Tks Brian & @mecfsskeptic.bsky.social
Fascinating topic & v helpful summary.
Compassionate & skilled psychotherapy shd enable understanding difference between personal responsibility & structural inequality/social injustice.
Psychology/psychiatry often fail 2 grasp this simple concept. Money talks.

Thanks Adam. One thought:
The original "greatest scandal" quote referred only to the PACE trial. @georgemonbiot.bsky.social's version reduces the entire ongoing ME travesty to a mere 25 yrs instead of over half a century, diminishing the story's impact & the work of several generations of advocates.

2/2 According to The Register:
www.theregister.com/2025/10/02/u...

2/2 My blog is at valerieeliotsmith.com
I stepped back from active advocacy 3 years ago but continue to monitor events/developments re. the #ME community, esp media handling & strategic affairs.
Decades of stigma, neglect & abuse must be addressed before we can move forward.

I agree but, realistically, there's not much more we can do beyond remaining vigilant.
We can never know what is discussed in private, informal situations anyway & that has always been the case.

5/5 .......Of course, where Simon is concerned, we always need to be vigilant. However, I don't think we need to be alarmed by this appointment, just maintain a watching brief - as with his previous appointments at the JAC and NHSE.
END 🧵

4/5 .....What I set out above is just the theoretical pathway of how it works. That doesn't necessarily mean the system can't be influenced/hijacked by nefarious players."........

3/5 .....He is usually recruited for his mental health expertise although, inevitably, ME always lurks uneasily in the shadows.
I always look for any signs of sinister activity. However, on the face of it, I don't see anything here at the moment.......

2/5 .....This is a general policy advisory role, not aimed at any specific area.
In recent years Simon has held several public appointments. Whilst this may be alarming to many in the #ME community, this is standard practice for someone of his age/background.......

🧵 1/5 A previous thread I wrote in response to this:

"This appointment may be unwelcome but unlikely to affect specific FOI requests to The National Archives.
FOI's are handled by the in-house team & appeals go to the Information Commissioner via an independent judicial process........

Oh I agree, Carole. I always look for any signs of sinister activity. However, on the face of it, I don't see anything here at the moment.
What I set out above is just the theoretical pathway of how it works. That doesn't necessarily mean the system can't be influenced/hijacked by nefarious players.

In recent years Simon has held several public appointments. Whilst this may be alarming to many in the #ME community, this is standard practice for someone of his age/background.
He is usually recruited for his mental health expertise although, inevitably, ME always lurks uneasily in the shadows.

This appointment may be unwelcome but unlikely to affect specific FOI requests to The National Archives.
FOI's are handled by the in-house team & appeals go to the Information Commissioner via an independent judicial process.
This is a general policy advisory role, not aimed at any specific area...

Many thanks to @kacheston.bsky.social for her excellent rapid response. I absolutely understand the dilemma around how much to reveal about personal experience when acting in a professional capacity. However, in this instance, it has added depth and meaning tothis response. Not easy. Thank you.

Thanks for the mention and your kind words, Rhi. It always makes my day to hear that someone has found my work useful 😊
Hope you're doing as well as possible.

Link to blog home page: valerieeliotsmith.com
Link to series of posts on the "secret" files: valerieeliotsmith.com/category/the...
Link for DSS/DWP file valerieeliotsmith.com/wp-content/u...
Link for MRC file valerieeliotsmith.com/wp-content/u...