The government looks set to force through its controversial welfare reforms without giving the House of Lords a chance to readdress the amendments it made.
Those amendments were reversed on Wedsnesday night in the House of Commons and mean that cancer patients claiming Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) will face means-testing. In all the government overturned all seven changes made by the upper chamber and will now invoke the financial privilege rule to force its Welfare Reform Bill through Parliament. This procedure was originally intended to stop Peers blocking tax and spending decisions made by MPs, but it has angered many in the Lords who will be prevented from reintroducing the changes the next time they see the Bill. In all...
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