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Dundee MP missed ‘bedroom tax’ vote through illness

Jim McGovern MP.
Jim McGovern MP.

Dundee West MP Jim McGovern has broken his silence on his absence from the vote to scrap the so-called bedroom tax in the House of Commons last week.

The MP says he was “taken ill” which meant he was unable to cast his vote after the debate.

Mr McGovern was the only Scottish Labour MP to miss the vote, as reported in The Courier on Saturday, despite being seen earlier in the chamber during Prime Minister’s Questions.

When approached by The Courier on Friday to explain his absence, Mr McGovern declined to comment.

However, he released a statement on Facebook over the weekend which said: “As some of you may have seen, I was unable to attend the vote on the much hated bedroom tax on Wednesday.

“Whilst I attended Prime Minister’s Questions at noon, I was unfortunately taken ill shortly afterwards whilst meeting with some of my constituents and I was forced to leave Parliament.

“Consequently, and regrettably, I was in no fit state of health to return to Parliament, however much I wanted to, and I was unable to make it back for the vote.”

He goes on: “However I do understand this may make me seem hypocritical whilst attacking the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats who ultimately voted in enough numbers to defeat the motion whilst I myself was unable to vote.

“Nevertheless, “I would like to reiterate my support for banishing the bedroom tax.”