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  George Osborne 'playing politics' with Philpott deaths
  
  Chancellor exacerbates Lib Dem unease over Conservative use of Philpott deaths
  
  in making case for welfare reforms
  
  The Lib Dem party has gone out of its way to distance itself from the chancellor's remarks.
  
  A coalition rift was blown into the open when the Liberal Democrats condemned
  
  George Osborne for "playing politics" with the deaths of six children after the
  
  chancellor highlighted the Philpott case to raise questions about high welfare payments.
  
  Amid deep unease among senior Lib Dems - up to and including Nick Clegg - over the
  
  Conservatives' use of the deaths to make the case for controversial welfare reforms
  
  , the party went out of its way to distance itself from the chancellor's remarks.
  
  Danny Alexander, the Lib Dem chief secretary to the Treasury, who is usually careful not
  
  to criticise the chancellor, made clear his unease. "The Philpott case is an individual
  
  tragedy," he said. "Children have died in that case. I think that is where we should let
  
  that case lie. I would not want to connect that to the much wider need to reform our
  
  welfare system."
  
  In the most hard hitting remarks by a Lib Dem, the party's former Treasury spokesman
  
  accused the chancellor of playing politics with the deaths. Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove
  
  Bay said: "You can forgive George Osborne's immaturity and inexperience as chancellor
  
  but not this calculating, callous cruelty. If he can't see it is wrong to play politics with
  
  the death of six children, he is not fit to be chancellor."

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