Is Labour encouraging a Plebian Culure? Is Labour encouraging a Plebian Culure? Debate - David Puttnam argues no, Fay Weldon argues yes. The Government's sincerity was called into question last week : even the 'Mirror' called for it to spend more on the arts, while the writer VS Naipaul accused Tony Blair of dumbing down our cultural life. The Independent on Sunday 16 July 2000