Paralympian Richard Whitehead ‘gobsmacked’ at Tory leader’s speech over proposed £36bn welfare cuts
The double amputee marathon runner Richard Whitehead has criticised Kemi Badenoch for “weaponising his sporting success” to justify her proposed £36bn welfare cuts.
The Conservative leader used the example of “double amputees running marathons” in a speech this week to explain the reasoning behind her proposed cuts to disability benefits, which she said were enabling people to “live a life of dependency”.
Whitehead said he had been surprised at her comments and angry that his achievements were being used as part of a campaign to take money “from the most vulnerable that actually need it”.
“I was gobsmacked that somebody’s sporting success would be weaponised in this way,” he said. “To say everybody should work because double-leg amputees run marathons, I was like, wow. It’s very divisive language.
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Whitehead immediately expressed his concerns about the comments on social media. “Disability should never be judged through isolated examples of individual achievement, but through an understanding of the barriers people and families face every day,” he wrote.
“One person’s ability to overcome significant challenges should never be used to justify withdrawing support from others.”
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Article continues at https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/nov/11/double-amputee-runner-richard-whitehead-badenoch-weaponising-success-welfare
