For 14 years, pensioners paid a heavy price for Tory failure. A crashed economy, plummeting living standards, health and social care on its knees and rising crime.
This Labour Government is committed to making pensioners in every part of the country better off. pic.twitter.com/Ei4u2iRmNK
— The Labour Party (@UKLabour) September 10, 2024
The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, faced a private meeting with Labour MPs ahead of a crucial vote on the government’s plan to cut winter fuel payments for all but the poorest pensioners. Reeves told the parliamentary Labour party that the move was necessary to help plug a £22bn gap in public finances left by the previous Conservative government. Despite concerns about the impact on millions of less well-off pensioners, Reeves warned that more difficult economic decisions lay ahead.
I met with pensioners worried about Labour’s choice to cut winter fuel payments.
They had a message for Keir Starmer: support the @Conservatives motion in Parliament to protect pensioners.
100,000+ people have signed the petition at https://t.co/Ddqm0HZ46b – will Labour listen? pic.twitter.com/Tr39G3eEDp
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) September 10, 2024
She acknowledged the hardships imposed by the cuts but emphasized the necessity of these measures to address the inherited financial challenges. “Why are we having to make these savings? It’s not because we wanted to, but because there’s a £22bn black hole in the public finances created by the previous government,” Reeves said.
The Chancellor also indicated that further tax rises and spending cuts are expected in her budget next month. “I don’t say that because I relish it. I don’t, but it is a reflection of the inheritance that we face,” she added.
Conservative MPs lead a protest outside Parliament ahead of today's crucial vote on Labour’s cuts to winter fuel payments.
Visit https://t.co/Zf07NYtKp2 to support. pic.twitter.com/ofQjz8i2FU
— Conservatives (@Conservatives) September 10, 2024
Politics is about choices.
Today, the Labour government will claim they have no choice but to strip some of the most vulnerable people in society of the winter fuel payment.
But this is the truth about the economy they've inherited 👇 pic.twitter.com/sC45zxuBao
— Conservatives (@Conservatives) September 10, 2024
Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, is expected to reinforce the government’s tough economic message in his upcoming speech at the Brighton conference.
Starmer backs harsh economic measures
He will emphasize the necessity of “hard graft” to turn around public finances.
“This will take a while,” Starmer will say. “It will be hard. But just as we had to do the hard graft of change in our party, now we have to roll up our sleeves and change our country.”
The meeting with the Chancellor saw limited dissent, with just four MPs raising concerns about the means-testing threshold.
Despite plans for mass abstentions in Tuesday’s vote, MPs acknowledged the risks of losing the whip if they rebel. Several Labour MPs have signed a motion criticizing the changes but do not plan to rebel, instead opting to abstain. Some hold out hope for a concession from the Treasury, such as an extended social tariff for energy bills.
Criticism of Labour’s decision to scrap the annual payment for most pensioners was vocal at the Trades Union Congress (TUC). Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, urged Starmer to perform a U-turn on the plan, emphasizing that it is wrong for a Labour government to “pick the pocket of pensioners while leaving the richest in our society untouched.”
An anti-poverty charity, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, warned that the measure could push an extra 100,000 pensioners into poverty. However, according to No 10, the number of people signing up for pension credit has doubled since the announcement of means-testing fuel payments.
As the Labour government grapples with these tough decisions, Reeves maintains that the choices made today, although difficult, are necessary to secure Britain’s long-term economic stability and prosperity.
- GBNews.”‘Strange hill to die on!’ Labour criticised over decision to cut winter fuel payments”.
- Telegraph.”Pensioners will be £1,700 better off with us, Rachel Reeves tells winter fuel rebels”.
- TheGuardian.”Chancellor faces down would-be rebels ahead of winter fuel payment vote”.