Welfare reform: Lib Dems urge Nick Clegg to back Lords amendments

Letter from more than 50 former Lib Dem parliamentary candidates urges party leader to respect party policy on benefits Nick Clegg is coming under unprecedented private pressure from his own party to back a string of Lords amendments designed to protect children and those with disabilities from the impact of the government’s welfare reforms. A letter from more than 50 former Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidates in the 2010 election has been sent to Clegg urging him to respect party policy and vote to allow disabled people to retain employment support allowance for at least two years without being means tested. The letter, passed to the Guardian, warns more than 800,000 people with disabilities will be hit by the reforms, and expresses deep concern that the employment minister, Chris Grayling, has said the government defeats in the Lords will be overturned.

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Welfare reform: Lib Dems urge Nick Clegg to back Lords amendments