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Lib Dem MPs join Labour in voting against bedroom tax Lib Dem MPs join Labour in voting against bedroom tax
(about 2 hours later)
The Liberal Democrat president, Tim Farron, and one other Lib Dem MP joined Labour in voting against the bedroom tax in a Labour-inspired Commons debate on Tuesday that sparked rare passion including a claim by one Tory MP that feckless fathers should be chained and forced to work.The Liberal Democrat president, Tim Farron, and one other Lib Dem MP joined Labour in voting against the bedroom tax in a Labour-inspired Commons debate on Tuesday that sparked rare passion including a claim by one Tory MP that feckless fathers should be chained and forced to work.
The Labour motion calling for the abolition was defeated by 252 to 226, a substantial cut in the coalition majority. A handful of Lib Dem MPs abstained. The spare-room subsidy or bedroom tax cuts housing benefit for social housing tenants by 14% for those deemed to have an extra bedroom and 25% for claimants with two or more spare bedrooms.The Labour motion calling for the abolition was defeated by 252 to 226, a substantial cut in the coalition majority. A handful of Lib Dem MPs abstained. The spare-room subsidy or bedroom tax cuts housing benefit for social housing tenants by 14% for those deemed to have an extra bedroom and 25% for claimants with two or more spare bedrooms.
During the debate, a range of Lib Dem MPs, including the party deputy leader, Simon Hughes, urged the government to see if there should be further exemptions from the tax, including permission not to see housing benefit cut if a tenant has agreed to downsize from over-generous accommodation. Steve Webb, the Lib Dem pensions minister, standing in for the work and pensions secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, pointed to his party conference's call for a review of the bedroom tax.During the debate, a range of Lib Dem MPs, including the party deputy leader, Simon Hughes, urged the government to see if there should be further exemptions from the tax, including permission not to see housing benefit cut if a tenant has agreed to downsize from over-generous accommodation. Steve Webb, the Lib Dem pensions minister, standing in for the work and pensions secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, pointed to his party conference's call for a review of the bedroom tax.
He also seemed to promise that if councils need extra discretionary cash from the £150m discretionary allowances they would get it. He said if councils' discretionary payments were exhausted "they can come to the government for a top-up". He said barely half a dozen local authorities had applied for extra cash.He also seemed to promise that if councils need extra discretionary cash from the £150m discretionary allowances they would get it. He said if councils' discretionary payments were exhausted "they can come to the government for a top-up". He said barely half a dozen local authorities had applied for extra cash.
He added that social property was available for families to move into, saying he was aware of the availability of 56,000 one-bedroom properties, 147,000 two-bedroom properties and 104,000 three-bedroom properties.He added that social property was available for families to move into, saying he was aware of the availability of 56,000 one-bedroom properties, 147,000 two-bedroom properties and 104,000 three-bedroom properties.
A succession of Labour MPs produced personal stories of the impact of the bedroom tax drawn from their constituency surgeries. Steve Pound, said his brother was in danger of losing his home of 20 years even though his spare room was being used for a kidney dialysis unit.A succession of Labour MPs produced personal stories of the impact of the bedroom tax drawn from their constituency surgeries. Steve Pound, said his brother was in danger of losing his home of 20 years even though his spare room was being used for a kidney dialysis unit.
Ed Miliband at the Labour conference promised to abolish the bedroom tax, the one solid Labour commitment to reverse the government's welfare cuts.Ed Miliband at the Labour conference promised to abolish the bedroom tax, the one solid Labour commitment to reverse the government's welfare cuts.
One Liberal Democrat MP, Andrew George, described the bedroom tax as an immoral policy,One Liberal Democrat MP, Andrew George, described the bedroom tax as an immoral policy,
He said: "The fact is that this spare room penalty, or the bedroom tax, victimises the most marginalised in our communities, undermines family life, penalises the hard-working low-paid for being prepared to stomach low-paid work, masks the excessive cost and disruption to those disabled who have to move from expensively adapted homes and is, in my view, Dickensian in its social divisiveness. It is an immoral policy." George, who voted against the measure, said: "The fact is that this spare room penalty, or the bedroom tax, victimises the most marginalised in our communities, undermines family life, penalises the hard-working low-paid for being prepared to stomach low-paid work, masks the excessive cost and disruption to those disabled who have to move from expensively adapted homes and is, in my view, Dickensian in its social divisiveness. It is an immoral policy."
But the Tory MP for Monmouth, David TC Davies, said feckless fathers should be put in chains and made to work to pay back society the costs of bringing up their children. He said: "It is utterly shocking and I hope that the ministers will take note of this and get hold of some of these feckless fathers, drag them off, put them in chains if necessary, make them work and make them pay back society for the cost of bringing up the children they chose to bring into this world."But the Tory MP for Monmouth, David TC Davies, said feckless fathers should be put in chains and made to work to pay back society the costs of bringing up their children. He said: "It is utterly shocking and I hope that the ministers will take note of this and get hold of some of these feckless fathers, drag them off, put them in chains if necessary, make them work and make them pay back society for the cost of bringing up the children they chose to bring into this world."
Meanwhile, the Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg will insist on Wednesday that he did not enter government "just to make cuts", in a sign that the Lib Dem reject David Cameron's call for a permanently smaller state.
In an effort to shift the debate away from Miliband's high-profile pledge to freeze energy prices, Clegg will say careful economic stewardship is the best way to protect household budgets.
In his strongest attack on Labour economic policy, Clegg will say: "They honestly believe that they can walk back into Downing Street with a giveaway here, a gimmick there, but no credible economic strategy.
"Do you know why Ed Miliband suddenly wants to talk about the cost of living?
"Because they've lost the bigger economic argument. Where are the million lost jobs they predicted? Or the flatlining GDP? Where is the double-dip recession that never happened? Or – as David Blunkett warned – the post-Soviet meltdown?
"Plan A hasn't failed, it's working. And the truth is that healthy household budgets flow directly from a healthy economy. The two go hand in hand."
"So don't be fooled again: you cannot afford Labour. Let loose in government on their own they would wreck the recovery – costing jobs, driving up interest rates and undermining the growth needed to cut tax bills and fund public services.
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