No one wishing for a quiet life would suggest voting for Kemi Badenoch in the Conservative leadership race.
One of the last two competitors for the Tory crown finds herself (again) in the eye of the storm after her campaign published a sweeping “what’s wrong with Britain” document, which has been condemned as, at worst, stigmatising autism and, at best, displaying a callow disregard for the problems of those who live with it and their families.
Did she mean to do this? Certainly not. Badenoch is in the position politicians find themselves in when they pen forewords to collective texts: she is not really the author of the offending comment (as far as we know).
But then it was published by her supporters and the introduction signed off personally (the other contributors are listed as “along with”), so it is fair to engage with it as reflecting a supportive view.
The phrase that has caused consternation is, “If you have a neurodiversity diagnosis, e.g. anxiety, autism”, followed by a sweeping critique of the fact that this now confers additional support as “economic privileges and protections… something that society, schools, and employers have to adapt around”.
It really was an unforced error to put autism alongside a very different and vague diagnosis – careful editing as well as common sense........