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Andrew Lloyd Webber really did fly back from New York and vote for tax credit cuts

Andrew Lloyd Webber really did fly back from New York and vote for tax credit cuts

This was the week the government warned of a looming constitutional crisis after the House of Lords scuppered George Osborne's plans to cut tax credits.

Amid questions as to whether the plans were included in the Tory manifesto, and a renewed debate over whether peers had irrevocably overstepped their bounds, one particular detail of the biggest story in Westminster went viral: the fact that Andrew Lloyd Webber had flown back from New York to support the government.

The notion of a multi-multi-millionaire Tory lord jetting into London to vote in favour of a government measure that could leave millions of families worse off clearly struck a chord, with Lloyd Webber's name top trending on Facebook and Twitter.

The government said no taxpayer money was spent on flying Baron Lloyd-Webber into the Lords, while the composer himself has insisted he was actually in London to watch the musical Cats.

He posted on Facebook:

Statement from Andrew Lloyd Webber:

Posted by Andrew Lloyd Webber on Tuesday, 27 October 2015

Not everyone was convinced, however:

Osborne is now expected to reveal how he plans to lessen the effect upon tax credits while still cutting welfare spending (and the deficit).

More: George Osborne cut tax credits so somehow #BlameCorbyn is trending on Twitter

More: Everyone should watch this woman confront a Tory minister over tax credit cuts on Question Time

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