Support growing for compensation plan

An amendment to the finance bill demanding compensation for those worse off over income tax changes is gathering support among MPs.

Labour backbencher Ann Cryer told BBC2's Daily Politics programme she was receiving "upsetting" letters from constituents complaining about the changes.

"I'm not in the business of settling old scores, as was suggested; I'm in the business of sorting this out, and I hope that Frank [Field] will not need to put his amendment next week," she said.

"I'm hoping that Alistair [Darling] will come up with some sort of scheme whereby he will promise definitely in the pre-Budget statement in the autumn that those people who have lost out will be compensated, and it will be backdated."

Mr Field, a former minister, is believed to have gathered the support of around 70 backbenchers keen to protect the interest of the childless lower earners he believes are losing out as a result of the change.

"This is a core belief for us and my guess is once we're back… in the Commons the government will get a real feel of just how serious our intent is not to vote against our core belief to protect the poorest," he told BBC News 24 yesterday.