A Lib Dem private members bill to water down the bedroom tax passed its first hurdle today after being backed by Labour and Lib Dem MPs. The bill was passed by a majority of 75 votes, with 306 in favour and 231 opposed.{jcomments on}
The private members bill was put forward by Lib Dem MP Andrew George, who also opposed the original bedroom tax legislation. It would exempt disabled claimants who need a spare bedroom, or who have adapted homes, from paying the bedroom tax. It would also exempt claimants who had not been offered a suitable smaller home.
This is only the second time that the Lib Dems and the Conservatives have opposed each other in a vote. The previous occasion was in relation to constituency boundary changes, when the conservatives were also defeated.
The bill will now go on to committee stage, but there is still only a very slim chance of it being made law prior to a general election.
Immediately after the votes, Philip Davies, Conservative MP for Shipley raised a point of order accusing the Lib Dems of being ‘devious and untrustworthy’ and claiming that ‘the coalition government has come to an end’.
