Tom Hunt has said his dyspraxia caused him to lose the vital photo ID he needed to vote in Thursday's elections.
The Ipswich MP sent a message to his local Conservative membership stating: “Bit of drama. Turns out I have no appropriate ID to vote tomorrow.
“There is an emergency proxy option if you lose your ID... who would like the honours?” He said people mocking him online for the error were "persecuting" him and warned them to be "very careful with their words".
“I don't want to blame everything on my dyspraxia, but it's a factor in my life I have to deal with,” he added.
“It's all well and good people saying we need to have more neurodiverse Members of Parliament, but having a massive pile-on on them, I don't think it's going to encourage more people.”
Tom Hunt was forced to arrange an emergency proxy vote instead.
But what is dyspraxia?
What is dyspraxia?
Developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD), or dyspraxia, is a neurological condition affecting physical co-ordination.
For adults, dyspraxia can affect the following, according to the NHS
your co-ordination, balance and movement
how you learn new skills, think, and remember information at work and home
your daily living skills, such as dressing or preparing meals
your ability to write, type, draw and grasp small objects
how you function in social situations
how you deal with your emotions
time management, planning and personal organisation skills
The cause of the dyspraxia is not known, though you may be at a higher risk of developing it if you were born prematurely.
Dyspraxia can become more manageable with strategies such as occupational therapy (which helps find practical ways to remain independent and manage everyday tasks such as writing or preparing food), or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a talking therapy that can help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave.
