Party Lines: November 8th

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

Ahead of the debate on housing benefit in parliament tomorrow, Douglas Alexander said:

“We are in favour of housing benefit reform but against rushing through changes in a way which risks increased costs and higher homelessness.”

“This is not about a few hundred families in our major cities but hundreds of thousands of people – including many in work – who are facing a sudden drop in their income. “

Caroline Flint MP, Labour’s Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary, said that Labour are willing to look at housing benefit reform – but it must be the right kind of reform:

“Labour is in favour of reforming housing benefit. But it must be the right sort of reform. We’ll work with the government, but not on the basis of rushed changes and easy headlines.”

“The way the coalition is rushing through their proposals before any consideration of their consequences risks chaos, and, in the end, suddenly uprooting families, forcing them into areas where services are already under pressure, and making people homeless, costs more than it saves.”

“Ultimately, a key way we’ll be able to cut the amount we spend on housing benefit is by taking a fresh look at the private rented sector and building more homes.”

Ed Miliband spoke to reporters this lunchtime about the birth of his new baby son. Miliband said that both he and his partner Justine are delighted, and thanked the staff at the hospital.

“We knew it was going to be a boy. Justine did absolutely brilliantly and I want to thank all of the staff here. The nurses, the doctors, the midwives – all of the staff who have been absolutely fantastic to us and we’re both really delighted and hoping to go home soon.”

However, Ed still doesn’t know what his second son will be called yet as it’s still “being signed off”, which may or not be code for a disagreement over the name:

“I know what name I want but it’s still being signed off. We’ll be announcing the name in the coming days. But as I say, we’re absolutely delighted and overjoyed.”

Jack Straw appeared on the Today programme, and argued that Turkey should be given a real opportunity to enter the EU:

“Turkey are being treated much more harshly in these negotiations than for example its neighbours Romania and Bulgaria ever were, if we carry on blocking Turkey’s access in negotiations then we will push Turkey towards Iran and the South.”

And Ken Livingstone spoke out against Phil Woolas and “dirty politics” on the Daily Politics, and described Ed Miliband as a “breath of fresh air”:

“There is just no place in labour for this, people don’t like this and now it’s been exposed, I spoke out against him (Phil Woolas) at the time and I got a lot of stick.”

“I had my first meeting with Ed Miliband last week and I found it a breath of fresh air, I do not think you will get this dirty politics under Ed Miliband.”