Looking to fast track himself to the coveted position of "Political Twat of the Week", Philip Davies - dyed in the wool Tory - told the Commons that people with Learning Disabilities should be allowed to work for less than the minimum wage.

He makes it sound like people want to work for less!

He said;

"Given some of those people with a learning disability clearly, by definition, cannot be as productive in their work as somebody who has not got a disability of that nature, then it was inevitable given the employer was going to have to pay them both the same they were going to take on the person who was going to be more productive, less of a risk,"

What evidence does he have to back up the suggestion that people with learning disabilities are less productive? Sure, they may not learn as quickly, but everyone learns at their own pace and it doesn't make them less productive.

Secondly, there are ways of dealing with workplace discrimination towards people with disabilities and paying them less than what is legal isn't the solution. (Try giving people a better understanding of mental health and learning disabilities instead)

He goes on (oh great);

"My view is that for some people, the national minimum wage may be more of a hindrance than a help.

A hindrance to big companies who want as low production costs as they can get, perhaps?


A question for you, Mr Davies. How many disabled people have you spoken to in your political career? How many, in your ever so thoroughly conducted research [/sarcasm] have told you that they want to work for less than what is legal? If you're so sure that this is what disabled people want, then show us all evidence.

When a Tory colleague of Mr Davies asked what why anyone would actually want to work for less than the legal minimum, he replied that it was "the real world". Well, if Right Wing Fantasy Land is what Philip Davies thinks of as the real world, then I think he needs a psychiatrist.

This isn't the first time Mr Davies has criticised the minimum wage, two years ago he called for it to be scrapped, again using a vaguely social liberal argument. He has also proudly declared his support for the Taxpayers Alliance.

It makes me wonder what is his motivation? Eventually scrap the minimum wage, and have the poor stuck on wages they cannot live on, as food prices go up due to crop failures? Whatever it is, I'm sure he isn't motivated by compassion towards the disabled.