Labour Fail to Show on Bedroom Tax Vote

Commenting on the news a quarter of Scottish Labour MPs failed to vote on their own Bedroom Tax debate, SNP spokesperson for Work and Pensions Dr Eilidh Whiteford MP said:

“We have had nothing but confusion, contradictions and a lack of commitment from Labour on the Bedroom Tax and today, their MPs failed to even turn up.

"It is ironic that Margaret Curran wrote to Alistair Carmichael seeking Lib Dem support on today's vote- she should have copied in her own colleagues.

"Only with a Yes vote will we finally be able to get rid of the unjust bedroom tax and have a welfare state that reflects the views and votes of the people of Scotland."

Labour “shambles” over the Bedroom Tax:

• Ed Miliband announces on 20th September that they will scrap the Bedroom Tax if they win in 2015 – six months after the tax was introduced
• Labour’s position has been extremely confused – on 05/09/13 Johann Lamont and Anas Sarwar appeared on TV at the same time: Lamont did not commit Labour to abolishing the Bedroom Tax, Sarwar did. But a Labour spokesperson said: “we are not writing our next manifesto today and, as with everything, we will have to take a view of the fiscal position nearer the time.”
• Jackie Baillie told GMS on 14th September “Yes we will abolish it. My understanding is you can expect an announcement on that very soon” only for a Labour source to tell BBC Online that Ms Baillie had “gone a bit too far.”
• Jackie Baillie MSP has introduced a motion to the Scottish Parliament on scrapping the Bedroom Tax, however Margaret Curran MP failed to ask Secretary of State for Scotland Alistair Carmichael to offer similar proposals in a letter on the subject this week.