BURY North MP David Chaytor has joined a Labour Party rebellion over plans to cut single parent benefits.

Mr Chaytor is one of 46 Labour MPs to sign a motion calling on the Government not to carry out Tory cuts.

"I was not elected so that I could kick some of the poorest people in this country in the teeth," he said. He signed the motion when Parliament resumed last month.

It calls on the Government not to make any cuts until a full review of social services has been carried out.

Mr Chaytor said that the cut proposed by social security secretary Mrs Harriet Harman would make life harder for single parents who wanted to work.

"It just goes against everything we are trying to achieve with our Welfare to Work programme," said Mr Chaytor yesterday.

He added: "The saving made by the cut, around £65 million, is a drop in the ocean compared with a social security budget of £90 billion. There are other ways of finding the money."

The cut of between £5 and £10.50 a week was made by Mrs Harman, despite her attacking it when in opposition.

She was reportedly given "a bit of a roasting" at a meeting of backbench Labour MPs - attended by Mr Chaytor - this week.

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