Plymouth resident Mat Surtees has contacted Plymouth Plus claiming that his public question for tomorrow's (2nd June) Plymouth full council meeting has been 'blocked'.
UPDATE:
Politics Desk
The question Surtees intended to ask was:
"Councillor Evans, do you agree that the Labour government cuts to welfare will significantly impact the people of Plymouth and are you prepared to publicly condemn the actions of government in relation to these cuts, the same way that Labour councillors have done in other parts of the country?"
Surtees, an ex-Labour member who left the party after feeling let down by Labour going against their traditional values on issues like the winter fuel allowance and cuts to the most vulnerable, would have required Cllr Evans to state his position on the Labour government's welfare cuts and whether he would publicly condemn them, as Labour councillors in other parts of the country have done.
The Labour government has announced plans to cut more than £5 billion from its welfare budget by 2029/30, with 42 Labour MPs describing the planned cuts of more than £7bn as representing "the biggest attack on the welfare state since George Osborne ushered in the years of austerity". The changes will affect over three million of the poorest and most disadvantaged, including significant changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) eligibility and cuts to the health element of Universal Credit for new claimants.
The rate of the universal credit health element will be cut by £47 per week, from £97 per week in 2024 to £50 per week in 2026/2027, while fewer people will be eligible for personal independence payment (PIP) under Labour's proposals, with a minimum of four points required to be 'scored' on one daily living activity to receive the daily living element.
The timing of this development is significant, coming as councils across the country grapple with the implications of recent government welfare reforms. More than 25 Labour MPs have said publicly that they will not back the government when proposed welfare reforms are voted on in Parliament, creating an uncomfortable dynamic between local and national party politics.
If confirmed, the blocking of this public question raises questions about transparency and accountability in Plymouth's democratic processes, particularly given the contentious nature of the welfare cuts and their potential local impact. Public question sessions are typically designed to allow residents to directly challenge council leadership on matters of local concern.
What do you think about this development? Should public questions be blocked, and should Plymouth's Labour councillors speak out against welfare cuts that could impact local residents? Leave your views in the comments below.
Politics Desk
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