Avenues: James Paice MP meets constituents with learning disabilities

James Paice, member of Parliament for South East Cambridgeshire, visited residents in Fulbourn, Cambridge on Friday 2nd February. The residents all have learning disabilities and are supported by Avenues, a not for profit organisation that support people with complex needs.

Steve James, Avenues chief executive, explained, “We invited Mr Paice to visit so that we could raise some issues that our service users face living and working in the area, and also to develop service users’ understanding of the political process and the people who are there to speak up for them.

“This visit was the first step in a series of visits and ongoing work to increase people’s understanding of the political process, with the aim that more people will engage with it at the next election. A recent amendment to voting legislation, through the Electoral Administration Bill 2006, means that voters with learning disabilities will no longer have to prove their mental capacity. However, there are still a number of barriers that need to be overcome in order to promote people’s access to democracy.”

Residents reported afterwards that they were very pleased to meet their MP.