PM enemies blamed for benefit leak

Ben Leapman12 April 2012

Furious Downing Street aides were today blaming Tony Blair's enemies for leaking details of a plan to dock child benefit from the parents of truants.

The idea sparked a Cabinet split yesterday as two senior ministers refused to back the move, while Labour MPs queued up to condemn it.

As the Prime Minister took to the airwaves to defend his plan, his spokesman insisted that it had not been floated deliberately. Some were pointing the finger at friends of Gordon Brown, who has been gathering support on the backbenches since his tax-raising Budget.

There were reports today that Mr Blair is prepared to go further, by ordering housing benefit to be taken away from tenants convicted of antisocial behaviour. When the child benefit story first surfaced in a newspaper political column on Friday, MPs and commentators assumed it was part of a Labour campaign to appear tough on crime and truancy ahead of this week's council elections.

By Sunday, it had become the lead story in several newspapers following a round of behind-the-scenes briefings by unknown sources. However, No 10 insiders claimed that if the story had been an "official" leak, it would have been properly planned with ministers lined up to speak in favour of the idea. Alistair Darling, who as Work and Pensions Secretary is responsible for child benefit, refused to give his backing despite being asked eight times for his view, on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Mr Blair's official spokesman said: "If it is being briefed with the idea that it will be shot down in flames, then people should think again. The Prime Minister does not shirk from taking controversial decisions if they are right."

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