Prime Minister Keir Starmer has doubled down on the government’s plan to restrict the winter fuel allowance to the most vulnerable pensioners in the face of a looming backbench rebellion.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s parliamentary vote, Starmer told Laura Kuenssberg that it was an “unpopular” and “difficult” decision, but argued it was necessary to help bring about the change the economy needed.
“Every Labour MP was elected on the same mandate as I was, which was to deliver the change that we need for the country,” he said.
“I’m absolutely convinced that we will only deliver that change…if we do the difficult things,” Starmer continued.
The government argues that it needs to place restrictions on the winter fuel allowance to help plug a £22bn blackhole in the public finances, allegedly left by the previous Conservative administration.
The proposed cut will take away the benefit – worth up to £300 per year – from around 10m pensioners, saving the exchequer up to £1.5bn.
Starmer suggested that with the triple lock in place, annual increases to the state pension will “outstrip any reduction” in the winter fuel payments.
However, ten Labour MPs, including three newly elected parliamentarians, have signed an early day motion asking for the change to be reconsidered.
“I’ve had letters…from people who are suffering from ongoing illness like cancer, and their doctors are telling them how important it is to keep warm,” Rosie Duffield, MP for Canterbury, told the Today Programme yesterday.
“Human health is our job to protect and we know that these people are going to feel [the] cold,” she added.
The other major parties have also come out against the proposal, with Mel Stride, shadow work and pensions secretary and Conservative leadership candidate, describing it as a “cruel cut”.
Ed Davey, meanwhile, said it was “plain wrong” that pensioners would be losing the benefit while energy bills were rising.
The Labour rebels claim that as many as 30 MPs might abstain on the issue, making it the second rebellion since Labour entered office in early July.
Starmer took a hard-line stance to the previous rebellion, expelling the seven MPs who voted to abolish the two-child benefit cap.
Starmer did not confirm how rebels would be punished if they voted against the measure. “That will be a matter for the chief whip,” he said.