Liam Byrne, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, has again made it clear that he will not be repealing the spare room subsidy changes if Labour won in 2015. This is not surprising. This repeal was in the 2010 Labour Manifesto. However, they decided to take the easy option in 2012-2013 to call this a bedroom tax and have a pop at the Coalition.
Now they are in the interesting position of Labour still peddling the bedroom ‘tax’ lie, but not saying they would repeal it. How a working taxpayer's subsidy of someone on benefits can be a tax remains beyond me but at least all 3 parties are now agreed. Shame about the positioning these last 6 months.
