This Tory Voter Attacked A Conservative Minister For Cutting Tax Credits

Jeremy Corbyn says her story is symbolic of a wider problem with tax credits, which is also worrying Tory MPs.

A former Conservative voter who delivered a passionate attack on the Conservatives' plans to cut tax credits for the low-paid has been backed by Jeremy Corbyn.

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The clip of Michelle Dorrell in Thursday night's Question Time audience went viral after she laid into the government's decision to cut the benefits from next year.

"I voted Conservative originally because I thought you were going to be the better chance for me and my children," she told the panel in Dover.

"You're about to cut tax credits after promising you wouldn't. I work bloody hard for my money to provide for my children, to give them everything they've got, and you're going to take it away from me and them."

Her words were aimed at Conservative minister Amber Rudd, in protest against the government's decision to cut tax credits for low-earners.

BBC

The change, which is due to come into effect early next year, will remove up to £1,000 a year from the income of hundreds of thousands of low-earning families.

This is despite David Cameron repeatedly insisting during the election campaign that he had no plans to cut this aspect of the welfare budget. The Conservatives insisted many families will make up the difference through other means but the decision to push ahead with the cuts has caused consternation among Tory MPs, who fear it could cost them key constituencies at the next election.

Dorrell finished her tirade by concluding: "I can hardly afford the rent I've got to pay, I can hardly afford the bills I've got to do, and you're going to take more from me."

BBC

After the show she was identified by the Daily Telegraph as a 35-year-old mother from Folkestone, Kent, who runs a small nail salon business but is largely dependent on benefits to support her family.

The clip, which quickly went viral, led to some people suggesting she was responsible for her situation because she voted Conservative.

Dave Lee @davelee1968

Fuck you, you stupid twat. You voted tory, you get fuck all sympathy. #bbcqt

10:29 PM - 15 Oct 2015

themainliner @themainliner

If you voted Tory because you thought you might be a little better off, I must just say fuck you and all your kind. https://t.co/WLN5S6UkeN

11:10 PM - 15 Oct 2015

This prompted some leading left-wing figures to defend her, insisting that these are the sort of voters Labour needs to win over.

Billy Bragg @billybragg

Those showing no sympathy for the betrayed Tory voter sound like Tories themselves. Leftists need to be talking to her, not condemning.

11:45 PM - 15 Oct 2015

Owen Jones @OwenJones84

Also isn't an attitude of "you've brought this on yourself" sort of - umm - the sort of approach you'd expect from Tory politicians?

10:35 AM - 16 Oct 2015

Jeremy Corbyn has now responded to the video in a Facebook post, insisting the effects of tax-credit cuts have yet to be seen.

"People voted for the Conservative government in May because they believed Cameron when he said he would balance the books fairly," he wrote. "Instead he is dealing with the deficit on the backs of low- and middle-income earners, and the poorest. David Cameron categorically denied there would be tax-credit cuts because he knew this would be unpopular with the very people he needed to vote for him."

"People who voted Conservative in May were misled. This Tory government is not the party of the British worker, but is the problem for the British worker."