Campaign Update #22: Seeds of hope
We're chasing seeds of hope today despite some frustrating Delivery Plan news
I’m going to be honest: I (Karen) have been feeling a little defeated lately. Caring responsibilities have been hard, work has been busy, I’ve been paying the price lately for overdoing it and the state of the world certainly doesn’t help. Just a quick look at the news right now (did someone say welfare reform?) is enough to make the world’s biggest optimist want to curl up in a ball and hide.
It’s been a tough time lately on the ME beat. Today we’re bringing you a frustrating update on the long awaited Delivery Plan for ME. But we also wanted to bring some seeds of hope to your inboxes. In case you hadn’t clocked it yet, #ThereForME is a campaign grounded in optimism. Not naive hope, but a belief that - given the right strategy and circumstances - change is possible.
We’ll always be honest with you about the challenges we face. It’s hard not to feel defeated right now but we’re doing our best. We’re breaking down the latest on the Delivery Plan below and sharing why we’re not giving up just yet.
Delay, delay, delay
Yesterday The Times broke the news that the Delivery Plan for ME has been delayed for the third time since the Labour government came to office. Just one month ago health minister Ashley Dalton claimed that “it is a priority for the Department to publish the final ME/CFS delivery plan by the end of June 2025”. Yet, here we are on 1 July, with no plan, no new date for publication and a creeping sense that perhaps it wasn’t a priority after all.
The reason given for the delay was the publication of the government’s new 10 Year Health Plan. While it’s not surprising that the Department of Health would want to clear its communications schedule for the launch of its flagship health strategy, one would think that this clash in dates could have been foreseen.
When you put together this lack of thought, the relentless delays and a refusal to guarantee funding, it’s hard not to see people with ME lurking somewhere near the bottom of the government’s priority list. Yes, there’s a lot going on in the world right now (not least the threat of global warfare). But we’re talking up to as many as 1.3 million people with a limited future, no treatments and little hope that things will get better. As the government piles on delay after delay, we can’t help asking: are our lives really worth so little?
#ThereForME has been represented on the Task and Finish Group for the Delivery Plan, so all we can tell you is that we’ve seen a fairly advanced draft and yes there is a plan. It really does exist. But we’re certainly none the wiser as to when it’ll be seeing the light of day. We’ll keep you updated if and when we find out more.
Seeds of hope
So what was that about seeds of hope? We were pleased and reassured to see that we’re not the only ones noticing the total lack of urgency signalled by this latest delay.
You may remember that in May all 72 Lib Dem MPs wrote to the Health Secretary to express their concerns about a lack of funding for the Delivery Plan. Last week #ThereForME Advent Calendar star and Lib Dem Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain shared in a blog post that they had received a “deeply disappointing response” from the government. She explained:
“People with ME have waited decades for action. They deserve more than sympathy - they deserve real, funded change. The Liberal Democrats will keep fighting to make that happen.”
With this in mind, we were delighted to see the Lib Dems’ Health Spokesperson Helen Morgan quoted in The Times’ reporting on the Delivery Plan delay, making crystal clear where the Lib Dems stood on the issue:
“[People with ME] have faced inadequate care, scant research funding, no treatments and little hope of a better future […] Further delay to the Delivery Plan for ME is inexcusable. People with ME are right to feel that improving this situation is not a priority for this government. The government must think again, publish the plan without delay and allocate it the resources it needs to make a real difference.”
Wise words
While the delay is undoubtedly a setback, we’re finding solace in the solidarity of a major UK political party firmly in our corner. It’s encouraging to see the Lib Dems holding the government to account and taking them to task for broken commitments.
We’re also taking a moment to note how much progress we’ve seen on this front since we started our campaign almost one year ago. To steal some wise words, the arc of history is long, but it bends towards justice - and we’re beyond pleased to see the Lib Dems joining this specific fight. Which party will be next?
To cap off the Lib Dem love-in, we’ll leave you with some final words of wisdom from #ThereForMP extraordinaire Tessa Munt:
“Thank you for all your encouragement as I’ve spoken out on ME. I do appreciate it.
The past few weeks have brought disappointments. The Health Department’s failure to publish the Delivery Plan after so many promises is unacceptable. And the 72 LibDem MPs who wrote about ME to Wes Streeting received a disappointing reply (which I will publish).
But these set-backs have galvanised our determination. Wendy Chamberlain’s recent post reaffirms her commitment. And last week I met with Helen Morgan MP, the LibDem Spokesperson on Health and Social Care, who confirmed that she now sees ME firmly as an issue that the LibDem parliamentary party will collectively speak on. To take from a quote that she supplied Sean O’Neill for his article in The Times, ‘We want people with ME, and their carers, to know that the Liberal Democrats are on their side.’
So, please be assured, your long, long struggles are noted, and I and my colleagues will do what we can to shake this government out of its complacency.
Thank you again,
Tessa.”
We’ll see you next week.
Grateful for the clarity on the present situation. Thank you for the update today.
Thank you for this update!