Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Osborne pledges help for tax credit claimants after Lords humiliation

Tonight has not been a good one for George Osborne, with peers refusing to take his word that he was in ‘listening mode’ about tax credits. He didn’t look particularly happy about the matter when he gave a pooled clip to broadcasters a few minutes ago. He complained about an unelected group of Labour and Lib Dem lords voting down a matter passed by the House of Commons, and added:

‘I said I would listen and that’s precisely what I intend to do. I believe we can achieve the same goal of reforming tax credits, saving the money we need to save to secure our economy while at the same time helping in the transition. That is what I intend to do at the autumn statement, I’m determined to deliver that lower welfare higher wage economy that we were elected to deliver and that the British people want to see.’

Osborne has been lucky in parliamentary terms up to this point.

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