Liberal Democrat President Tim Farron is pushing for his party to withdraw its support for the spare room subsidy, branded by Labour as the “bedroom tax”. Farron, who is not in the Government and his on the left of the Party, claims the policy has caused “huge social problems”. He has warned that the “onslaught of divisive rhetoric that demonises the poor can never help us to create a fairer society”. Meanwhile, the House of Commons Work and Pensions committee has warned that the Government’s changes to housing benefit are acting as a financial burden on vulnerable people who do not have the option of moving to avoid them.
Olly from PSI: Farron is the Liberal Democrat’s most influential back bench MP and his comments are a sign that as we get closer to the next election that the Party will be looking distance itself from the Government’s more controversial policies and the left of the Party will push to align itself with Labour.
