SIR Keir Starmer has been dealt an embarrassing blow as Labour members voted to reverse his controversial winter fuel payments cut.
While the vote is not binding, it ramps up pressure on the PM, who is facing a storm of criticism from the public and left-wing factions within his party.
Sir Keir Starmer delivers his keynote speech at conference[/caption]
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham (centre) voting during a motion on the cuts to winter fuel payments[/caption]
Ms Graham and other union members protesting Labour’s winter fuel payments cut[/caption]
The motion, put forward by Unite and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) at Labour Party conference, called for means testing of the winter fuel allowance to be reversed.
It also urged the Government to ditch their fiscal rules, which prevent borrowing to invest, and to introduce a wealth tax.
Wearing a t-shirt bearing the slogan “Save The Winter Fuel”, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the Prime Minister had made a “mis-step” on cutting the allowance, and should reverse it.
But a defiant Sir Keir refused four times to apologise for stripping winter fuel payments from pensioners earlier this morning.
The PM was repeatedly challenged to say sorry to vulnerable OAPs who are set to lose out up to £300.
But the Labour leader instead blamed the Tories for “putting him in this position”.
This saga will go on and on
Analysis, By Ryan Sabey, Deputy Political Editor
THE unions accused Labour bosses of trying to bury the vote on axing the winter fuel allowance.
It may have just come back to bite them as party delegates demanded a re-think of the controversial measure.
It was pushed to the graveyard slot in the conference diary but the vote does highlight a major split in the Labour movement.
They clearly didn’t heed warnings from Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves in their conference speeches this week.
They didn’t stop talking about fixing the foundations of the economy after uncovering a £22 billion black hole in this year’s finances.
They asked the party to suffer from short-term pain for some long-term gain.
But the unions want Sir Keir to ditch the policy now despite lots of wealthy pensioners claiming up to £300 each year.
This saga will go on and on with the winter months ahead of us.
With the Budget on the horizon there is going to be no backing down from the government.
The unions are prepared to take chunks out of the government time and time again as we enter those colder months.
Asked how he could justify the cut by GMB star Susanna Reid, Sir Keir said: “Well, it’s tough and I think the first thing to say and to explain is why we had to do it.
“We inherited a really damaged economy, we did an audit and we discovered an undisclosed £22billion black hole this year, which we have to fix.’
Pressed if he wanted to apologise to pensioners, Sir Keir said: “Well, I am really concerned that we’ve been put in this position.
“When you inherit an economy with £22 billion missing, it is a really difficult set of choices.
“But what I don’t want to do is to allow the economy to run out of control. What I want to make sure is that every single pensioner, there is that increase through the triple lock each and every year…”
Asked again if he wanted to say sorry, the PM replied: “The people who should be saying sorry are the last government who left a hole of £22billion, and they should be sorry for that and they should apologise for that.”
What is the Winter Fuel Payment?
Consumer reporter Sam Walker explains all you need to know about the payment.
The Winter Fuel Payment is an annual tax-free benefit designed to help cover the cost of heating through the colder months.
Most who are eligible receive the payment automatically.
Those who qualify are usually told via a letter sent in October or November each year.
If you do meet the criteria but don’t automatically get the Winter Fuel Payment, you will have to apply on the government’s website.
You’ll qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment this winter if:
- you were born on or before September 23, 1958
- you lived in the UK for at least one day during the week of September 16 to 22, 2024, known as the “qualifying week”
- you receive Pension Credit, Universal Credit, ESA, JSA, Income Support, Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit
If you did not live in the UK during the qualifying week, you might still get the payment if both the following apply:
- you live in Switzerland or a EEA country
- you have a “genuine and sufficient” link with the UK social security system, such as having lived or worked in the UK and having a family in the UK
But there are exclusions – you can’t get the payment if you live in Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta, Portugal or Spain.
This is because the average winter temperature is higher than the warmest region of the UK.
You will also not qualify if you:
- are in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year
- need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave states that you can not claim public funds
- were in prison for the whole “qualifying week”
- lived in a care home for the whole time between 26 June to 24 September 2023, and got Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Payments are usually made between November and December, with some made up until the end of January the following year.
