Councillor casts historic first votes as Lib Dem, seeking to protect disabled people from Labour cuts

Councillor Dylan Tippetts (pictured) cast his first votes in the council chamber as a Liberal Democrat today [2 June], including to defend Personal Independence Payments, received by disabled people, from swingeing cuts by the Labour Government.

He backed a motion tabled by Plymouth’s Green councillors, which called for the Leader of the Council to lodge the council’s opposition to senior members of the Government and the city’s Members of Parliament, as well as to redouble efforts by the local authority to support local disabled people.

Because of Labour’s majority on the council, the motion was defeated.

Commenting, Cllr Tippetts, who represents Compton ward on the council, said, “I was pleased and proud to be able to cast my first votes today as a Liberal Democrat councillor. These were, in fact, the first Lib Dem votes cast in the council chamber for about 20 years.

“I can imagine that many of the Labour councillors sitting opposite would have also liked to have cast their vote this way. I know that many of them did not go into politics to vote for cuts to support for disabled people. Like me, they understand that we don't help people who want to work by beating them with a stick.

“Despite today’s vote going the wrong way, I hope the Government changes course and reverses its plans to cut this vital financial support to some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

“And to my former Labour colleagues, I ask them to think about their vote, to think about the policies they are being asked to back by their party whips. It doesn’t have to be that way.”

The scale of the cuts was laid bare in recent days with the publication of information obtained from the Government by Devon MP Steve Darling. It revealed that 85% of Plymothians claiming the standard rate of Personal Independence Payment for daily living activities will lose at least some of the benefit following the Government’s cuts.