Tory whips in a quandary over Labour social care challenge

If ministers are going to offer any concessions in the row over Universal Credit, they’ve decided to keep them back for a little while longer. This afternoon MPs have been holding an emergency debate on the reform, with Employment Minister Damian Hinds defending the reform and the roll-out, rather than suggesting that the government is going to accept the suggestions of Tory and Labour MPs on delayed payments.

The emergency debate was called after Conservative MPs were whipped to abstain on Labour’s Opposition Day debate on the benefit reform last week. I reported after that vote that many Tories were peeved about this; either because they were in marginal seats and were worried about coming under fire for not taking a view, or because they were annoyed that they couldn’t vote for their party’s welfare policy.

The government is in a defensive mood at the moment, but it knows it needs to come up with a different tactic for the next Opposition Day debate, which is on social care.