Disabled Labour MP breaks down in tears over party’s welfare cuts

Disabled Labour MP breaks down in tears over party's welfare cuts Source: Reuters

Transcript

00:00When the Conservative government looked like an outlier in appearing to pursue a strategy

00:04centering on herd immunity, I felt raw, hot fear. Thinking of my toddler and what might happen if

00:13I called coronavirus meant I sobbed deeply. After 10 years of austerity, I knew then that disabled

00:21people would pay an enormous price, and they did. Almost 60% of COVID-related deaths were

00:29disabled people in that first wave. I vowed then that I would do all I could to create

00:36a country which treats disabled people with dignity and respect. The social security system

00:44was broken by the Conservative legacy of austerity and their monumental mishandling of the COVID

00:52pandemic. I am now one of the only visible physically disabled members of Parliament.

00:58I am proud that our manifesto committed to championing the rights of disabled people,

01:03and the principle of working with disabled people to ensure our views and voices are at

01:09the heart of all we do. My communities nurtured me growing up, and they taught me the values

01:16of fairness, equality, community. So it is with a heavy, broken heart that I will be voting

01:23against this bill today. As a matter of conscience, I need my constituents to know I cannot support

01:31the proposed changes to PIP as currently drafted on the face of the bill before us today. Since

01:37April, I have been engaging relentlessly with the government at the very highest level to change

01:43their proposals as set out in this bill, making it clear I could not support the proposals on PIP.