THE council refused to support a motion brought by campaigners to topple the bedroom tax and the ‘heartbreaking impact’ it has been inflicting on tenants.

It was one of the closest votes in the full council’s chambers, on Thursday night, with all the present Labour and Liberal Democrats councillors, which reached 25, supporting the motion against 27 Conservative councillors The motion called on the council to lobby the Government to repeal the under occupancy subsidy, which has been dubbed the bedroom tax, and to promise to not evict tenants who cannot pay the new charge.

Around 2,200 people had signed a petition calling on the council to act.

But an amended motion brought by Richard Hurley, cabinet member for Public Protection, Housing and Streetsmart (Delivery), was passed. It promised to write to the MPs for Swindon to inform them of the concerns.

Chairman of Swindon’s Tenants’ Campaign Group Brian Shakespeare said it was predictable that councillors rejected his motion.

“We will not be deterred with our campaign for the abolishment of the bedroom tax,” said Brian, 73. “It is a travesty of justice that council tenants have been stigmatised and made to look foolish.”

He said the Goverment, which is paying for the Help to Buy Scheme which sees loans being dished out for homes worth up to £600,000, should be spending that money on the most vulnerable.

“These are hard working people who have never been in debt in their lives,” added Brian.

Coun Russell Holland told the meeting the new legislation had a sound principle behind it.

“It is not right that the Government, through the tax payer, pays towards the bigger house,” said Coun Holland. “The bigger the house the more expensive it will be. Council housing is scarce. I recognised the concerns but I’m not giving up on a sound principle because it gets difficult.”

Coun Kevin Small criticised him for the comments. “It is not houses this policy deals with but people’s homes,” he said.

“The Government is happy to support people who live in homes worth millions of pounds who don’t pay their taxes because of loopholes. “Is it fair that we pay for them in their large houses?

“I’ve lived in my home for 40 years and it would be a major decision to moves homes and go somewhere else.”