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I was very disappointed to hear that IDS is now in charge of the DWP.

I am chair of Waltham Forest Mobility Forum, which covers IDS's constituency area.

Twice, the members of our forum have asked me to write to him, asking him to sign Early Day Motions relating to disability. The first time (asking for a moratorium on Shared Surfaces) I got no reply, and the second time (asking for support for the Guide Dogs' Talking Buses campaign) I received a short letter saying he didn't sign Early Day Motions as he thought they were pointless.

So far I have been very unimpressed with my interactions with him, and I don't think this bodes well for the future.

As I mentioned on the Talk message board earlier today I see some positive aspects to both the new coalition and even to IDS taking over at the DWP, not least of all his recognition that benefit clawbacks ammount to taxing the poorest at the very highest marginal rates of taxation and that this is inherantly unfair.

So I for one am prepared to see just how this all pans out before Con/dem-ing him, not least as his target for the realistic welfare to work estimate was lower not higher than the outgoing Secretary of State 600,000 total rather than 1 Million just off IB and much else of what he said in his recent paper "Dynamic Benefits: Towards Welfare That Works" as part of the think tank "The Centre for Social Justice" as indicated above.



One "interesting" additional thought that has just crossed my mind as well though is the possibility of perhaps appointing Baroness Jane Campbell (or some other at least disability aware Peer) as the new Minister for Disabled People.

Not least as the reappointment of the Shadow Shadow Minister for the Disabled the elusive Mark Harper (0 out of 10 attendee and so ex-member of the Work and Pensions Select Committee of the House of Commons) would really give me great cause for checking out checking out and booking an early flight to Zurich. LOL

For those who have missed all the massive media coverage about this important appointment for millions of disabled citizens including prompt updates to the ODI, 2025 and EHRC websites. (As if! "Laugh")

The new Under Secretary of State for Disabled People and hence "Minister" (though not carrying full ministerial status)is Maria Millar MP (Conservative).





Nice to know we have retained our place in the pecking order isn't it? J/K

It actually took a web-search and then only finding the information about the appointment on the "Children and Young People Now" and "Pink News" rather than any of the main official disability websites like ODI, 2025 or EHRC or even Disability Now.

Oh and just in case nobody has noticed Ouch also joins this list of "No shows" even now almost a week after the appointment of Maria Millar. :(

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Former Tory party leader Iain Duncan Smith was this afternoon confirmed as the secretary of state for work and pensions in the David Cameron-led coalition Government.A former army officer who saw active service in Northern Ireland, he was a shadow defence secretary under William Hague.He beat competition from another new Cabinet colleague, Kenneth Clarke, to take on the party leadership role in September 2001.This comes in contrast to earlier rumours from www.politicshome.com, which suggested former shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, and one-time Tory work and pensions spokesman, Philip Hammond would get the job.Separately, www.ePolitix.com reported Liberal Democrat MP Greg Mulholland would become pensions minister under the new regime - a move he told Twitter followers was a "little premature" as only Cabinet level positions had been made so far.Mulholland was elected to parliament at the 2005 General Election and became his party's junior international development spokesman.In 2006 he was appointed Lib Dem schools spokesman and in 2007 he became health spokesman.He is a member of the House of Commons work and pensions committee - as well as being vice-chairman of two all-party parliamentary groups on Rugby League and Balanced and Sustainable Communities.He was formerly a member of two other such groups on beer and small shops.