By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 09:17 EST, 11 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:38 EST, 11 March 2013 . Labour attempts to split the coalition are in tatters tonight after the government agreed on an unprecedented fudge to spare the Liberal Democrats’ blushes. Ministers spent the day thrashing out a way to prevent Nick Clegg’s party from having to vote against his treasured Mansion Tax policy in a Commons vote being held by Labour tomorrow. Instead the Tories and Lib Dems will back an unprecedented amendment which admits David Cameron and Mr Clegg are at loggerheads over the proposal to impose a levy on homes worth more than £2million. Coalition split: David Cameron, pictured today leaving Downing Street, is opposed to an 'intrusive' Mansion Tax but Nick Clegg (right) wants the levy on homes worth more than £2million . This morning Lib Dem Business . Secretary Vince Cable hinted he would back Labour’s motion which called . for ‘a mansion tax on properties worth over £2million, to fund a tax cut . for millions of people on middle and low incomes’. But he backtracked tonight, insisting he could now support the government line. The coalition amendment, agreed just . hours before the deadline set by Commons officials, states that the . government has cut taxes for low and middle earners while ’at the same . time increasing taxes on the wealthy, including raising stamp duty on . expensive properties and restricting tax reliefs’. But in a highly unusual move, it goes on . to admit that the governing parties cannot agree on targeting . properties owned by the super-rich. It ’notes that both parts of the . Coalition continue to support tax cuts for people on low and middle . incomes... [and it] notes the part of the Coalition led by the Deputy . Prime Minister also advocates a Mansion Tax on properties worth more . than £2million, as set out in his party’s manifesto, and the part of the . Coalition led by the Prime Minister does not advocate a Mansion Tax’. A senior Lib Dem source said the . compromise was an 'ingenious solution' because neither coalition party . wanted to publicly back Labour in a Commons vote. The Lib Dems want to target high value properties, like these flats in Knightsbridge, but have been rebuffed by the Tories . Mr Cable said tonight that the Lib . Dems had refused to support a Labour motion 'designed exclusively to play . cynical party political games'. He added: ’Parties should be judged on . what they deliver on fairer taxes, rather than what they say about . them. In Government, Labour refused to back our mansion tax. ’In Government, Labour rubbished the . Liberal Democrat policy of a mansion tax. In Opposition, they have . simply copied it exactly in an attempt to fill in their blank piece of . paper where original policies should be.’ But the move attracted ridicule from Labour. Party politics: Labour leader Ed Miliband (right) and shadow chancellor Ed Balls are seeking to exploit coalition tensions with tomorrow's vote . Shadow treasury minister Chris Leslie . said: ’It would be astonishing if the Liberal Democrats failed to back a . straightforward motion supporting their long-held policy of a mansion . tax on properties over £2 million. ’The Liberal Democrats have a simple . choice – either they back the policy they set out in their manifesto and . which Nick Clegg made the centrepiece of the Eastleigh by-election . campaign or they don’t. No amount of wriggling or contortion can get . them out of that simple choice.’ The Tories have remained implacably opposed to the idea of an extra annual tax on homes worth more than £2million. Downing Street today said David . Cameron and George Osborne believe the levy would ‘be intrusive, . expensive to levy, raise little and the temptation for future . Chancellors to bring ever more homes into its net would be . irresistible’. Business Secretary Vince Cable drew up the Lib Dem policy on a mansion tax and said tonight the Lib Dems had refused to support a Labour motion 'designed exclusively to play cynical party political games' The Labour motion has been lifted from Lib Dem policy, piling pressure on Mr Clegg’s 57 MPs to side with Mr Miliband. The Lib Dems want to target high value properties but have been rebuffed by the Tories. The mansion tax was a Lib Dem . manifesto commitment at the last election and is being advocated by Mr . Clegg and Mr Cable in the current Budget negotiations. It would involve an annual one per . cent levy on homes worth more than £2 million. Owners would pay the tax . on the value of their home above £2 million. Someone living in a £3 . million property would pay £10,000 a year. But Downing Street warned Lib Dem ministers they could not vote for the Labour motion. Mr Cameron’s official spokesman said: . ‘The Prime Minister will expect, as always, Government ministers to . support the Government in all votes.’ He added: ‘The Prime Minister's view . (on a mansion tax) is the same as the Chancellor's, which he set out at . the end of last year. ‘The Chancellor said then that it was . intrusive, expensive to levy and raises little and that the temptation . for future chancellors to bring ever more homes into its net would be . irresistible.’ Asked if Mr Cameron had discussed the . vote with Mr Clegg, he said: ‘They talk about a wide number of things. I'm sure they also discussed this, yes.’ Only this morning, Mr Cable, who drew up the Lib Dem policy on a mansion tax, hinted he was minded to vote with Labour. He said he had not seen the wording of . the motion – which was published on Friday – but he would examine it . before deciding how to vote. ‘We’ll certainly have a look at it,’ he told BBC Radio 4. ‘We did come to this five years go and we did set . out the logic behind it and how it would practically operate and Labour . had an opportunity in government to do it, didn’t do it, we’re now three . years into the next Parliament, they’ve finally alighted on it, and if . it is a real commitment, I would certainly welcome that.’
Labour try to engender Coalition split by forcing Commons vote on imposing a levy on high value homes .
But government refuses to play parliamentary games and draws up unprecedented amendment admitting coalition is at loggerheads .
Policy was first put forward by Lib Dem Vince Cable .
Tories say the idea would be 'intrusive and expensive'
By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 09:17 EST, 11 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:38 EST, 11 March 2013 . Labour attempts to split the coalition are in tatters tonight after the government agreed on an unprecedented fudge to spare the Liberal Democrats’ blushes. Ministers spent the day thrashing out a way to prevent Nick Clegg’s party from having to vote against his treasured Mansion Tax policy in a Commons vote being held by Labour tomorrow. Instead the Tories and Lib Dems will back an unprecedented amendment which admits David Cameron and Mr Clegg are at loggerheads over the proposal to impose a levy on homes worth more than £2million. Coalition split: David Cameron, pictured today leaving Downing Street, is opposed to an 'intrusive' Mansion Tax but Nick Clegg (right) wants the levy on homes worth more than £2million . This morning Lib Dem Business . Secretary Vince Cable hinted he would back Labour’s motion which called . for ‘a mansion tax on properties worth over £2million, to fund a tax cut . for millions of people on middle and low incomes’. But he backtracked tonight, insisting he could now support the government line. The coalition amendment, agreed just . hours before the deadline set by Commons officials, states that the . government has cut taxes for low and middle earners while ’at the same . time increasing taxes on the wealthy, including raising stamp duty on . expensive properties and restricting tax reliefs’. But in a highly unusual move, it goes on . to admit that the governing parties cannot agree on targeting . properties owned by the super-rich. It ’notes that both parts of the . Coalition continue to support tax cuts for people on low and middle . incomes... [and it] notes the part of the Coalition led by the Deputy . Prime Minister also advocates a Mansion Tax on properties worth more . than £2million, as set out in his party’s manifesto, and the part of the . Coalition led by the Prime Minister does not advocate a Mansion Tax’. A senior Lib Dem source said the . compromise was an 'ingenious solution' because neither coalition party . wanted to publicly back Labour in a Commons vote. The Lib Dems want to target high value properties, like these flats in Knightsbridge, but have been rebuffed by the Tories . Mr Cable said tonight that the Lib . Dems had refused to support a Labour motion 'designed exclusively to play . cynical party political games'. He added: ’Parties should be judged on . what they deliver on fairer taxes, rather than what they say about . them. In Government, Labour refused to back our mansion tax. ’In Government, Labour rubbished the . Liberal Democrat policy of a mansion tax. In Opposition, they have . simply copied it exactly in an attempt to fill in their blank piece of . paper where original policies should be.’ But the move attracted ridicule from Labour. Party politics: Labour leader Ed Miliband (right) and shadow chancellor Ed Balls are seeking to exploit coalition tensions with tomorrow's vote . Shadow treasury minister Chris Leslie . said: ’It would be astonishing if the Liberal Democrats failed to back a . straightforward motion supporting their long-held policy of a mansion . tax on properties over £2 million. ’The Liberal Democrats have a simple . choice – either they back the policy they set out in their manifesto and . which Nick Clegg made the centrepiece of the Eastleigh by-election . campaign or they don’t. No amount of wriggling or contortion can get . them out of that simple choice.’ The Tories have remained implacably opposed to the idea of an extra annual tax on homes worth more than £2million. Downing Street today said David . Cameron and George Osborne believe the levy would ‘be intrusive, . expensive to levy, raise little and the temptation for future . Chancellors to bring ever more homes into its net would be . irresistible’. Business Secretary Vince Cable drew up the Lib Dem policy on a mansion tax and said tonight the Lib Dems had refused to support a Labour motion 'designed exclusively to play cynical party political games' The Labour motion has been lifted from Lib Dem policy, piling pressure on Mr Clegg’s 57 MPs to side with Mr Miliband. The Lib Dems want to target high value properties but have been rebuffed by the Tories. The mansion tax was a Lib Dem . manifesto commitment at the last election and is being advocated by Mr . Clegg and Mr Cable in the current Budget negotiations. It would involve an annual one per . cent levy on homes worth more than £2 million. Owners would pay the tax . on the value of their home above £2 million. Someone living in a £3 . million property would pay £10,000 a year. But Downing Street warned Lib Dem ministers they could not vote for the Labour motion. Mr Cameron’s official spokesman said: . ‘The Prime Minister will expect, as always, Government ministers to . support the Government in all votes.’ He added: ‘The Prime Minister's view . (on a mansion tax) is the same as the Chancellor's, which he set out at . the end of last year. ‘The Chancellor said then that it was . intrusive, expensive to levy and raises little and that the temptation . for future chancellors to bring ever more homes into its net would be . irresistible.’ Asked if Mr Cameron had discussed the . vote with Mr Clegg, he said: ‘They talk about a wide number of things. I'm sure they also discussed this, yes.’ Only this morning, Mr Cable, who drew up the Lib Dem policy on a mansion tax, hinted he was minded to vote with Labour. He said he had not seen the wording of . the motion – which was published on Friday – but he would examine it . before deciding how to vote. ‘We’ll certainly have a look at it,’ he told BBC Radio 4. ‘We did come to this five years go and we did set . out the logic behind it and how it would practically operate and Labour . had an opportunity in government to do it, didn’t do it, we’re now three . years into the next Parliament, they’ve finally alighted on it, and if . it is a real commitment, I would certainly welcome that.’
back an unprecedented amendment which admits over the proposal to impose a levy on homes worth more than £2million. Coalition split: David Commons vote. The Lib Dems want to target high 'designed exclusively to play . cynical party Osborne believe the levy would ‘be intrusive, . Business Secretary Vince Cable drew up the Lib Dems want to target high value properties but was a Lib Dem . manifesto commitment at the last and Labour . had an opportunity in government to