COLCHESTER MP Sir Bob Russell came under fire for voting in favour of the controversial “bedroom tax’’.

The Lib Dem furiously defended his decision, accusing Labour critics of “propaganda’’ and insisted it was not a tax but a “spare room subsidy’’.

The Government defeated the Labour motion to abolish the policy, affecting council house occupants seen to have a spare bedroom.

Campaigners said the welfare reform had pushed many families into poverty, often because there was no smaller property for them to move to.

Sir Bob hit back at fierce criticism on social media by Colchester Council’s Labour group leader, Tim Young.

Sir Bob said Mr Young “thinks it is right people are living in housing with spare bedrooms when people have overcrowding in other homes.

“I thought Labour was the party which put the needs of the many before the few.’’ Braintree MP Brooks Newmark also voted to keep the bedroom tax, as did Witham’s Priti Patel and Harwich and North Essex’s Bernard Jenkin.

However, Clacton’s Ukip MP Douglas Carswell – who previously supported the measure – voted against it.

Sir Bob said the attack on him was “Labour propaganda’’, adding the policy “is a subsidy for people who have spare bedrooms in public sector housing”.

He said the vote was on a Labour opposition day motion and even if it was carried unanimously, it would not have changed the law.

Sir Bob added a “bedroom tax’’ was brought in by the last Labour Government for the private rented sector, without caveats and other measures which apply to help qualifying tenants, for example, disabled people, in public sector housing.

Mr Young, who is also chairman of Colne Housing Association, accused Sir Bob of using excuses to say the motion would have made no difference to Parliament.

He said: “I Tweeted how angry and disgraceful I thought it was Sir Bob had voted with the Government for the bedroom tax. I find it astonishing and shameful for the MP for Colchester to do this.

“In our ward (St Andrew’s), we have people suffering, being evicted, and our MP at Westminster is totally devoid of that public opposition, voting to carry on with this misery and suffering. Sir Bob had the opportunity to defeat it once and for all and he voted with the Government.’’ Sir Bob has previously voted in favour of and against the “bedroom tax”.

Mr Carswell said: “Having previously thought it was a good idea, I have now changed my mind. You can’t shuffle people around like they are numbers on a spreadsheet.”