The Daily Politics

The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) says most people will not be better off overall. James Brown from IFS said on The Daily Politics that these were very big reductions in tax credits entitlements averaging about £1,100 per household, and most people will not have anything to offset the loss of money. (The government says that the tax credit changes need to be looked at in the wider context of the rise in tax thresholds, free childcare and the rise in the minimum wage will mean people won't lose out)

The Daily Politics

Matt Hancock, minister for the cabinet office and paymaster general, said: "It would be unprecedented for the House of Lords to block a motion like this that is so central to the budget of the country." 

The first ever female bishop will take her seat in the House of Lords today. 

Bishop Rachel Treweek is the most senior female bishop in the Church of England.

The Diocese of Gloucester tweeted this behind-the-scenes picture.

The Daily Politics

Monday's guests of the day are two MPs - Conservative Paul Scully and Labour's Anna Turley - joining Jo Coburn from 12:00, when they will start with tax credits.

Image source, BBC Sport

Other guests will include the Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood (above) after her party held its conference over the weekend, the ex- Lib Dem, now independent social democrat, peer Matthew Oakeshott (below), who is campaigning for Britain to stay in the EU, and and the chairman of the Parliamentary group on freight transport chairman Rob Flello on how hauliers are struggling with migrant crisis in Calais.

Viewers can watch the whole programme, live or later, on the Live Coverage tab above.  

As mentioned, the Centre for Economics and Business Research have published their house price forecasts, external. (See entry at 11.10 for more details)

The report found that the average price of a home in the UK will rise to a record £263,000 this year. 

They have also revised their estimate on the house price growth forecast from 4.7% in June to 5.6% this month.

Labour's John Healey is using the report to criticise the government's proposed Housing Bill, which he has described as "a fire sale of affordable homes with no plan or prospect of proper replacement"

Victoria Derbyshire

Image source, BBC Victoria Derbyshire

Kerry McCarthy, shadow environment, food and rural affairs secretary, has said there is too much "misinformation" for people to make informed decisions on what to eat.

She was speaking on the Victoria Derbyshire show about the risk of cancer from eating red meat - the World Health Organisation has issued a report saying processed meats can cause cancer and red meats were probably carcinogenic. 

Labour's McCarthy said there were too many "conflicting stories in the paper about what is good for you and what isn't."

She urged the World Health Organisation to issue something that is "authoritative" to clear up any confusion people face.

Ms McCarthy is a vegan who has previously criticised environmental and welfare standards in farming and the impact of meat eating on animals.

Image source, REUTERS/Neil Hall

Seamus Milne, Jeremy Corbyn's new media chief has received criticism for suggesting that Lee Rigby's death was not an act of terrorism in an article he penned for the Guardian, external in 2013. He wrote: "Rigby was a British soldier who had taken part in multiple combat operations in Afghanistan. So the attack wasn’t terrorism in the normal sense of an indiscriminate attack on civilians.”

Yesterday, Lee Rigby's mother demanded an apology, external in a Sun exclusive, saying: "Mr Milne should have a good hard look at the facts and then apologise to me and my family.... there is no justification for the way Lee was murdered and it’s quite terrifying that someone like Mr Milne is in such a powerful position to be advising key politicians."

Image source, PA

Mortgage activity has picked up this year but the lack of homes for sale is likely to push up house prices, a report has suggested.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) predicts house prices will rise 5.6% this year, higher than its previous forecast of 4.7%.

A lack of properties being put on the market was pushing up prices, it said.

This comes despite a 14% rise in mortgage approvals for house purchases, according to the major banks.

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It's not just today's tax credits battle which is focusing attention on relations between the Commons and the Lords...

On Tuesday, Mr Cameron faces two more attempts to strike down regulations proposed by the government - and both may well succeed.

Lib Dem Lord Tyler is targeting a change in electoral registration rules and his party colleague, Lady Hamwee, takes on ministers over benefits for asylum seekers.

Labour is fired up about the electoral registration issues, and have just had a weekend of action aimed at signing up new voters.

It fears the change will remove 1.9 million people from the electoral register in time for next year's elections to the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly and the Mayor of London.

Lord Tyler says there can be no constitutional quibble about the motion he has tabled on Tuesday, and that Conservatives have "prayed to annul" similar Statutory Instruments, as such rule changes are known, in past Parliaments. And then watch out for amendments to the EU Referendum Bill which could allow 16 and 17-year-olds a referendum vote in England and Wales.

This constitutional battle is set to run and run.

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A bit more European political news to catch up with - this time from Portugal, where its Parliament elected a new speaker. 

Leftist party Leras used their majority to elect Socialist Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues, who received 120 votes, out of a possible 230.

The centre right Social Democrat candidate received 108 votes. 

Commentators are suggesting that the vote for the speaker provides a foretaste of the left's plan to push Pedro Passos' coalition out, after he was named the new prime minister on Thursday, against the wishes of the main opposition Socialist Party.

Passos was named prime minister despite losing his majority in Parliament because he won the most votes in the 4 October elections. 

Baroness Stowell, leader of the House of Lords, has just left Downing Street. She spent an hour and a half inside, ahead of a debate on tax credit cuts later today. 

Image source, AFP

Poland's conservative opposition Law and Justice party has won parliamentary elections.

Exit polls suggest it has enough seats to govern alone, with an anticipated 39% of the vote.

Its eurosceptic leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski has claimed victory, and the outgoing Prime Minister, Ewa Kopacz of the centrist Civic Platform party, has admitted defeat.

Law and Justice has strong support in Poland's rural areas.

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Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has set out plans for "more autonomy" for the party in Scotland.

The proposals would see control over policy, membership, constituency parties and candidate selection transferred to Scotland.

Ms Dugdale said the reforms would leave no doubt that "the main focus of Scottish Labour will be on Holyrood".

Eaflier, The Sunday Times Scotland reported that Jeremy Corbyn plans to create a "federal" Labour Party.

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