In 2025, at least 13 Members of Parliament (MPs) currently serving in the UK have publicly identified as disabled or live with a long-term physical or mental health condition. These disabled MPs bring vital lived experiences to national policymaking and continue to challenge the structural barriers of one of the country’s oldest – and least accessible – workplaces.
This article profiles each of these MPs and MSPs, while also acknowledging the legacy of disabled politicians who have helped pave the way. It also highlights the creation of a new government steering group, made up of disabled leaders, which will advise on the development of a fund to support future disabled candidates in accessing elected office.
Current disabled MPs and MSPs in the UK and Scotland
Below are the parliamentarians who are currently serving and have publicly identified as disabled or as living with a long-term condition. Each brings a unique voice and policy focus, deeply informed by personal experience and public service.
1. Dr. Marie Tidball – Labour, Penistone and Stocksbridge
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Dr. Marie Tidball is a prominent academic and campaigner on disability rights. Born with a rare congenital condition resulting in foreshortened limbs and only one digit on each hand, she has dedicated much of her professional and political life to advancing disability justice.
Marie has previously worked as a researcher at the University of Oxford, where she led projects focusing on the intersection of disability, law, and society. Her election to Parliament in 2024 was celebrated by many as a breakthrough moment for disability representation.
Since entering the Commons, she has been candid about the barriers she has faced, both physical and procedural, within the parliamentary estate. She has called for major reforms to improve accessibility in Westminster, particularly in voting procedures and chamber design.
2. Jen Craft – Labour, Thurrock
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Elected in 2024, Jen Craft brings firsthand experience of living with mental health conditions to her role in Parliament. She has publicly disclosed diagnoses of bipolar disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and has also spoken about raising a child with Down’s syndrome.
Jen’s political platform includes a strong emphasis on mental health awareness, equitable access to health care, and inclusive education. She has argued that Parliament must do more to accommodate neurodivergent MPs and staff, both through structural adjustments and shifts in culture.
Her visibility as a mother and a carer is especially important in challenging the stigma surrounding mental illness and disability. She has already raised questions in the House about better support for caregivers and mental health services in schools.
3. Steve Darling – Liberal Democrat, Torbay
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Steve Darling is registered blind due to Stargardt disease, a rare genetic eye disorder that causes progressive vision loss. He navigates the world—and now Parliament—with the support of his guide dog, Jennie.
Before entering Parliament in 2024, Steve was the leader of Torbay Council and had decades of experience in local government. His work has often focused on social justice, affordable housing, and accessibility.
Steve has emerged as a passionate advocate for improving infrastructure and public services for visually impaired people. In Parliament, he has already called for mandatory accessibility standards in public buildings and is lobbying for greater investment in assistive technology.
4. Liam Conlon – Labour, Beckenham and Penge
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Liam Conlon experienced a life-altering injury at the age of 13, which ultimately required him to undergo a full hip replacement by age 17. The injury and subsequent surgeries have left him with a permanent mobility impairment, and he uses an adapted car for transport.
Liam is the son of former Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh and has long been involved in political activism. Before his election, he worked extensively in trade unions and Labour Party campaign operations. He is particularly vocal about mobility justice and inclusive design in urban environments.
Since entering Parliament in 2024, Liam has spoken about the challenges of navigating both public and parliamentary spaces with mobility issues and has committed to pushing for more inclusive urban planning.
5. Sarah Bool – Conservative. South Northamptonshire
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Sarah Bool lives with type 1 diabetes, a chronic autoimmune condition requiring daily insulin monitoring and management. She has discussed publicly the unique challenges posed by managing her health while participating in the unpredictable and often prolonged sitting hours of Parliament.
Sarah’s experience with a non-visible disability places her in a crucial position to advocate for broader awareness of chronic illnesses. Since being elected in 2024, she has pushed for greater flexibility in workplace accommodations for people managing long-term conditions and has spoken about the pressures placed on individuals to conceal their needs in professional settings.
Her work in Parliament focuses heavily on health innovation, early diagnosis, and ensuring health technology is accessible to people with varied conditions.
6. Pam Duncan-Glancy – Scottish Labour MSP for Glasgow
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Pam Duncan-Glancy made history in 2021 as the first full-time wheelchair user elected to the Scottish Parliament, representing Glasgow for Scottish Labour. Diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) at 18 months old, she has used a wheelchair most of her life and has spoken openly about living with chronic pain and fatigue.
Pam’s lived experience has shaped her strong commitment to disability rights, inclusion, and equality. She studied Psychology (BSc) and Health Psychology (MSc) at the University of Stirling, later completing a Postgraduate Certificate in Citizenship and Human Rights at Glasgow Caledonian University. Before entering politics, she worked in public health and policy roles, including with NHS Health Scotland.
In Holyrood, Pam is a leading voice on social security, accessible housing, education, and the right to independent living. She has consistently called for the full incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into Scottish law and co-designed policymaking with disabled people.
As a trailblazer in Scottish politics, Pam is reshaping perceptions of leadership and disability, inspiring many through her advocacy, resilience, and unapologetic visibility as a disabled woman in public life.
7. Daisy Cooper – Liberal Democrat, St Albans
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Daisy Cooper, MP for St Albans since 2019 and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, lives with endometriosis, a chronic and often debilitating condition that causes severe pelvic pain, fatigue, and fertility complications. Daisy has been vocal about her lived experience, using her platform to raise awareness of women’s health inequalities and the systemic underfunding of conditions like endometriosis.
She has championed accessible healthcare, called for shorter diagnostic times, and pressed for greater research funding into chronic and invisible conditions. Daisy’s advocacy has helped to bring reproductive and gynaecological health into mainstream political debate, challenging stigma and silence around menstrual health. Her openness has been widely welcomed by disabled activists and campaigners for women’s health equity.
8. Marsha de Cordova – Labour, Battersea
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First elected in 2017, Marsha de Cordova is one of the most established and visible disabled MPs in Westminster. She has nystagmus, a visual impairment that results in involuntary eye movement and severely reduced sight. She is legally blind and uses assistive technology to perform her parliamentary duties.
Marsha served as Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities under Keir Starmer and has consistently used her platform to advocate for disability rights, particularly in employment and education.
She has also been outspoken about the structural ableism present in Parliament itself. From inaccessible documents to poorly designed buildings, she continues to call for a culture shift at the heart of government.
Read: Marsha De Cordova: Labour MP Living With A Visual Impairment
9. Jeremy Balfour – Scottish Conservative MSP for Lothian
Jeremy Balfour has served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Lothian region since 2016. Born with a congenital limb difference, he has been a lifelong advocate for disability rights.
Before entering politics, Jeremy studied law at the University of Edinburgh and theology at the London School of Theology. He worked as a solicitor and later in various faith-based roles, including ministry work and with the Scottish Churches Housing Action.
In Parliament, Jeremy has been a prominent voice on social security and disability issues. He serves as the Scottish Conservative Party Spokesperson for Social Security and Disability and is a member of the Scottish Parliament’s Social Security Committee.
Demonstrating his commitment to disability advocacy, Jeremy introduced the Disability Commissioner (Scotland) Bill in February 2024. The proposed legislation aims to establish an independent commissioner to promote and safeguard the rights of disabled people in Scotland.
Beyond legislation, Jeremy is the convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group on Disability, working to ensure that the voices of disabled individuals are heard in policymaking.
10. Craig Mackinlay – Conservative, South Thanet
First elected in 2015, Craig Mackinlay went through a harrowing medical ordeal in 2023, when he contracted sepsis, which led to the amputation of both his arms and legs. Despite this life-altering experience, he returned to Parliament in 2024 to a standing ovation.
Now living with quadruple limb loss, Craig has become a prominent voice for sepsis awareness and improved critical care in the NHS. He is also advocating for increased funding for prosthetics, rehabilitation, and long-term support for amputees.
His experience underscores the need for Parliament to adapt to MPs with high-level physical disabilities. He has already begun working to ensure that others who become disabled, either through illness or injury, receive robust and dignified support.
As of May 2024, Craig stepped down as a serving Member of Parliament, citing ongoing medical recovery. Subsequently, he was appointed to the House of Lords as Baron Mackinlay of Richborough on 23 August 2024.
11. Marie Rimmer – Labour, St Helens South and Whiston
Marie Rimmer, the Labour MP for St Helens South and Whiston since 2015, lives with osteoarthritis and is also deaf, requiring a cochlear implant. Marie has advocated for improved support for individuals with long-term health conditions, particularly in areas such as social care, housing, and access to public services.
With decades of experience in local government, including as leader of St Helens Council, Marie brings a strong track record in public service. In Parliament, she has focused on issues affecting older people and disabled constituents, frequently challenging health inequalities and austerity-driven cuts. Her lived experience has informed her calls for more inclusive policymaking and improved recognition of non-visible disabilities in the workplace and public life.
12. Vicky Foxcroft – Labour, Lewisham Deptford
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Vicky Foxcroft, Labour MP for Lewisham Deptford since 2015, lives with rheumatoid arthritis, a long-term autoimmune condition that causes pain, swelling, and fatigue. Vicky has spoken openly about the daily impact of her condition and the importance of recognising both visible and invisible disabilities in public life.
A passionate advocate for equality, Vicky has served as Shadow Minister for Disabled People, where she focused on improving access to employment, disability rights, and challenging benefit system injustices. She has emphasised the need for policy to be informed by lived experience and has pushed for a fully accessible Parliament that reflects the diversity of the population it serves. Vicky is also a vocal supporter of mental health initiatives and youth services, drawing from her background in youth work.
However, following her appointment as a government whip in 2024, she is no longer able to speak publicly in Parliament on disability issues, despite her strong record as a shadow minister and her popularity within the disabled people’s movement.
13. Emma Lewell – Labour, South Shields
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Emma Lewell, Labour MP for South Shields since 2013, has publicly spoken about her experience of living with dyspraxia, a developmental coordination disorder that affects physical coordination and sometimes cognitive processing. Emma has used her platform to raise awareness of hidden disabilities and the social stigma that often surrounds neurodivergence.
As a former social worker, Emma has brought a deep commitment to social justice, children’s welfare, and mental health to her parliamentary work. She has campaigned on food insecurity, leading efforts to expose the impact of child hunger in the UK, and served as Shadow Minister for Children and Families. Emma has emphasised the need for Parliament and society to be more inclusive of those whose disabilities are not immediately visible but are no less impactful.
Former disabled MPs through the decades
Many disabled politicians have played a critical role in Parliament over the years. Though no longer serving, their legacy continues to shape current debates and access reforms across party lines. Some acquired disabilities while in office; others were pioneers in disclosure and visibility during times when stigma was far greater.
Below is a list of notable former MPs who openly identified as disabled, contributed significantly to public life, and helped lay the foundation for today’s growing—but still underrepresented—disabled political community.
- Tom Randall – Conservative, Gedling (2019 – 2024) – has ankylosing spondylitis, a form of axial spondyloarthritis that causes chronic inflammation of the spine and joints.
- Jonathan Gullis – Conservative, Stoke-on-Trent North (2019 – 2024) – is deaf in one ear, a condition he has discussed publicly. He has also shared his personal experiences with mental health challenges, including instances of self-harm and the pressures of political life.
- Paul Maynard – Conservative, Blackpool North and Cleveleys (2010 – 2024) – has cerebral palsy, a speech impairment and epilepsy, making him one of the few MPs with a visible disability in recent years.
- Robert Halfon – Conservative, Harlow (2010 – 2024) – has mild cerebral palsy and has used walking aids throughout much of his life.
- Stephen Lloyd – Liberal Democrat, Eastbourne (2010 – 2019) – has partial hearing loss resulting from contracting measles at the age of six. He has been an advocate for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community,
- Jared O’Mara – Labour, Sheffield Hallam (2017 – 2019) – has been open about his experiences with cerebral palsy and autism.
- Nicola Blackwood – Conservative, Oxford West and Abingdon (2010 – 2017) – was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome in 2013, a genetic connective tissue disorder. She also suffers from postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), an abnormality of the autonomic nervous system affecting blood pressure and heart rate.
- Anne Begg – Labour, Aberdeen South (1997 – 2015) – was the first full-time wheelchair user in the Commons since the 19th century, having used a wheelchair due to Gaucher’s disease.
- Paul Flynn – Labour, Newport West (1987 – 2019) – the late MP lived with rheumatoid arthritis, a condition that affected him throughout his political career.
- David Blunkett – Labour, Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough (1987 – 2015) – was born blind and served in multiple senior cabinet positions, including Home Secretary, during the Tony Blair government. He remains one of the most senior disabled politicians in British history.
- Emma Nicholson – Conservative, Devon West and Torridge (1987 – 1997) – has been deaf since the age of 16.
- Gordon Brown – Labour, Dunfermline East (1983 – 2005); Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath (2005 – 2015) – Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010, Gordon Brown lost sight in his left eye due to a rugby injury at the age of 16.
- David Maclean – Conservative, Penrith and The Border (1983 – 2010) – was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1996.
- Jack Ashley – Labour, Stoke-on-Trent South (1966 – 1992) – lost his hearing shortly after entering Parliament but became a trailblazer for deaf rights and disability advocacy.
Undisclosed MPs who have requested disability adjustments
A Freedom of Information request in late 2024 revealed that 43 MPs requested disability-related workplace adjustments after the general election. While many of these MPs have not publicly disclosed the nature of their conditions, this figure suggests that the actual number of disabled MPs in Parliament is significantly higher than those profiled here.
These adjustments may relate to physical, sensory, or mental health conditions, including both visible and invisible disabilities. The growing number of such requests highlights a slowly improving culture of disclosure and support within Westminster.
Why the representation of disabled MPs matters
The presence of disabled MPs brings an essential perspective to legislation and ensures that lived experience is embedded in policy. These individuals play a crucial role in shaping debates about health, education, transport, social care, and inclusion, and their visibility encourages others to pursue public office.
However, representation must go beyond visibility. It must include meaningful reforms: accessible infrastructure, inclusive political processes, and cultural shifts that allow disabled people to thrive at all levels of political life.
Creating pathways: a new fund to support disabled MPs of the future
Although the number of disabled MPs remains small, new efforts are underway to enhance access to elected office for people with disabilities. A government-backed fund has been announced to help cover disability-related expenses for prospective candidates, such as mobility support, accessible materials, and British Sign Language interpretation.
This initiative will be shaped by a steering group of disabled leaders, drawing on their lived experience of standing for office or accessing campaign support. Minister for Social Security and Disability, Sir Stephen Timms MP (who is not himself disabled), emphasised that the goal is to ensure that disability is not a barrier to success in political life.
The new fund builds on the Access to Elected Office Fund and the Enable Fund, which previously supported disabled candidates with campaign-related costs. It also aligns with wider government efforts, such as proposed mandatory disability pay gap reporting, to reduce systemic barriers and promote inclusion across public life.
Together with the work of disabled MPs already in Parliament, this fund represents a step toward a more representative and accessible democracy – one where disabled voices are not just heard, but empowered to lead.