabled EDM 383 to support the campaign with 120 signatories currently from across the political spectrum. Below is a copy of the EDM 383:
From: Tom Clarke, MP. PEOPLE WITH A LEARNING DISABILITY AND VOTING, 7/12/2009.
That this House is concerned that less than 20 per cent. of those eligible to vote with a learning disability voted in the last General Election; believes that in order to encourage more effective engagement of people with a learning disability in the democratic process, local authorities, political parties and central government should produce accessible material in relation to electoral matters; notes the work of Mencap's Get My Vote campaign to encourage political parties to produce easy to read manifestos and United Response's Every Vote Counts campaign to ensure that people with a learning disability are engaged in the democratic process; and calls on all prospective parliamentary candidates to make their election material easily accessible for people with a learning disability