Movers and Shakers: Downing Street

Taking the Parky Charter to Number 10

This week’s edition of Movers and Shakers is undoubtedly the most important we have done so far. It was recorded on location at the gates of Downing Street on Thursday as we took our Parky Charter and a petition with over 20,000 signatures backing it to Number 10.

Our slot for delivering the charter was 3pm and as I walked up Whitehall just after 2pm I wondered whether a couple of people might have turned up to support us. A couple? A mob of forty or fifty had gathered at the gates, many from the three charities Parkinson’s UK, Cure Parkinson’s and Spotlight YOPD carrying placards bearing the five demands in the charter, But also there were ‘Parkies’ and carers from far and wide, listeners to the podcast who had come to wish us well.

As we prepared to go through security before heading up the street, producer Nick Hilton gathered us together to record our thoughts. We had hoped that we might be able to hand the Parky Charter to the Prime Minister, but a couple of days earlier we had been told that Rishi Sunak would be out on various visits - ironically, connected to health issues.

This did not please Jeremy Paxman, who was in belligerent mood: “I think it shows he's a coward. We know he's a man with no spine. But it's really, really shocking that he can't be bothered to be here.” Jeremy has throughout been sceptical about whether the charter would achieve anything and made it clear he didn’t expect a Labour government would be any better.

But the Movers and Shakers Party is a broad church and Gillian Lacey-Solymar told Jeremy she disagreed with him:

“I'm much more optimistic. I think the fact that we're finally talking about it and that there are so many people supporting us must mean something, you know, we can't be the ‘unheard’ lot any more.”

And as ever Paul Mayhew-Archer’s glass was half-full:

“I'm very excited indeed. And I can't quite believe it. And what makes it all absolutely worthwhile was this gentleman just came up and said, ‘Thank you so much for all you do. It's changing my life.’ It's just so moving.”

Picture Credit: Matt Crossick Media Assignments/PA..

Then the six of us, accompanied by Parkinson’s UK chief Caroline Rassell carrying the charter and a print out of the thousands of signatures, stumbled, staggered and lurched up Downing Street looking, as one wag put it, like Reservoir Dogs on Sinemet.

Then came a piece of theatre as we nominated Jeremy to knock on the door and hand over the charter and petition to the policeman who opened up. The two of them then posed for a photo that then appeared on many news sites for the next 24 hours.

And that is really the point - however sceptical we may be that the government will rush to examine the five demands in the charter and swing into action we have at least put Parkinson’s on the agenda. Over the next few weeks we have scheduled private meetings with senior figures from both the government and the Opposition where we will try to build more awareness of the dire state of Parkinson’s care.

When we emerged from the gates of Downing Street we were met with a resounding cheer from our supporters and then as we. all staggered across the road to the Red Lion pub, we got a chance to hear some of their stories.

Audrey Boyle had travelled with her partner from Suffolk: “I think it's so important that Parkinson's is given more priority by the government and by the health service,”she said. ”I think it's great to meet with other people with Parkinson's, and great to meet the Movers and Shakers. And there's definitely a militant atmosphere!”

Christopher Lambton had travelled down from Scotland to support the Parky Charter. “And as I know this isn't going out on the BBC, “ he said,"I can tell you it is the most fucking awful disease, because you can't predict what it's going to do one minute to the next. Because the most difficult thing to communicate is the fact that you have Parkinson's disease. So if I fell over now, I'd be treated like somebody who's fallen over, not somebody who's fallen over because he has Parkinson's disease.”

And Emma told Nick Hilton that she was an avid listener to Movers and Shakers:

“I'm down here because I think this group is an amazing group. They're inspiring, they're entertaining, I listen every single week. My father has Parkinson's. It's advanced extremely quickly since lockdown. He hasn't seen a consultant for two years. And everything that I hear on the podcast inspires me to just try harder for him.”

But in the pub Jeremy was supping a pint and refusing to be impressed by his visit to Number 10: “I think it was completely underwhelming. I think there was nothing that persuaded me it'd been worth the effort of getting in a taxi and coming to Downing Street.”

Mark Mardell disagreed, pointing out the amount of media coverage we were getting, and challenging Jeremy over whether he had any faith that politics could ever make any difference. Yes, said Jeremy, it could make a difference. But you needed to build up a sense of momentum: “You need to come on a roll really, you need to get a sense of inevitability about it.”

Well it certainly felt that we were on a roll on Thursday - now it is up to us to build on that and create that sense of inevitability that the demands in the charter will be met. So keep on listening - the campaign has only just begun.