Labour opposes benefit cuts: for now, anyway

Last night’s debate on the bill capping benefit rises at 1 per cent was far more revelatory than it might first have appeared. It wasn’t Labour’s conclusion that the Tories were evil and the Lib Dems (those that turned up, at least: there were nine rebels, but a further 11 Lib Dem MPs were mysteriously absent) just as bad. But the most interesting revelation was the way the party handled this exchange:

Charlie Elphicke: Is it therefore the right hon. Gentleman’s and the Opposition’s policy that uprating should be not by 1%, but by inflation? Is that a commitment?

Stephen Timms: Uprating should indeed be in line with inflation, as it always was in the past.

This was significant. Until Timms’ speech, Labour had only gone so far as to say that it would vote against the Welfare Benefits Uprating Bill, not that it would reverse it and relink benefits to inflation.