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Zac Goldsmith quits as disabled charity patron

Tory mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith has resigned as patron of a charity for the disabled after it called on him to quit the role over his support for Government cuts.

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Mayoral candidate quits as disabled patron

Credit: PA

The Conservative candidate for Mayor of London, Zac Goldsmith, has been forced to resign as patron of his local disability charity.

Richmond AID called on him to quit after he voted in favour of Government plans to cut disability benefits.

The charity, run by disabled people in Richmond upon Thames, had demanded the resignation after Mr Goldsmith voted in favour of a "brutal" £30-a-week cut to some claimants' Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

(The cuts) will have a severe and detrimental impact on the lives of disabled people and will make it more difficult for people to find work. We are shocked and disappointed to find that both our local MPs here in the borough of Richmond voted for this cut, one of whom is patron of our organisation. Having voted for this brutal cut we believe that Zac Goldsmith's position as patron is no longer tenable."

– Lucy Byrne, chief executive Richmond AID
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