While the Conservative and Labour front benches argue about capping benefits, Labour backbenchers are proving they can be just as tough as any Tory.

MP Steve McCabe (Lab Selly Oak) has set out plans to limit child benefit to the first three children in any family.

He says the proposal would go some way to ending the bizarre situation where parents simply get more money when they have more children, rather than going out to work to support the children they already have.

The MP also wants to reverse the Government’s plans to abolish child benefit for any families where pays the higher rate of income tax.

Meanwhile, Roger Godsiff (Lab Hall Green) is backing proposals drawn up by fellow Labour backbencher Frank Field to put families with a good tenancy record at the top of the queue for council housing.

For most families – who are good neighbours – it wouldn’t make much difference, as they would still be assessed on the basis of need.

But families with a record of anti-social behaviour, including those who had been evicted, would go to the back of the line.