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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Harriet Harman seeks to defuse Labour welfare row | Harriet Harman seeks to defuse Labour welfare row |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Labour's acting leader Harriet Harman has sought to defuse a row over the scale of her party's support for welfare cuts. | Labour's acting leader Harriet Harman has sought to defuse a row over the scale of her party's support for welfare cuts. |
| Ms Harman said the party could not "oppose everything" but stressed future decisions would be for the next leader. | Ms Harman said the party could not "oppose everything" but stressed future decisions would be for the next leader. |
| She faced a backlash after saying Labour would not oppose plans to limit child tax credits to two children. | She faced a backlash after saying Labour would not oppose plans to limit child tax credits to two children. |
| Three of the four leadership contenders criticised the policy change during a hustings debate. | Three of the four leadership contenders criticised the policy change during a hustings debate. |
| But the other leadership contender, Liz Kendall, said Ms Harman was "absolutely right". | But the other leadership contender, Liz Kendall, said Ms Harman was "absolutely right". |
| Speaking in the leadership hustings hosted by the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme, Ms Kendall said: "Many parents who aren't on tax credits have to make difficult decisions about how many children they can afford." | Speaking in the leadership hustings hosted by the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme, Ms Kendall said: "Many parents who aren't on tax credits have to make difficult decisions about how many children they can afford." |
| If Labour persists with "the same arguments we have done over the last five years" its election defeat will be repeated, she added. | If Labour persists with "the same arguments we have done over the last five years" its election defeat will be repeated, she added. |
| The other candidates, Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Jeremy Corbyn, said they would oppose the move. | The other candidates, Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Jeremy Corbyn, said they would oppose the move. |
| "You don't allow a change that is going to take money off people in work who are trying to do the right thing," Mr Burnham said. | "You don't allow a change that is going to take money off people in work who are trying to do the right thing," Mr Burnham said. |
| Ms Cooper said reducing tax credits would affect people's incentives to work. "I think we can be credible and also say we are going to oppose the things that the Tories are doing which are going to hit work and hit people's incentives to work," she said. | Ms Cooper said reducing tax credits would affect people's incentives to work. "I think we can be credible and also say we are going to oppose the things that the Tories are doing which are going to hit work and hit people's incentives to work," she said. |
| Mr Corbyn said he would oppose George Osborne's Budget, which he called "brutal and anti-young and anti the poorest in Britain". | Mr Corbyn said he would oppose George Osborne's Budget, which he called "brutal and anti-young and anti the poorest in Britain". |
| Speaking before she defended her approach at a meeting of Labour MPs, Ms Harman said: "We've got the Budget coming forward next week and a number of bills that the government is bringing forward, whilst I'm interim leader I have to decide how we're going to respond to those. | |
| "But there will be further decisions in the Autumn and that will be for the new leadership." | "But there will be further decisions in the Autumn and that will be for the new leadership." |
| BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith said the issue may come to a head next week after the SNP announced it would seek to force a Commons vote opposing the cuts to child tax credits. | BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith said the issue may come to a head next week after the SNP announced it would seek to force a Commons vote opposing the cuts to child tax credits. |
| Also during the debate, filmed in the marginal seat of Warwick and Leamington which Labour failed to win at the general election, Mr Burnham said he was sorry for the size of the UK's deficit ahead of the financial crash. | Also during the debate, filmed in the marginal seat of Warwick and Leamington which Labour failed to win at the general election, Mr Burnham said he was sorry for the size of the UK's deficit ahead of the financial crash. |
| The former chief secretary to the Treasury said the then chancellor, Alistair Darling, had told him in 2007 the deficit was too high. | The former chief secretary to the Treasury said the then chancellor, Alistair Darling, had told him in 2007 the deficit was too high. |
| Pressed by an audience member, he added: "Sorry. It was a mistake. We shouldn't have allowed the deficit to get that high." | Pressed by an audience member, he added: "Sorry. It was a mistake. We shouldn't have allowed the deficit to get that high." |
| 'Blanket opposition' | 'Blanket opposition' |
| The row over child tax credits was sparked on Sunday when Ms Harman said Labour's big defeats in the last two elections meant it could not adopt "blanket opposition". | The row over child tax credits was sparked on Sunday when Ms Harman said Labour's big defeats in the last two elections meant it could not adopt "blanket opposition". |
| She said the party must listen to the views of those who had put off having "bigger families" for financial reasons, as well as those getting state support. | She said the party must listen to the views of those who had put off having "bigger families" for financial reasons, as well as those getting state support. |
| The acting leader said Labour would not oppose the government's plan to reduce the overall household benefit cap - to £23,000 a year in London and £20,000 outside - and it would also back the third child limit on future tax credits claims. | The acting leader said Labour would not oppose the government's plan to reduce the overall household benefit cap - to £23,000 a year in London and £20,000 outside - and it would also back the third child limit on future tax credits claims. |
| She said Labour would oppose the reduction in the tax credit threshold to £3,850 a year and the faster withdrawal of it, saying it would leave families an average of £1,000 a year worse off. | She said Labour would oppose the reduction in the tax credit threshold to £3,850 a year and the faster withdrawal of it, saying it would leave families an average of £1,000 a year worse off. |
| But she said the temptation to oppose everything in the Budget was not a luxury open to Labour since, at this moment, it was seen as being a party of opposition - not a government in waiting. | But she said the temptation to oppose everything in the Budget was not a luxury open to Labour since, at this moment, it was seen as being a party of opposition - not a government in waiting. |
| Labour MP Frank Field, who chairs the work and pensions committee, backed Ms Harman, telling the BBC's Daily Politics the stance taken by Labour leadership candidates was "dismal". | Labour MP Frank Field, who chairs the work and pensions committee, backed Ms Harman, telling the BBC's Daily Politics the stance taken by Labour leadership candidates was "dismal". |
| He drew a distinction between the two children change, which will only apply to new claimants, and reforms that would apply to those already in the system - an area where he said the Tories were "vulnerable". | He drew a distinction between the two children change, which will only apply to new claimants, and reforms that would apply to those already in the system - an area where he said the Tories were "vulnerable". |
| But Labour MP Diane Abbott she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I don't believe the Labour Party can support welfare measures that will force tens of thousands of children into poverty." | But Labour MP Diane Abbott she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I don't believe the Labour Party can support welfare measures that will force tens of thousands of children into poverty." |