David Cameron’s former speech writer has urged the prime minister to axe the ‘bedroom tax’ after revealing concerns about the policy’s impact.

In a column in The Times yesterday, Clare Foges argues that the Conservatives should “move on from the bedroom tax. It is not working as had been hoped and will remain a fly in the one-nation ointment. Have a principled mea culpa moment and move on”.

Clare Foges, who left her job in Downing Street last month after writing the prime minister’s General Election victory speech, urged the Mr Cameron to adopt bold tactics to “paint the words One Nation in primary colours”.

Ms Foges isn’t the only Tory worried about the impact of the bedroom tax.

Her column follows Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, who has written to work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith conveying the concerns of members of his own Tory association about the policy.

He wrote: “I believe the time has come to review this policy and for you to take on board feedback from constituencies as to what is going well and what needs to potentially be reviewed and amended.”

He complains that “several senior members of my association have expressed concern to me over some of the practical and logistical aspects of this legislation and its impact”.

Mr Kawczynski said the fact that single fathers can lose their visiting rights because they may not be able to afford a spare room for their children to visit is “deeply worrying”.