Keir Starmer is at the centre of a storm of disapproval for his refusal to contemplate reversing the cuts to winter fuel payments affecting millions of pensioners. Labour MPs are urging the PM to reconsider, with activists warning about the possible backlash in future elections if the payments aren’t restored.
Following Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s admission that dissatisfaction with the winter fuel reductions had a detrimental effect on Labour’s local election results last week, MPs have pinpointed the issue as a key reason for the party’s shock loss to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK in the stronghold of Runcorn and Helsby.
As Keir Starmer faces a Labour backlash after ruling out a U-turn on winter fuel payments, we ask has he made the right decision? Have your say in our comments section!
Nonetheless, Number 10 squashed any rumours of policy reversals or adjustments to the eligibility threshold on Tuesday, despite whispers of reassessment of the £11,500 threshold for the benefit. They backed Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ tough choice last summer to means-test the welfare payment as a “difficult” but necessary move for mending the nation’s finances.
The Prime Minister’s spokesperson declared: “The policy is set out. There will not be a change to the government policy, which set out the difficult decision we had to take to ensure economic stability, repair the public finances following the £22billion blackhole left by the previous government.”
The government has firmly stated, as reported by the Mirror: “The government has set out its policies and the reasons behind these policies and there is no change to the government policy and will not be a change to the government’s policy.”
Despite this stance, Dennis Reid from the Silver Voices campaign group insists that the government should “admit the mistake” and reinstate the Winter Fuel Payments before the next winter. He cautioned that neglecting to do so could turn the issue into an “electoral millstone around Labour’s neck” for years to come.
In his comments to the Mirror, Reid predicted: “It will become the totemic Starmer poll tax equivalent. There is full public support for a restoration as was shown on the doorsteps in the local elections and a little tinkering with the eligibility levels will be insufficient.”
Ian Byrne, the Labour MP for Liverpool West Derby, has voiced his disapproval of his own party’s handling of the situation, describing it as “A tone deaf response from Labour spokespeople. If we don’t respond to this and change people’s lives for the better with policies that transform the economic situation many working class people find themselves in after 14 years of austerity we are literally rolling the red carpet out to Reform.”
He stressed the imperative for Labour to present transformative policies, remarking: “A tone deaf response from Labour spokespeople. If we don’t respond to this and change people’s lives for the better with policies that transform the economic situation many working class people find themselves in after 14 years of austerity we are literally rolling the red carpet out to Reform.”
Moreover, he warned of the significant repercussions, saying: “The leadership needs to reflect and change course or the country will face the consequences of a far-right government.”
Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan weighed in during her speech on Tuesday, indicating that it’s a recurring concern among the electorate. She commented: “I hope the UK Government will rethink this policy.”
On Tuesday, Mr Starmer’s press officer confirmed the government’s intention to stay its course despite the recent local election disappointments for Labour. They asserted: “We were elected as a stable and serious party after 14 years of chaos and decline. We won’t be blown off course and it’s that mindset and focus that has allowed us to make the progress we have.”
As Keir Starmer faces a Labour backlash after ruling out a U-turn on winter fuel payments, we ask has he made the right decision? Have your say in our comments section!
