The Liberal Democrats imposed the Bedroom Tax on local authorities and their social housing tenants – so why are they trying to blame Labour for a mess that they created?

Something has just happened that Vox Political predicted more than two years ago. The shock is the identity of the perpetrators.

According to the Welfare News Service, the Liberal Democrats are blaming Labour-controlled councils for inflicting the Bedroom Tax on their residents. That’s right – the Liberal Democrats who, in their entirety as a Parliamentary party, voted to support the Conservative Party in forcing local councils to administrate the hated charge.

“In a blog posted on their national website, the Lib Dems claim that “Labour councils chose to punish their residents to score political points” in a deliberate attempt to scupper the housing policy,” states the WNS blog post.

“What, exactly, the party means when it accuses Labour councils of punishing its own residents is unclear. But the sheer audacity and ignorance shown by the Lib Dems will anger all of those who have experienced financial hardship, lost loved-ones, or who have been forced out of their family home as a result of vicious cuts to vital housing support.”

It continues: “Not a single Lib Dem MP voted against the ‘bedroom tax’ in February [2012].”

The fact is, the Bedroom Tax – like the Council Tax Reduction Scheme (otherwise known as Eric Pickles’ revival of the Poll Tax) – the intention was to force local authorities held by other parties, which were statistically likely to have more voters on social security benefits than the more affluent councils held by the Tories, to enforce these unfair rules on these most vulnerable of citizens. The Conservative – Liberal Democrat government could then blame the party running the authority for bringing it in, diverting any adverse reaction away from themselves – the true instigators.

So who, exactly was trying to score political points, again? Here at Vox Political, the assumption was always that the Conservatives would be the ones pointing the finger.

Instead it’s the Liberal Democrats, and – as is now fairly typical for the Yellow Turncoats – they’ve made a mistake. It would have been better to attack Labour over the previously-mentioned Pickles Poll Tax, about which Vox Political stated on August 23, 2012: “Councils could choose to reduce spending in other areas or increase their revenue through council tax but, as these will affect groups other than current benefit recipients, I think we all know which way our councillors will be pushed. Either way, the local authority will take the blame – or at least, that’s what the Coalition hopes.”

Let’s leave the last words to the WNS: “If the Liberal Democrats had just an ounce of respect for the people whose lives they have thrown into turmoil, they would admit the Bedroom Tax is wrong and work with Labour, and other political parties, to end this disgraceful policy once and for all. Unfortunately it appears as if they are more worried about losing face than the shocking impact of the Bedroom Tax on some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in our society.

“Is it any wonder that so many Scots want out of the UK?”

Follow me on Twitter: @MidWalesMike

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