Rachel Reeves MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, speaking after 46 Liberal Democrat peers voted to keep the Bedroom Tax, said:

“24 hours after the Lib Dems said they were withdrawing their support for the Bedroom Tax, 46 Lib Dem peers have voted with the Tories to keep it.

“With the Lib Dems’ help, the government defeated Labour’s motion on the Bedroom Tax by just 15 votes. It shows you can’t trust a word the Lib Dems say.

“David Cameron and Nick Clegg’s Bedroom Tax has been a complete disaster and ministers should scrap it. If they don’t, the next Labour government will.”

Ends

Editor’s Notes:

1. The motion voted on in the Lords was: Baroness Sherlock to move that this House regrets that the Housing Benefit (Transitional Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 are being introduced without Her Majesty’s Government’s full understanding of the numbers of those affected; regrets that confusion and uncertainty are being added to an already unjust policy; deplores that Her Majesty’s Government’s mishandling has resulted in households being unlawfully charged and further pushed into hardship; and regrets the likely disproportionate impact of the Regulations on the most vulnerable (SI 2014/212).

Contents: 173, Not Contents: 188. Result: Government Win

Full list of Liberal Democrats who voted with the Government here: http://www.parliament.uk/Templates/LordsDivisions/Pages/LordsDivisions.aspx?id=51023&epslanguage=en&date=2014-Apr-03&itemId=1&session=2013-May-08

2. Lib Dem President Tim Farron said yesterday: “The Bedroom Tax causes huge social problems and distorts the market - we as a party cannot support this.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26854733