Keir Starmer was mocked as “desperate” after announcing a huge u-turn over winter fuel payments despite ordering his MPs to back the hugely unpopular move last year. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Sir Keir’s own Labour MPs “hate” him and the British public would not be able to trust the Prime Minister ever again.
Sir Keir confirmed speculation and leaks about a climbdown over means-testing winter fuel payments as he told MPs the threshold will be changed – meaning more pensioners will get the money. Announcing the humiliating change, he told the House of Commons: “We want to ensure that as we go forward, more pensioners are eligible for winter fuel payments.”
It followed a massive rebellion by angry Labour MPs who feared the policy had caused support for Labour to plummet. But mocking the Prime Minister, Ms Badenoch said: “When this inevitable u-turn on winter fuel comes, and it will from a desperate Prime Minister, what will he say to the 348 Labour MPs who went over the top and voted for the winter fuel cut last September?
“Just like the British public, how can any of them trust the Prime Minister ever again?”
She added: “He promised to protect pensioners, but his winter fuel cut has driven thousands into hardship. His MPs hate this – he can’t see them but they all look sick just hearing what he’s going to do.
“Oh they’re laughing just as they laughed at the budget – hands up who here wanted winter fuel cuts? Hands up. Not a single one of them. The fact of the matter is this PM is destroying them! They need to look at what they’re doing to the country.”
She accuses Labour of “shafting the country”.
Changes announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves stripped more than nine million pensioners of the right to receive winter fuel payments of up to £300. Only those receiving benefits such as Pension Credit are now eligible.
It means single people with an annual income above £11,344, or couples with a combined income of £17,314, are considered too wealthy to need the payments, although there can be exceptions for carers or people with severe disabilities.
The Government has admitted the decision will force up to 100,000 additional people into relative poverty after housing costs. However the u-turn means the threshold will be increased, so more pensioners get the money.
Ms Reeves insisted the policy, which could save the Treasury £1.4billion, was needed to help plug a £22billion “black hole” in the public finances. But Sir Keir is now seeking to justify a u-turn by saying the economy has improved.
