Controversial Tory welfare reforms clear first hurdle despite rebel Labour MPs' efforts

A rebel amendment tabled by Labour MP for Bishop Auckland Helen Goodman was not selected for debate and vote on Monday night, despite being signed by more than 50 backbenchers.

But 48 Labour MPs still ignored interim leader Harriet Harman's orders to abstain on the main second reading vote, which the Conservatives won 308 to 124, majority 184.

A reasoned amendment outlining concerns about the Welfare Reform and Work Bill tabled by Ms Harman was defeated 308 to 208, majority 100.

Ms Harman has insisted her party should not oppose the plans - which cut tax credits, reduce the welfare cap and introduce a "national living wage" - outright because it will not be heard on the issues it has a particular problem with.

But rebel ringleader Ms Goodman warned the Bill was "obnoxious" and "regressive", highlighting a future limit on tax credits to two children per household as a key failing.

Iain Wright: "Changes would increase child poverty."

Three of Labour's leadership candidates, Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall, were expected to avoid the rebellion but Jeremy Corbyn was due to join the revolt.

Against the backdrop of Labour infighting, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith accused Opposition MPs of failing to wean themselves off their "addiction to pay debt" with other people's cash.

He said: "As a result of our reforms, five in 10 families with children will be eligible for tax credits, bringing a greater balance to the welfare budget.

"We are protecting the most vulnerable in society, including the elderly and disabled, and where possible we're only introducing changes for new claimants only so those people who have planned on the basis of what is currently available are not affected."

Shadow work and pensions minister Stephen Timms said: "We are committed to a cap on household benefits to help make families better off in work. We support reforms to mortgage interest support, which will strengthen work incentives and deliver savings.

"But this Bill does some very bad things as well.

"And it comes alongside a ruthless reduction in the support to working families through tax credits that will reduce work incentives and undermine the goals of universal credit - a reform which, even though it's now running four years late, we still want to succeed."

Meanwhile, SNP welfare spokeswoman Hannah Bardell described the Bill as "Dickensian", warning it would hit working families as well as children and vulnerable people.

Frank Field, the Labour chairman of the work and pensions committee, said: "We need not to be at sixes and sevens on voting for things tonight but to hammer home there is one message here: that this Government talks a language outside this House and enacts a different language within this House, that they talk about strivers outside but we have a Bill before us tonight that will affect three million of those in work strivers who will be made worse off."

Ms Goodman said: "Throughout the election campaign the Tories refused to say how they were going to save £12bn from the welfare bill, and they refused to do that precisely because they knew the measures would be unpopular and it would hit them in the ballot box."

The MP added: "I've been in this House for ten years, I've never voted against my party's whip ... But I think there are so many issues in this Bill which are deeply concerning that I cannot avoid going into the no lobby tonight."

Hartlepool MP, Iain Wright, joined the rebellion. Taking to Twitter afterwards he wrote: "Just voted against the Govt's Welfare Bill because of the damage to working families on low pay and rise in child poverty it will produce".

Grahame Morris: Said he had voted "for the people of East Durham".

He was joined by Easington MP Grahame Morris who wrote: "I know where I stand and have just voted for the people of #EastDurham and against Conservative attacks on welfare."

Wansbeck MP Ian Lavery wrote on Twitter: "I wasn't elected to parliament to make the poor poorer, the sick more vulnerable, push more kids into poverty or to restrict family size."

Veteran left winger John McDonnell said he would "swim through vomit" to join the rebellion and vote against the Bill.

Tim Farron, in his first Commons speech as Liberal Democrat leader, said: "Tonight, we will vote against this Bill because we know the depth and character of these proposals are unfair, unwise and inhuman."

The rebel North-East and North Yorkshire MPs were:

David Anderson (Blaydon), Mary Glindon (Tyneside North), Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland), Ian Lavery (Wansbeck), Andy McDonald (Middlesbrough), Rachael Maskell (York Central), Ian Mearns (Gateshead), Grahame Morris (Easington) and Iain Wright (Hartlepool).