The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Andy Burnham says he made his "principled position" on the welfare reforms clear to the Labour leadership at the start of the process.

"But once you've argued your corner... I don't think it's then right to press on, having secured a compromise, to then split the party."

He concedes "it wasn't a great process" but says that under his leadership Labour's opposition "would be stronger".

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Image source, PA

Labour leadership hopeful Andy Burnham is asked about his vote on the welfare bill last night, which saw 48 Labour MPs defy the leadership and oppose the bill.

Mr Burnham followed acting leader Harriet Harman's lead and abstained.

He says he persuaded Labour to change its initial position and to put down a reasoned amendment, which he says was a vote against the bill. But he said it was a "compromise" position and one that "wasn't strong enough" for him.

Explaining his abstention in the second vote of the evening - on whether the bill should proceed to the next stage - he says he had a "collective responsibility" as a member of the shadow cabinet and so supported Ms Harman's line.

But he adds: "I would have opposed this bill outright if I was leader last night."

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

On the upcoming spending review, Matt Hancock says it's about looking at all of the options and then working out where best to make the reforms and efficiency savings to get to a budget surplus.

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Cabinet Office Minister Matt Hancock says government plans to sell off public land contribute to "wider objectives" than paying off the deficit - such as housebuilding, for example.

Is he worried that land might be sold off but later needed? "Well it has to be done carefully and cautiously of course," he replies.

The Conservative MP adds that the government is focused on meeting its manifesto commitment to build 200,000 new homes on government land.

House of Commons
Parliament

The Labour MP Gisela Stuart asks the Speaker in a point of order about why the membership of the Intelligence and Security Committee has yet to be announced. Mr Bercow replies that it is a committee which reports direct to the prime minister so it is not one where it is up to him. He suggests the MP takes it up with the "usual channels".

The government has published the draft electoral administration rules for the upcoming in/out referendum on the EU. In a written ministerial statement, the government says it'll consult the elections watchdog, the Electoral Commission, on them.

David Cameron has embarked upon a renegotiation of the UK's terms of membership of the bloc, and will hold a vote by the end of 2017.

Image source, Parliament.uk

The Daily Politics

BBC Parliament's Daniel Brittain-Catlin gets a sneak peek inside the office of the Commons' Serjeant at Arms, in a film for the Daily Politics. Tacked on to Westminster Hall, it dates back to the 13th century, and survived the Great Fire of 1834, we're informed.

The Daily Politics

"This is clearly a one nation government," asserts Matt Hancock. He acknowledges that ministers are being "radical" in certain policy areas, but this is "in order to help people across the country to get on".

Challenged over tax credit cuts, the minister defends the changes. He says the welfare reforms are designed to make the overall system "more fair" but concedes there are "difficult elements" in them.

The Daily Politics

Conservative minister  Matt Hancock insists the government is "making progress" on its election manifesto commitments - such as on the railways, raising the tax thresholds and cutting inheritance tax.

The Daily Politics

Cabinet Office Minister Matt Hancock joins the programme. Pressed over how much public land the government intends to sell off for housing building and to pay down the deficit - as has been reported today - he says he doesn't have "an exact figure".

He adds that the spending review is about balancing the books in a sustainable way, and property and land sales "are just one part of that".

The minister rejects that it amounts to selling off the family silver.

The list of published ministerial statements grows. The latest - by Financial Secretary to the Treasury David Gauke - announces that the Office of Tax Simplification has been established "on a permanent basis as an independent Office of the Treasury" today. The OTS was launched by the chancellor to streamline the 11,000-page tax code.

Image source, Parliament.uk

The Daily Politics

Voters probably got the impression that Labour couldn't make up its mind on one of the most defining bits of legislation, Independent columnist Steve Richards says of last night's welfare bill vote.

"Meanwhile you have the SNP and the Lib Dems being absolutely clear they were going to vote against."

He adds that while he understands what Harriet Harman was trying to do, attempting "to do almost a Clause 4 moment" as an acting leader was much too ambitious.

Labour MP Cat Smith agrees. She says she heard time and again on the doorsteps "'we can't tell the difference between you and the Tories'". She goes on:

The Daily Politics

Over on the Daily Politics, the panel is discussing the Labour welfare bill revolt.

MP Cat Smith says it was "a very difficult decision" but her constituents were giving her the message that she must oppose the government. She says she tried to raise her objection with her party behind the scenes, but "I felt I wasn't listened to".

Fellow Labour MP Stephen Kinnock says he has "a huge amount of respect" for his colleague even though he didn't vote the same way. He says the Conservatives are laying "traps" for the party and it "needs to take a forensic approach to this bill rather than blanket opposition".

But he adds that it's wrong "to portray this as a civil war" when it is merely "robust debate".

House of Commons
Parliament

The SNP's Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh says women are being hit hardest by the government's policies. Cuts to child and working tax credit will hit 2.8 million women in total, she says.

Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury Damian Hinds says women, in fact, will disproportionately benefit from the raising of the personal income tax allowance and the introduction of the government's living wage. He says Scotland has the second lowest level of female unemployment in the EU.