With the general election just over a year away, Labour has sought to focus attention on how
strongly inflation has outstripped pay growth, adding to the burden on households from the coalition's
austerity drive.
One of tonight's rebels, former Shadow Chancellor Chris Leslie, said: «There's a growing number of Labour colleagues who feel so
strongly about the threat of Brexit
austerity that they will -
with regret - break the whip to defend the interests of their constituents.