Nick Clegg today refused to back George Osborne’s demand for massive cuts in the welfare bill, arguing parents aged under-25 should not be banned from claiming housing benefit. The Liberal Democrat leader said he would ‘knock on the head’ the idea of Conservative plans for a £10billion cut to the welfare budget. But he said he was open to the idea of some limits on housing benefit, putting himself at odds with Lib Dem deputy leader Simon Hughes who said last night: ‘We’ve not signed up to cutting housing benefit and I don’t imagine for a moment we will.' Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg today ruled out banning under-25s from claiming housing benefit, after meeting with U2 frontman Bono yesterday to discuss global poverty
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Deputy Prime Minister says he will 'knock on the head' Tory plans for tough cuts to welfare
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Lib Dem leader's refusal to back big cut to handouts puts him on collision course with Tories
However, last night Mr @placeholder vowed to block any Tory plans to remove housing benefit from those aged under-25.