Frank Field, the Labour MP, has just told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the plan would leave 3million people some £1,200 a year worse off. He said:
I think the line that the whole of the Labour Party will take will be shared partly be some of the Tory party in that in the election the Chancellor said the Tory party were the party of strivers and Labour were the party of welfare. What's amazing for me is that I don't think we've had a more politically astute Chancellor in my lifetime and yet by centering the biggest cuts on the tax credits he actually blows up that image about the Tory party. For example, if he wins today over 3million people will be worse off by £1200 a year, some much more than that.
"While we make fun on our side that the Chancellor doesn't believe this stuff about being on the side of strivers, yesterday he spent the day talking to Tory MPs trying to persuade them not to defeat the Government in the House of Commons because the key thing they feel strongly about is that they represent large numbers of low-paid workers who vote Tory and they believe the rhetoric that they are party looking after them.
"Everybody talked about welfare benefits that they wanted to see cut back, there was unanimous support for a cap, which we would be very foolish to oppose, but none of them said that the people who are going to work should be punished in this way and when the Chancellor was taunting us by saying he was on the side of those that get up early in the morning and go past the houses where those curtains are still drawn, he said he was on their side, but actually he's going to make them worse off.
"If the media switches for a moment from Mr Corbyn to the disquiet on his [George Osborne's] own backbenches. Some will have the courage to defeat their own government on this issue. The reaction on the Tory benches when people turn up to their surgeries there will be uproar."
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