06 Informed


News Update


No. 10 strikes blow against press freedom


BMC’s shock poll


More than half of members who took part in the NUJ’s disability survey said their opportunities at work were limited because of a lack of understanding of disability/ mental issues and access problems. Almost two-thirds (73 per cent)


suffered anxiety or stress at work and 60 per cent said their situation or condition was poorly understood by colleagues. A third had been ill-treated at work and a third described a lack of access or reasonable adjustments for them at work. More than half (54 per cent) said


Te Prime Minister taken by in-house photographer Andrew Parsons


Te union has been forced to intervene on behalf of reporters and photographers denied access to Downing Street in a worrying development threatening press freedom.


Without consultation, Number 10 changed the location of its lobby briefings to Downing Street instead of Parliament; this particularly caused problems for smaller press organisations. Political journalists then boycoted a Number 10 briefing on the Britain’s future trade with the European Union when Lee Cain excluded reporters from the Mirror, the i, HuffPost, Politics Home, the Independent among others. Johnson’s senior communications adviser, who used to wear a chicken suit for a Daily Mirror stunt, was accused of sorting the press into sheep and goats. A briefing on Huawei was equally restricted. Michelle Stanistreet commended the political correspondents’ act of solidarity and said: “Johnson’s government must stop this paranoia and engage with all


the press, not just its favourites.” Te union’s Photographers’ Council complained when Number 10 started to release images of the Prime Minister from its in-house photographer rather than those on an agreed rota. Natasha Hirst, the council’s chair, said: “Staged PR images will further erode transparency and public trust. Tis strategy of choosing what emerges into the public domain must be halted.” Reports stated ministers had been told


not to lunch with political journalists and that Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson’s senior adviser, had a “network of spies” to see whether other special advisers were fraternising with the media. Cummings is seen as being behind the ban on ministers appearing on the BBC’s Radio 4’s Today show and other political and news programmes. Tese tactics led to a critical leader


from even the Daily Mail, which is usually loyal to the Prime Minister. Its commentator Stephen Glover wrote: “All this comes from President Trump’s playbook.”


they found it stressful having to ask for adjustments and extra support to help them at work. More than a third said they had approached the union with work and access problems. One in three had problems accessing training, with 43 per cent calling for more online resources. One in five said they did not understand their rights at work under the Equality Act 2010, with a third saying they would benefit from more information. Tere was a mixed response to Access to Work, the government programme aimed at supporting disabled people to take up or remain in work. Of those who took part, 32 per cent


were staff and 43 per cent freelance and just under 10 per cent were unemployed; 84 per cent considered they were disabled or had a long-term health condition.


Ann Galpin, Black Members’ Council


chair, said the survey showed that disabled members needed much more support at work and employers must remove barriers restricting them. “Te survey responses will inform the council’s priorities for the next two years,” she said.


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