Reading Lib Dems demand Reading’s Labour MPs vote against disability benefits cuts as rebellion brews

Reading Liberal Democrats have demanded that Reading’s Labour MPs vote against the Government’s planned cuts to disability benefits, if there is one.

The Lib Dems said that the cuts would “punish some of the most vulnerable in our society” and that if Reading’s Labour MPs voted for them, they risked “ripping away vital support for people with a disability”.

It comes as the news has been reported that more than 100 Labour MPs have privately signed a letter to Labour’s Chief Whip expressing concerns over the cuts.

Under the Labour government's plans, the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) eligibility criteria would be made stricter, and Universal Credit could also be reduced.

Liberal Democrat MPs will not be supporting the Government, and Reading Lib Dems have urged the local Labour MPs to publicly state their opposition to the cuts.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Reading Borough Council, Councillor Anne Thompson, said:

“Reading’s Labour MPs need to do what they know is right and, if given the chance, vote against these awful cuts which will punish some of the most vulnerable in our society.

"To fall in line and help push these cuts through, our local Labour MPs risk ripping away vital support for people with a disability and undermining their own stated goal to get more people into work.

“People here in Reading deserve MPs who know what is right for people in our area and who will stand up for those who are in desperate need of support. Backing these cuts would be nodding through Government policies, even in the knowledge that they could be devastating.

“These cuts will punish disabled people - both those who can’t work and those who need this support to stay in work. It is time for our local Labour MPs to show some backbone and commit to voting against these cuts.”