Lords warned not to rebel on tax credits cuts
THE House of Lords is getting ‘too big for its boots’ by trying to block tax credit cuts, a former head of the Civil Service said last night.
Lord Butler warned that a rebellion would lead to the biggest ‘constitutional crisis’ for 100 years.
Peers usually accede to the House of Commons on tax and spending matters under a precedent dating back to 1909.
But Liberal Democrat and Labour members of the upper house insisted they would still try to vote against the cuts when the issue comes before the Lords on Monday.
One Lib Dem peer hinted that the house could try to thwart ministers by blocking other Bills.
Government sources said Monday’s vote is expected to be ‘tight’ amid signs ministers are drawing up radical plans to overrule the Lords.
Speaking on Radio 4’ s Today programme, Lord Butler, the former Cabinet Secretary, warned the Lords not to set up a confrontation with MPs, who have backed George Osborne’s welfare cuts three times.
He said: ‘This was established 100 years ago; that the House of Lords doesn’t oppose the House of Commons on tax and financial matters. The Government would have a quite legitimate grievance if it did.
‘It would be really an example of the House of Lords getting too big for its non-elected boots.’
However, Lib Dem peer Dick Newby said: ‘I think the Lords is going to be the scene of quite a bit of action.’
He also accused the Prime Minister of acting like a ‘schoolboy bully’, adding: ‘He has been challenged in the playground, so he is threatening to bring round his mates to duff us up.’
On Monday peers are set to vote on a Labour motion to block the cuts and force the Chancellor to impose transitional arrangements to help low-income households.
The Government does not have a majority in the Lords and an alliance between opposition parties and crossbench peers could result in a defeat.
The issue is back in the Commons on Thursday where around a dozen Tory MPs are expected to vote for changes to ease the hit on poorer families.
Comment – Page 16