The campaign for a criminal investigation into the actions of former Conservative ministers in relation to claimant deaths is gathering pace.
Last week, John Pring of the Disability News Service (DNS) published a 12,000 word article DWP: The case for the prosecution which set out the links between the deaths of six claimants and flaws in the work capability assessment.
Pring has argued that Iain Duncan Smith, Chris Grayling and senior civil servants in the DWP ignored concerns raised by a coroner about the WCA.
DNS now says that Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has agreed that the article provides “strong and clear evidence” that Duncan Smith, Grayling and senior civil servants should be investigated over the WCA scandal.
McDonnell has also confirmed to DNS that Labour will hold an inquiry into claimant deaths linked to the DWP if it takes power.
“Labour will fulfil the promise Jeremy Corbyn and I gave during our campaigns to highlight the tragic deaths of disabled people resulting from austerity under the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
“We will hold an inquiry into these deaths.
“It’s critically important that people are made aware of the brutal treatment meted out to disabled people and lessons are learnt so that this never happens again.”
