IDS blasts BBC's use of term 'bedroom tax' as the 'language of the Labour Party'

Published by Max Salsbury for 24dash.com in Central Government and also in Communities

Iain Duncan Smith has written a letter to the BBC accusing it of "adopting the language of the Labour Party" by referring to the government's forthcoming under-occupancy charges as 'the bedroom tax'.

The work and pensions secretary wrote that there had been "persistent use" of the term on the Beeb's news outlets, which he said had unnecessarily alarmed thousands of people in social housing.

The minister said that the term is "innately political and indeed factually wrong".

However, Mr Duncan Smith's own leader, prime minister David Cameron, used the phrase himself during a parliamentary debate earlier in the year.

Due to come in on April 1, the bedroom tax will see social housing tenants deemed to be under-occupying their homes hit with cuts to their housing benefit.

Mr Duncan Smith's March 7 letter to the BBC's acting head of news, Fran Unsworth, said: "The BBC has a duty to inform the public. We believe that the BBC is failing in this duty and confusing members of the public. In using the word tax, the BBC has helped to worry those not in social housing that they might be taxed when this is not the policy.

"It is also a term continually used and promoted by the Labour Party."

A BBC spokesperson said: “We can confirm that we have received a letter from Iain Duncan Smith and we will respond directly in due course.”