Support from across UK for CEO who turned down MBE over government ‘demonisation’ of disabled people

Tressa Burke, founding chief executive of the disabled people’s organisation Glasgow Disability Alliance, received a letter from the UK government on the day of the budget, 26 November, telling her she would be awarded an MBE in the new year honours for services to disabled people. But in her response to that letter – released on social media on 30 December – she said she could not accept such a “personal honour” at a time when disabled people were being “so dishonoured”. 06