Campaigner Tressa Burke Declines MBE Over Treatment of Disabled People in UK Budget
Tressa Burke, CEO of the Glasgow Disability Alliance (GDA), has declined an MBE after being recommended by the prime minister for her services to people with disabilities. Burke has led the GDA for 20 years, growing it from its inception and supporting more than 5,000 members through the pandemic.
In a letter to the Cabinet Office, Burke explained that she could not accept a personal honour as disabled people are currently being demonised, dehumanised, and scapegoated for policy failures. She linked her decision to the recent UK budget day, which introduced stricter Personal Independence Payment assessments, froze or reduced universal credit health top-ups, and implemented cuts to the Motability scheme.
Burke argued that the budget reflects how much disabled people are valued in society and criticized the resulting increase in inequalities, misinformation, hatred, and scapegoating. She also condemned the negative framing of disability and the rising far-right attacks on entitlement.
Highlighting that Scotland is performing better than the UK, Burke stated she would monitor the Scottish disability equality plan and manifesto commitments ahead of the upcoming Holyrood elections in May. Emphasizing the GDA’s people-powered approach, she underlined that the organization's achievements are collective rather than individual.
