Today Labour are forcing a vote in the House of Commons that on the issue of the so-called ‘Granny Tax’, which will see millions of low and middle income pensioners across the country lose out significant amounts of money while the Tory/Lib Dem government cut taxes for the richest 1% of society.
Given that Bradford’s Liberal Democrats have made a big issue on their election leaflets about the rise in pensions from the government, a rise that was entirely expected and due to it’s link to inflation rather than from any majestic campaigning from the Liberals, can we expect them to come out against the granny tax and perhaps call on their Bradford Lib Dem MP, David Ward, to vote with Labour against the government’s tax raid on pensioners?
I’ve asked Bradford East MP, David Ward if he’ll be voting with Labour and will let you know the result.
Meanwhile perhaps the Lib Dem candidates in the local elections in Windhill & Wrose and Baildon particularly could make their positions known, as it’s only fair that their potential constituents know their position on the Granny Tax among the number of other tax hikes George Osborne sneaked into his budget last month.
UPDATE: The Granny Tax motion was defeated by the government, no word yet on whether David Ward rebelled or not. He has not replied to my tweet.
UPDATE 2: Only one Lib Dem MP voted against the government and it wasn’t David Ward. It’s unclear whether Ward voted with the government or bottled it and abstained. He has still not replied to my tweet but he will have to spend the next three years explaining to his constituents why he refused to back pensioners on this issue.
