DEHENNA DAVISON was one of 37 Conservative MPs who abstained on Wednesday’s social care vote, rather than back her Government and Prime Minister.

It was quite a courageous move for the Bishop Auckland MP, although she praises the Government for its “dedication” in tackling what is one of the thorniest issues in British politics.

Her concerns are very valid. They appear to be about the Conservatives breaking their pledge not to raise taxes, and also questioning – as we have in this column – whether National Insurance is the fairest way to collect the new levy.

One of her key concerns is whether it is fair to set a cap at £86,000 – once an individual has spent this amount, the state will take over the funding. This is to prevent a person losing the value of their house.

But, according to RightMove, the average property price in Bishop Auckland is just over £130,000 whereas in Boris Johnson’s Uxbridge constituency it is nearly £500,000. Therefore, a person in Bishop looks to be still likely to lose practically all of their house whereas someone in the south will keep more than £400,000.

And the “ultra wealthy”, as Ms Davison calls them, will benefit even more.

Is this fair?

Of course, abstaining did not prevent the Government winning the vote and won’t stop the project pressing ahead, but it is to be hoped that her concerns are not dismissed lightly for the scheme as currently outlined does nothing to help levelling up.