This morning a conference taking place in Central London called the National Disabilities Conference will “provide a forum for discussion and debate on how best to support disabled people to live fulfilling lives, to reach their full potential.” I confess to being something of a pedant when it comes to such events, and so I would expect any ‘forum for discussion and debate’ on this crucial subject would depend on the attendance and participation of substantial numbers of disabled people. However it is unlikely that many of the groups of disabled people in your area will be sending delegates to this conference as the costs for the day range from £320 for members of voluntary sector organisations to £420 for people representing central Government. If that seems an outrageous price to pay, there is VAT too! The event is being organised by an outfit called GovKnow (or Government Knowledge) who describe themselves as “a leading event provider, specialising in conferences, training workshops, briefings and roundtables on public policy and public sector issues.” There are a number of organisations that have associated themselves with this event including the British Paralympic Association and Scope as well as the Government DWP, just as there are a number of agencies that are not supporting the event.

One of the reasons why organisers hold conferences in Central London is to take advantage of good transport links (although this always attracts a price premium) and in many cases to make the conference accessible to Government Ministers. The form of accessibility in this regard is that the conference is within a short travel distance from Westminster. This conference is due to take place in a venue called One Drummond Gate which according to the AA website is 1.4miles (or 5minutes drive) from the Palace of Westminster. It is pure supposition to suggest this location has been chosen to attract a Government Minister, but until the end of last week Esther McVey, who is the Minister for Disabled People was the headline speaker. That was until she pulled out, which has caused something of an upset. Attending a conference to which a Government Minister was scheduled to speak, and who cancels less than a week before the event does tend to feel like a bit of a let down. Perhaps in the same way that a Roast dinner is never the same if the vegetables don’t turn up. To make matters worse, a venue that was further away from Westminster would probably have been a great deal cheaper and so cut costs.

The big question is what form of accountability does this sort of behaviour demonstrate? To her credit Esther McVey is generally much more willing to speak to the media than many of her colleagues (perhaps her previous role as a broadcaster helps her to prioritise), but in the midst of one of the most challenging changes to the benefits system with a particular impact on disabled people, this conference does seem to be one of great significance, providing a chance to speak and listen to some 250 of those most affected by this Ministers decisions. Broadcasting is one thing, if it is not followed by a desire to learn and amend, then it becomes something of a vanity project.