On Friday I joined my colleagues in Westminster to vote against the hated Bedroom Tax during a debate in Parliament.

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This unfair and unworkable policy has caused hardship for hundreds of thousands of people across the country, costing low-income families an average of £700 a year. Two-thirds of those hit by the Bedroom Tax have disabilities and in Scotland alone over 71,000 people have been affected.

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Labour has always been clear and consistent in its opposition to the Bedroom Tax, and all forty Scottish Labour MPs took a break from referendum campaigning in their constituencies to vote against it on Friday.

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In stark contrast•two-thirds of SNP Members of Parliament failed to attend the debate.

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The Bedroom Tax has been at the centre of the SNP’s•campaign for a Yes vote, and they claim to be fighting for a more equal Scotland, yet their own MPs would not take the time out to travel to Westminster to vote against this abhorrent policy.

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If passed, this Bill•will ensure that those who are disabled or unable to find a smaller home will be exempt. While it will not abolish the Bedroom Tax altogether, it•is without a doubt a step in the right direction and a glimmer of hope for many.

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The only sure way to get the Bedroom Tax repealed will be to elect a Labour government next year.