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| Tories defeated as benefit bill clears first Commons hurdle | Tories defeated as benefit bill clears first Commons hurdle |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Liberal Democrat and Labour MPs have joined forces to defeat Conservatives in a Commons vote to partly overturn housing benefit changes. | Liberal Democrat and Labour MPs have joined forces to defeat Conservatives in a Commons vote to partly overturn housing benefit changes. |
| MPs backed the Affordable Homes Bill at second reading by 306 votes to 231. | MPs backed the Affordable Homes Bill at second reading by 306 votes to 231. |
| Lib Dem MP Andrew George's private member's bill will now move to detailed scrutiny at the committee stage. | Lib Dem MP Andrew George's private member's bill will now move to detailed scrutiny at the committee stage. |
| The issue has split the coalition, with Lib Dem and Tory MPs and ministers voting along party lines. | The issue has split the coalition, with Lib Dem and Tory MPs and ministers voting along party lines. |
| The BBC's parliamentary correspondent Mark D'Arcy said there was now a "fighting chance" the bill would become law. | The BBC's parliamentary correspondent Mark D'Arcy said there was now a "fighting chance" the bill would become law. |
| All but three Liberal Democrat MPs backed the bill. Nick Clegg, who is at the Nato summit in Wales, did not take part in the vote. | |
| After the vote, Conservative MP Philip Davies accused the Lib Dems - who backed the benefit changes when they were initially approved by Parliament - of being "devious and untrustworthy". | |
| 'Food banks' | 'Food banks' |
| He suggested there would now be a "free for all" for the remainder of the Parliament and the coalition government had "officially come to an end". | He suggested there would now be a "free for all" for the remainder of the Parliament and the coalition government had "officially come to an end". |
| And Labour leader Ed Miliband, who has committed to scrapping the benefit cuts - dubbed the "bedroom tax" by critics - if he becomes prime minister, said it was further evidence that David Cameron's authority was dwindling. | |
| "He is losing his MPs, he is losing votes in the House of Commons and it is Labour which is setting the agenda for fairness," he said. | |
| Analysis by BBC Parliamentary Correspondent Mark D'Arcy | |
| My bet is that the Affordable Housing Bill will now clear the Commons, to the sound of grinding Tory teeth - and while it might be vulnerable to death by a thousand amendments in the Lords, Labour and Lib Dem peers, plus sympathetic Crossbenchers may see it through to the Statute Book. | |
| Such a high-profile demonstration of Lib-Lab cooperation must chill Tory spines and show a little leg to voters lost by the Lib Dems when the joined the coalition. | |
| Collective responsibility may have been suspended within the government today, but trust between its member parties must have been eroded. | |
| Read Mark's full analysis. | |
| Since April 2013, tenants in council and social housing who are deemed to have surplus bedrooms for their needs have seen their housing benefit cut by up to 25% - a key plank in the government's efforts to reduce growth in welfare spending. | Since April 2013, tenants in council and social housing who are deemed to have surplus bedrooms for their needs have seen their housing benefit cut by up to 25% - a key plank in the government's efforts to reduce growth in welfare spending. |
| Mr George's bill would mean people who could not be found a smaller home would be exempt from the cuts, as well as disabled people who need a spare bedroom or who have adapted homes. | Mr George's bill would mean people who could not be found a smaller home would be exempt from the cuts, as well as disabled people who need a spare bedroom or who have adapted homes. |
| 'More protection' | 'More protection' |
| During a four-hour debate, Mr George told MPs the most vulnerable were not sufficiently protected and he was proposing "reasonable" changes "based on the evidence" to make the policy fairer. | During a four-hour debate, Mr George told MPs the most vulnerable were not sufficiently protected and he was proposing "reasonable" changes "based on the evidence" to make the policy fairer. |
| "We have had long enough to tell how these regulations have had an impact," the MP for St Ives - who opposed the original changes - said. | "We have had long enough to tell how these regulations have had an impact," the MP for St Ives - who opposed the original changes - said. |
| "The rules should be changed so that existing tenants are not penalised when they cannot move into smaller accommodation because this is not available in their locality." | "The rules should be changed so that existing tenants are not penalised when they cannot move into smaller accommodation because this is not available in their locality." |
| Mr George opted to put together a bill on Affordable Homes after coming top of an annual ballot of backbenchers - which allows members to propose new legislation. | Mr George opted to put together a bill on Affordable Homes after coming top of an annual ballot of backbenchers - which allows members to propose new legislation. |
| What were the original changes? | What were the original changes? |
| The government's changes affected housing benefit, which is paid to less well-off tenants to help with rent. In the past, claimants typically received between £50 and £100 a week. | The government's changes affected housing benefit, which is paid to less well-off tenants to help with rent. In the past, claimants typically received between £50 and £100 a week. |
| Since April 2013, tenants deemed to have one spare room have seen their rent support cut by 14% and those with two or more rooms by 25%. | Since April 2013, tenants deemed to have one spare room have seen their rent support cut by 14% and those with two or more rooms by 25%. |
| The changes were designed to ensure social tenants get the same treatment as private tenants, who do not get any rent support. | The changes were designed to ensure social tenants get the same treatment as private tenants, who do not get any rent support. |
| Tenants can apply for discretionary housing payments to fill any shortfall between their benefit entitlement and the rent or they can downsize. | Tenants can apply for discretionary housing payments to fill any shortfall between their benefit entitlement and the rent or they can downsize. |
| But problems have arisen in some areas where there is a shortage of smaller homes. Campaigners say those affected face being forced to move long distances to find a property, or move into the private sector, where rents could be higher. | But problems have arisen in some areas where there is a shortage of smaller homes. Campaigners say those affected face being forced to move long distances to find a property, or move into the private sector, where rents could be higher. |
| It means his proposed law will get more Commons time than would normally be the case for a private members bill. | |
| Tory, Labour and Lib Dem MPs turned out in force to vote on the first stage of the bill - filling the House of Commons chamber on a day when it is normally nearly empty. | |
| It is only the second time the coalition partners have voted against each other en masse without prior agreement since 2010 - the first was over changes to the boundaries of parliamentary constituencies. | It is only the second time the coalition partners have voted against each other en masse without prior agreement since 2010 - the first was over changes to the boundaries of parliamentary constituencies. |
| Senior Lib Dem ministers, including Danny Alexander Vince Cable and Steve Webb, joined Labour in the lobbies and voted against their coalition partners. | |
| 'Big win' | 'Big win' |
| "Today's vote was an important step in reforming spare room subsidy policy to make sure we protect the most vulnerable," Mr Alexander said. | |
| Shadow defence secretary Vernon Coaker told the BBC "virtually all" Labour MPs were in Parliament in order to vote for the legislation. . | Shadow defence secretary Vernon Coaker told the BBC "virtually all" Labour MPs were in Parliament in order to vote for the legislation. . |
| During the debate, several Tory MPs described the bill as a "Trojan horse" and said it flew in the face of the government's efforts to control the welfare bill. | During the debate, several Tory MPs described the bill as a "Trojan horse" and said it flew in the face of the government's efforts to control the welfare bill. |
| "Mr George sought to lull us all into a sense of reasonableness by seeking to assert this was just a bill to tidy up and amend the spare room subsidy," Sir Tony Baldry said. | "Mr George sought to lull us all into a sense of reasonableness by seeking to assert this was just a bill to tidy up and amend the spare room subsidy," Sir Tony Baldry said. |
| "It's quite clear from the comments of Labour that, actually, the supporters of this bill, their real intention is to remove the spare room subsidy completely." | "It's quite clear from the comments of Labour that, actually, the supporters of this bill, their real intention is to remove the spare room subsidy completely." |
| Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said it would cost the Treasury £1bn to reverse the changes and challenged critics to say what other cuts they would make to pay for it. | Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said it would cost the Treasury £1bn to reverse the changes and challenged critics to say what other cuts they would make to pay for it. |
| According to division lists published by the Press Association, a single Tory MP, Angie Bray, voted for the bill. |