Councillor Steve Ricketts delivered a powerful speech at Plymouth City Council meeting, laying bare the political failures that led to the Armada Way tree scandal and revealing how Plymouth Labour's crucial decision not to support a motion to suspend the works sealed the trees' fate.
Labour Had the Numbers But Chose Inaction
In a damning indictment, Ricketts revealed that Labour held the most councillors in January 2023 and "could have taken control of PCC at any time." Despite having the power to prevent the tree destruction, Labour chose not to vote when it mattered most - a decision that would prove fatal for Plymouth's cherished trees.
The situation was so concerning that even MPs Gary Streeter and Johnny Mercer were "begging the Labour party to get to a grip," highlighting Labour's failure to act despite holding the cards.
"Under Cover of Darkness"
Ricketts described the tree felling at the beginning of 2023 as "an absolute abomination" carried out "under the cover of darkness." He painted a vivid picture of the chaos that ensued: "It was mayhem, people couldn't believe what was happening, people were on the streets, there were people videoing on their phones and then it became a national scandal, an international story."
The councillor emphasised the global reach of the controversy, noting it appeared "in national newspapers, on the front pages, it was in village magazines and publication across the world, including America and far beyond."
Political Failures Exposed
Ricketts reserved his strongest criticism for what he termed the "cosy consensus" between Labour and Conservative parties, describing it as "appalling leadership" that left Plymouth residents without proper representation.
The Missed Opportunity
The most damning revelation came when Ricketts detailed the January 30, 2023 council motion that could have ended the controversy. Proposed by Independent Councillors Stephen Hulme and Patrick Nicholson, the motion sought to "suspend all works and review the scheme with a view to saving significantly more trees than currently proposed."
Ricketts was clear about the consequences: "That was the moment in time that this could have ended, right there and then... It would have stopped play."
The Crucial Vote
What happened next, according to Ricketts, sealed the trees' fate: "The conservatives voted against it and Labour decided not to vote to suspend works on Armada Way tree destruction! And they had the numbers to stop it."
His conclusion was stark: "These are facts. It's very simple, if Labour had supported the motion to suspend work in Armada Way we would still have our trees."
Call for Accountability
Ricketts ended with a direct challenge to both major parties: "We will never let Labour and the Conservative get away with it. It's about time some public apologies were done properly, so we can all try and move on."
The speech was met with applause from fellow councillors. Andy Lugger apologised on behalf of the Conservatives, but Cllr Tudor Evans did not apologise on behalf of Labour.
Labour "Playing Games"
Cllr Ricketts told Plymouth Plus:
"Plymouth Labour were trying to wriggle out of their lack of voting, saying it was nuanced why they abstained.
"There was nothing nuanced about it - if they hadn't abstained we would still have our trees.
"Labour don't like facts, but it's in the public domain now and they can't get away with it.
"Plymouth Labour hoped that the public wouldn't notice that they were playing games when they had all the numbers to support the motion and ensure that scheme was stopped.
"Labour have an obsession with Net Zero that in a few short years that will make local people cold and poor, but they are quite happy to chop down all our trees in the middle of the city.
"I will take no lessons from Labour on green policies."
Ricketts' intervention provides the clearest timeline yet of how political manoeuvring and party interests superseded public concern, ultimately costing Plymouth its cherished trees.
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