“Bedroom Tax”– should social landlords be doing more to encourage swaps?
The “bedroom tax” which is not actually a tax, but a cut in Housing Benefit if a tenant in social housing has more bedrooms than they are deemed to need, has caused much anxiety and disquiet in recent...
View ArticleOpinion: The ‘Bedroom Tax’ does not pass the Fairer Society test
The leadership’s positioning over secret courts has angered many of the party faithful over the past week, but for me the major disappointment has been our uncritical support of the Tory inspired...
View ArticleLibLink: Danny Alexander – Bedroom blockers and tax dodgers will pay
Lib Dem chief secretary to the treasury Danny Alexander has published a robust defence of the Coalition’s welfare reforms in The Sun on Sunday. Here’s how it starts: Last week a young woman came to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Margaret Thatcher, the 1983 election and the ‘bedroom tax’
Like Caron, I spent more than a healthy amount of my Bank Holiday Monday watching BBC Parliament’s re-run of the 1983 general election. It’s not an election I remember (I was 6). But the symmetry of...
View ArticleLibLink… Danny Alexander: Coalition tackling housing crisis
Danny Alexander writes in today’s Scotsman about the benefit reduction which has become colloquially known as the Bedroom Tax. He argues that the Coalition had to take action after Labour mismanagement...
View ArticleWell done, Ed Balls. He’s opened up space for a proper welfare debate. Lib...
Ed Balls has done us all a favour. His announcement last week that if he were Chancellor he would put a stop to winter fuel allowances for well-off pensioners means Labour has joined the Lib Dems in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lessons of Coalition: what do the Lib Dems need to learn from the first 3 years?
We’re more than three years in. What started in the Rose Garden has turned into a bed of thorns. The quieter summer weeks are as good a time as any to reflect on the key lessons the Lib Dems need to...
View ArticleLib Dems secure £35 million extra funds to help those affected by Bedroom Tax
The arguments over the so-called Bedroom Tax have been rehearsed on this site on many occasions and it’s been in the news today, with the judgement that it does not discriminate against disabled...
View ArticleLetter to Nick Clegg – Secret courts and bedroom tax
Dear Nick, Following the vote in Parliament last night the Prime Minister demonstrated how to graciously step back from a position and accept the will of our democratically elected representatives that...
View ArticleOpinion: Let’s have some facts on the ‘bedroom tax’
One of the ‘facts’ about the ‘bedroom tax’ which is becoming increasing accepted is that 9 out of 10 disabled people affected by the ‘bedroom tax’ and refused a discretionary payment are going without...
View ArticleLord German writes… Monitoring the removal of the spare room subsidy
Like many people reading the front page of the Guardian this morning, I was worried by the headline on the pronouncements by the UN special rapporteur on the removal of the spare room subsidy. But it...
View ArticleOpinion: Ten reasons why the bedroom tax must go
The conference amendments can only be an expedient stop-gap to complete repeal. Here are ten reasons why the bedroom tax (also known as the spare room subsidy) should go. 1. Bedroom Tax is targeted to...
View ArticleBedroom tax: Lib Dem conference says no – as do 53% of party members
Lib Dem Voice has polled our members-only forum to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Almost 700 party members...
View ArticleMichael Moore “turned down chance to resign Cabinet post”
A report in today’s Herald suggests that former Scottish Secretary Michael Moore was offered the chance to resign from the Cabinet rather than be sacked. A “spend more time with his family” scenario...
View ArticleDanny Alexander’s father criticises the Bedroom Tax
From the Independent: The father of Danny Alexander, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, has launched a scathing attack on the “bedroom tax” in the annual report of a Scottish housing association. Di...
View ArticleTim Farron “set to vote against the “Bedroom Tax” while Swales, Mulholland, R...
From the Guardian‘s live politics blog (3:15) Tim Farron, the Lib Dem president, is set to vote against the government on the bedroom tax tonight, I’m told. A friend of Farron’s tells me: ”Party...
View ArticleBedroom Tax no more in Scotland – with Scottish Liberal Democrat support
It’s been a big week for the Scottish Parliament. On Tuesday, Holyrood passed a much stronger equal marriage bill than we have south of the border. Yesterday it passed a budget which, with different...
View ArticleOpinion: Don’t close spare room subsidy loophole – just yet
In January, it was revealed that there was a loophole in the Government’s welfare reforms. The loophole relates to those people claiming Housing Benefit whilst in the same property for at least the...
View ArticleTim Farron says Liberal Democrats are likely to oppose “Bedroom Tax” in 2015
Tim Farron has said that he expects that Liberal Democrats will oppose the so-called “Bedroom Tax” in 2015. In an interview with Inside Housing, he has said that in its current form it was causing...
View ArticleTim Farron “will withdraw party’s support for Bedroom Tax”
Ok, so we’ll overlook the Guardian’s inaccurate headline. Have they learned nothing from years of watching our policy making process? Tim Farron doesn’t have the power to do what the Guardian says he’s...
View Article