Winter fuel payment latest: MPs vote to cut pensioner allowance as Mel Stride eliminated from Tory leader race
MPs voted to cut the winter fuel allowance for ten million pensioners after Sir Keir Starmer made “no apologies” for the controversial move.
The Conservative motion to repeal the Government’s cuts to winter fuel payments was defeated by 348 votes to 228.
Sir Keir successfully saw off a backbench rebellion but his majority fell to 120. The government’s working majority is 167.
In a speech at the TUC Congress, the PM said: “This election would not have been won if we had not changed.
“I make no apologies for any of the decisions we have had to take to begin the work of change and no apologies to those still stuck in the 1980s who believe that unions and business can only stand at odds leaving working people in the middle.”
It comes as Mel Stride was eliminated from the Tory leadership contest after receiving 16 votes. Robert Jenrick came first with 33 votes and Kemi Badenoch gained momentum at second with 28 votes. Meanwhile, James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat came joint third with 21 votes each.
Key Points
MPs vote to cut pensioner allowance
Kemi Badenoch regains momentum in Tory leadership race
PM makes ‘no apologies for any of the decisions we have had to take’
Unite chief urges Keir Starmer to U-turn on ‘picking pockets of pensioners’
State pension set to rise by more than £400 next year
Explained: Can Starmer woo the unions back into a fulfilling relationship with Labour?
Tuesday 10 September 2024 18:30 , Alexander Butler
Can Starmer woo the unions into a new relationship with Labour?
Tugendhat sets out vision for ‘Conservative revolution'
Tuesday 10 September 2024 18:00 , Alexander Butler
Tory leadership contender Tom Tugendhat said he was “looking forward to setting out my vision” at the Conservative Party Conference at the end of September.
He said: “It is an absolute honour to have the support of my parliamentary colleagues, and I look forward to setting out my vision for a Conservative revolution to members and activists at the party conference in a few weeks’ time.
“Mel has always championed the ideas we need and defended our economic achievements. He has been, and will always be, an integral voice in our party.
“We have a simple choice: we can choose someone who has service at their core, who is a proven leader and who acts on their principles, or we can expect more of the same.”
Badenoch looks forward to Tory conference after gaining momentum in vote
Tuesday 10 September 2024 17:39 , Alexander Butler
Tory leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch has said she is looking forward to taking her campaign to the Conservative Party conference. Ms Badenoch received 28 votes in the second round of voting
“Thank you to every one of my colleagues who voted for me. I’m grateful to be in the top two and to have won the most new votes at this round,” she said on X.
“I’m also excited to take my campaign to conference. We need a leader who can cut through in Opposition, and defeat Labour and Reform.
“Most importantly, we need someone with conviction, strength of purpose and the knowledge to rewire our broken political system. That’s what I’ll be showing in Birmingham later this month.”
Kemi Badenoch regains momentum in Tory leadership race as Mel Stride eliminated
Tuesday 10 September 2024 17:09 , Alexander Butler
Kemi Badenoch has regained momentum in the Tory leadership contest as Mel Stride was eliminated.
Robert Jenrick won the second round of voting in the race to replace Rishi Sunak, despite claims from rival camps that James Cleverly could top the poll.
But Ms Badenoch also saw off the challenge from Mr Cleverly, keeping him in third.
The remaining four contenders will now proceed to the upcoming Conservative party conference, which will be dominated by the contest.
Kemi Badenoch regains momentum in Tory leadership race as Mel Stride eliminated
Mel Stride eliminated from Tory leadership race
Tuesday 10 September 2024 17:08 , Alexander Butler
Mel Stride has been eliminated from the Tory leadership contest after receiving 16 votes. Robert Jenrick came first with 33 votes and Kemi Badenoch came second with 28 votes
Meanwhile, James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat came joint third with 21 votes each. The next round of voting will go ahead at the Conservative Party conference at the end of September.
Priti Patel brands Labour government “cruel and ideological”
Tuesday 10 September 2024 16:55 , Jabed Ahmed
Former home secretary Dame Priti Patel said the removal of winter fuel payments was an “assault” on pensioners as she branded Sir Keir Starmer’s Government as “cruel and ideological”.
She said: “Who would have thought that one of the first acts of this cruel, ideological Labour Government would be to assault the nation’s pensioners and remove winter fuel payments.
“Let’s be quite candid, we are now seeing the nation’s pensioners fall victim to what is an ideological decision, Labour’s betrayal, while they have literally succumbed to their union paymasters through the gross amount of public spending they are shovelling in the pockets of their payments.”
Dame Priti said there had been a lack of transparency over the policy, including no impact assessment being published.
She added: “I would like to ask the frontbench about how they have made this spurious claim that they had no choice in this decision, when you bear in mind that a member of their Government claimed a couple of weeks ago there would be a run on the pound without this decision, which is just extraordinary and speaks of the fiscal ineptitude of this Government, so desperate are they to justify this desperate cut.”
Prime minster welcomes the progress that has been made following vote, his spokesperson says
Tuesday 10 September 2024 16:44 , Jabed Ahmed
Sir Keir Starmer welcomes the progress of his policy to cut the winter fuel allowance after he saw off a backbench rebellion over the plans, the Prime Minister’s spokeswoman said.
She told journalists: “The Prime Minister has been clear about the importance of this policy, and while it is not something that he or the Chancellor wanted to do, it is necessary as part of our efforts to balance the books and address the £22 billion black hole.
“The Government was elected on a mandate to restore financial stability and fix the foundations of the country – that is vital before you can grow the economy. And so this policy is in line with that, and he welcomes the progress that’s made.”
Mapped: How did my MP vote on the winter fuel allowance motion?
Tuesday 10 September 2024 16:24 , Jabed Ahmed
Take a look the article below to see how you MP voted on the winter fuel allowance motion.
Mapped: How did my MP vote in the winter fuel allowance motion?
Politics Explained: Can Starmer woo the unions back into a fulfilling relationship with Labour?
Tuesday 10 September 2024 16:13 , Jabed Ahmed
The prime minister’s appearance at the TUC was met with politeness rather than enthusiasm – but perhaps that’s the best he could expect. Sean O’Grady looks at how the political and industrial arms of the Labour movement might make a go of it this time round
Read the full Politics Explained article here.
Labour MP says she would have voted against the Government if she could
Tuesday 10 September 2024 16:08 , Jabed Ahmed
Clapham and Brixton Hill Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy said she had been unable to attend the vote because she had been in Ghana for her father’s funeral, but would have defied the Government if she had been in the UK.
She said in a post on X: “For clarity, the reason I am unable to attend today’s vote on winter fuel payment cuts is because I am still out of the country following my Dad’s funeral in Ghana.
“If I was able to attend in-person, I would be voting against these cuts.”
MPs who were recently suspended by Labour vote with tories
Tuesday 10 September 2024 15:57 , Jabed Ahmed
Five independent MPs who were recently suspended from the Labour Party backed the Tories - John McDonnell, Apsana Begum, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne and Zarah Sultana.
These MPs currently suspended from the party after rebelling over the two-child benefit cap in July.
Labour MP says ‘I could not in good conscience vote to make my constituents poorer'
Tuesday 10 September 2024 15:47 , Jabed Ahmed
Labour MP Jon Trickett confirmed that he voted against the party’s proposed removal of the winter fuel payment for some pensioners.
Mr Trickett, who was a shadow cabinet member during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership said he feared the measure would cause more pensioners to fall into poverty during the winter.
In a statement posted on X, he said: “This winter will be extremely difficult for my constituents of all ages. After years of obscene profiteering by energy companies, they are hiking bills once again.
“I fear that removing the payment from pensioners will mean that many more will fall into poverty this winter. We know that the consequences of pensioner poverty are devastating. It can even be a matter of life and death. I have worked behind the scenes to try and change the Government’s position, but to no avail.
“Our country is richer than it’s ever been, but the wealth is not shared fairly. In my view the Government should be looking to raise revenues from the wealthiest in society, not working class pensioners.
“I could not in good conscience vote to make my constituents poorer. I will sleep well tonight know that I voted to defend my constituents.”
One Labour MP rebels and no vote recorded for 53 government MPs
Tuesday 10 September 2024 15:35 , Jabed Ahmed
The division list has shown Labour MP for Normanton and Hemsworth Jon Trickett supported the Conservation motion.
No vote was recorded for 53 Labour MPs, although this does not automatically equate to an abstention for each MP as they may have received permission to miss a vote.
Starmer sees off backbench rebellion in winter fuel allowance vote
Tuesday 10 September 2024 15:23 , Jabed Ahmed
Sir Keir Starmer has seen off a backbench rebellion over plans to cut the winter fuel allowance but the Government’s majority fell to 120.
MPs voted 348 to 228 against the Tory motion for the controversial policy to be blocked.
A list of how MPs voted will be available shortly, though it will not be immediately clear how many actively chose to abstain as it will only show who voted in favour, against and who did not record a vote.
The Government’s working majority is 167.
Labour has declared a ‘war on pensioners’, former minister claims
Tuesday 10 September 2024 15:13 , Jabed Ahmed
Former ‘minister for common sense’ Esther McVey has claimed Labour has “declared war on pensioners”.
She told the Commons: “The public knows this decision to rob millions of pensioners of their winter fuel allowance – for which the Government has no mandate – has nothing to do with economics, and everything to do with cynical political calculations, and the haste with which it is being done is breathtaking.”
The Tory MP accused Labour of “ditching” its beliefs, adding: “This Government have been telling pensioners they didn’t want to do this, but tough financial decisions must be made, but we all know that’s poppycock, that wasn’t the Government’s message to the already highly paid train drivers, when they met them, money was no object, have as much as you want, the public are not as stupid as this Government thinks they are.”
“Labour has basically declared war on pensioners, which will neither be forgotten or forgiven,” she concluded.
MPs now voting on winter fuel payment
Tuesday 10 September 2024 15:05 , Jabed Ahmed
MPs have begun voting on the government’s plans to cut the winter fuel allowance for around 10 million people.
The results should be with us in 15 minutes.
The government expects the motion to win.
Do not expect ‘Houdini-like solutions’ from the government, chair of Treasury committee says
Tuesday 10 September 2024 14:50 , Jabed Ahmed
Labour’s Dame Meg Hillier, the new chairwoman of the Treasury Committee has said she will support the winter fuel payment move, adding the solution “isn’t to defer tough choices”.
She told the Commons: “The decision we are asked to make today is a difficult one, but sadly it is not going to be the only difficult decision that faces this new Labour Government.”
She added: “When I would hear (now Chancellor Rachel Reeves) talk about the challenges ahead and the dire consequences, I would say ‘And you think it’s that bad, I know it’s a lot worse’. We’ve heard of the Chuckle Brothers, I described us as the Misery Sisters because when she said it’s bad, I’d say it’s going to be worse than that.”
Dame Hillier later said she knows from “bitter experience” that rushed legislations tends to be bad law.
“I do not expect some Houdini-like solution to be announced by (Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall) from the frontbench in the closing speeches, but instead I expect and trust her that she will consider removing these chains of poverty as a key mission for this Government in a thoughtful, carefully planned way, tied up with the next budget but way beyond that.”
Liberal Democrats say scrapping winter fuel allowance is ‘simply wrong’
Tuesday 10 September 2024 14:43 , Jabed Ahmed
Scrapping the winter fuel allowance for some pensioners is “simply wrong”, the Liberal Democrats have said.
The party’s spokesperson on work and pensions, Wendy Chamberlain, said: “We on these benches accept that the new Government has been left with an unenviable task of re-building our economy after the mess left by the previous government, and nobody is disputing that years of Conservative mismanagement have left the public finances in crisis.
“But this cut is simply wrong, it is wrong to strip support from many of the poorest pensioners, just as energy bills are set to rise again, it is wrong to force vulnerable elderly people to make that choice between heating and eating this winter, and it is the wrong answer to the challenges that we face.”
She added that the Government has “not properly thought through the consequences or the measures that will be available to support those most in need”.
Mel Stride: ‘You know in your heart that these measures are wrong'
Tuesday 10 September 2024 14:29 , Jabed Ahmed
Shadow work and pensions secretary Mel Stride, addressing Labour MPs, told the Commons: “Can I make an impassioned plea to those sitting opposite – look to your conscience. You know in your heart that these measures are wrong.
“You know in your heart that the party opposite has broken their promises and that these measures are going to lead to untold hardship for millions of elderly and vulnerable people right up and down this country.
“You now have an opportunity to join with us and put a stop to it.”
Watch live: MPs debate winter fuel payment cuts for millions of pensioners
Tuesday 10 September 2024 14:16 , Jabed Ahmed
Comment: There are good reasons why the winter fuel payment must be scrapped – but no one’s talking about them
Tuesday 10 September 2024 14:12 , Jabed Ahmed
As the House of Commons debates the government’s plan to withdraw the winter fuel payment from the majority of pensioners, economist Jonathan Portes says those decrying the benefit cut would be better off defending the triple lock
Mr Portes argues the debate on the winter fuel payment is “hopelessly confused”, and those defending a non-means tested benefit – as it is in its current form – “rarely confront the logic of their arguments”.
He adds: “Why should Tony Blair, Elton John and my mother get an extra £200 they don’t need?”
Read the full Voices article here.
Shadow work and pensions secretary accuses the government of ‘broken promises'
Tuesday 10 September 2024 14:00 , Jabed Ahmed
Shadow work and pensions secretary Mel Stride has accused the Government of “broken promises already” as it moves to cut winter fuel allowance to pensioners.
Mr Stride told a rowdy Commons chamber: “Labour candidates up and down the country gleefully pointed to their manifesto as having no mention of doing anything on this particular matter.
“But look within a matter of a few short weeks, what has happened? What happened to integrity? What happened to transparency? It went out of the window.
“Broken promises already, that special contract that they sought to have with the British people based on integrity and decency smashed into a million pieces.”
He added it is an “absurd” policy that has been carried out with “jaw dropping” haste.
“We do not have any impact assessments. We do not know what the impact will be across the income distribution. Every member of this House does not know what the impact will be within their own constituency,” he added.
Pensioners say they are ‘horrified’ by the government’s plan to axe winter fuel allowance
Tuesday 10 September 2024 13:47 , Jabed Ahmed
My colleague Patrick Harrington has been out and about asking pensioners what impact the government’s plan to axe universal winter fuel payments will have on them.
Brenda Barrey, 80, from Hemel Hempstead, told The Independent: “We were all horrified by the news when they announced they wanted to cut the fuel allowance.
“We have been getting the full £300 for quite a few years and will really miss it if it goes. Rachel Reeves says we’ll be £900 better off through the pension but that’s not true. Fuel is going up like everything else, so in real terms it’ll be nothing like that.
“We’ve got a small amount if savings, and so we’ll draw on that to keep the heating on. But it won’t last forever. We will definitely have to think about turning the heating on less.
“I know that this is really unpopular – I haven’t spoken to a single person who thinks this is the right approach.”
Plenty of wealthy pensioners who do not need winter fuel payment, says minister
Tuesday 10 September 2024 13:37 , Jabed Ahmed
A work and pensions minister said there are “plenty of very wealthy pensioners” who do not need the winter fuel payment, as she defended reforms to the benefit.
Emma Reynolds said there is “fairly widespread agreement” among MPs that the benefit should not be universal, adding it is right for the Government to target support to the poorest pensioners.
Ms Reynolds highlighted mitigation measures introduced by the Government, including extending the Household Support Fund, and said it was a “national scandal” that the previous Conservative government had not done more to increase uptake of pension credit.
Former MP assistant seeks to chug a pint in all 650 UK constituencies in campaign to support pubs
Tuesday 10 September 2024 13:32 , Jabed Ahmed
Jay Chan, who worked for ex-MP Marco Longhi, has been documenting his journey on X, formerly Twitter, having sunk pints in pubs across 9 constituencies so far.
My colleague Archie Mitchell has the full story below:
Former MP assistant seeks to chug a pint in all 650 UK constituencies in pub campaign
Shadow justice secretary claims government plans to exclude domestic abusers from the early release scheme will ‘ring hollow’
Tuesday 10 September 2024 13:18 , Jabed Ahmed
The shadow justice secretary has claimed that the Government’s plans to exclude domestic abusers from the early release scheme will “ring hollow”, because prisoners who have committed grievous bodily harm (GBH) and actual bodily harm (ABH) are not excluded from the scheme.
Edward Argar said: “What I fear is, what will be deeply disappointing, is that many domestic abusers will potentially, actually be considered.”
Mr Argar added that people convicted of GBH and ABH have “received fewer than five years and therefore potentially be eligible for early release” and are not specifically excluded from the scheme.
The former prisons minister went on to say: “Given that, the reality is that the Government’s claim that domestic abusers won’t be eligible for the scheme will ring very hollow for victims of domestic abuse and the wider public, won’t it?”
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood replied: “What will ring hollow to members of the public is the Tory party’s new-found commitment to exclusions for domestic abusers.
“The sheer hypocrisy of talking about exclusions to this policy when he was himself a minister in the previous government, who brought in end of custody supervised licence scheme, which had no exclusions relating to domestic abuse whatsoever.”
Winter fuel payment vote will likely be delayed
Tuesday 10 September 2024 13:00 , Jabed Ahmed
The winter fuel payment debate is likely to be delayed due to a statement from defence secretary John Healey with an update on the situation in Ukraine.
The 90-minute debate on the decision to scrap winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners should get underway in the House of Commons at approximately 1.30pm.
Boris Johnson ‘binned’ solution to prisons crisis as prime minister claims Dominic Cummings
Tuesday 10 September 2024 12:48 , Jabed Ahmed
The Independent’s Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin reports:
Boris Johnson ‘binned’ solution to prisons crisis as PM, claims Dominic Cummings
MPs hear stories of pensioners who cannot afford to heat their home due to winter fuel payment cuts
Tuesday 10 September 2024 12:30 , Jabed Ahmed
Liberal Democrat MP Victoria Collins said several Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituents have written to her to express concerns, with an elderly couple saying they will “slip through the net and are considering going around on a bus to keep warm in winter”.
Labour MP Rachael Maskell added: “Demand on GPs sadly will rise, queues at A&Es will grow, more beds occupied in the NHS, and social care under more demand. Tragically, according to UCL and the Institute of Health Equity, there were 4,950 excess winter deaths due to cold homes under the previous government.
“I feel sick to the stomach each time I repeat this reality as I can’t process how governments past did not protect these vulnerable people. Labour must be different. We need mitigation, as we must protect those under our care or what is the point of power?”
Another constituent in Ms Maskell’s constituency has leukaemia and must keep warm but cannot afford to. The government “must have the capacity to find another way”, she added.
Breaking: Ex-Ukip leader and ‘father of Brexit’ dies
Tuesday 10 September 2024 12:04 , Jabed Ahmed
A former leader of the UK Independence Party, Jeffrey Titford has died aged 90.
Dubbed the “father of Brexit”, he began his political career as a Conservative councillor in Clacton before joining the Referendum Party, which went on to merge with Ukip.
You can read the full report from my colleague Millie Cooke here.
MPs begin debate on winter fuel allowance changes: Labour ‘must always protect the poorest in our society'
Tuesday 10 September 2024 11:58 , Jabed Ahmed
Labour MPs have questioned the economic rationale for Government cuts to the winter fuel payment, warning the policy will also have a “humanitarian cost”.
Rachael Maskell, the Labour MP for York Central, said a Labour Government “must always protect the poorest in our society” before questioning the likely savings of the policy to limit the winter fuel payment to only those people claiming Pension Credit or other means-tested benefits.
She added: “The Chancellor cannot therefore make this just an economic argument as there is also a humanitarian cost too, and we need to have the capacity to find that escape route, as (former Treasury minister) Ed Balls stated, as people need a safety net.”
Analysis: Labour rebels set to abstain not vote against winter fuel payment cuts
Tuesday 10 September 2024 11:40 , Jabed Ahmed
Much noise has been made by Labour rebels about Tuesday’s winter fuel payment vote, The Independent’s political correspondent Archie Mitchell writes.
But, when push comes to shove, few look set to actively vote against the government.
Vocal opponents of Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves’ decision to means test the payments have said they will abstain instead, amid fears of the consequences of voting with the Conservatives.
The prime minister showed his ruthless side, suspending seven Labour MPs for voting on an amendment to the King’s Speech calling on the government to scrap the two-child benefit cap.
With little prospect of forcing the PM’s hand, potential rebels appear to have decided voting against the government is not worth losing the Labour whip.
Sir Keir could survive the day without a single Labour MP voting against his plans, but the scale of discontent at the plans will be measured by abstentions.
Over the weekend, Labour insiders touted the potential for as many as 50 abstentions. The figure now looks drastically overstated, and around 20 looking likely.
Starmer defends Labours new deal for workers
Tuesday 10 September 2024 11:33 , Jabed Ahmed
Sir Keir Starmer defended Labour’s new deal for workers, saying “business leaders are not knocking on my door saying they want to rip up employee rights”.
He said British people want policies that are “pro-business and pro-worker”.
“I know there will always be disputes, of course there will, but in all seriousness, there is a mood of change in the business world,” the PM said.
“A growing understanding of the importance of good work and the shared self-interest that comes from treating the workforce with respect and dignity, the productivity gain of fairness, and congress – that is an opportunity to be grasped.
“Trust me – business leaders are not knocking on my door saying they want to rip up employee rights. They don’t tell me the problems they face will be solved by coming for trade unions.
“They want fair taxes, high skills and the long-term stability to invest, and that chimes precisely with what trade unions up and down the country tell me they also want: working people want good companies to make profits, attract investment and create good jobs.”
Labour has to ‘clean up the mess after 14 years of chaos’, union boss says
Tuesday 10 September 2024 11:30 , Jabed Ahmed
Union bosses have voiced their frustration for being told about “tough decisions” by the prime minister, adding the government cannot solve problems with “more austerity”.
Fran Heathcote, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union, said: “We’ve had enough of being told about ‘tough decisions’. The real tough decisions are forced upon our members every day trying to make ends meet.
“Thousands of the Government’s own workers earn just above the minimum wage and are having to rely on food banks. There will not be a stronger economy without boosting the incomes of working people.
“You cannot solve the problems caused by austerity with more austerity. That’s why the TUC has voted overwhelmingly for a campaign of pay restoration across the public sector – which will boost living standards and strengthen the economy.”
Gary Smith, GMB general secretary, added: “The Government has a huge job on to clean up the mess after 14 years of chaos and misrule from the Conservatives.”
PM says he makes ‘no apologies for any of the decisions we have had to take’
Tuesday 10 September 2024 11:24 , Jabed Ahmed
Sir Keir received a loud cheer as he pledged to repeal the Tories’ “anti-trade union” laws. The PM said he would end the “vindictive attacks on this movement”.
Speaking on the “tough decisions” he has had to take, he said: “We ran as a changed Labour Party and we will govern as a changed Labour Party.
“And so I make no apologies for any of the decisions we have had to take to begin the work of change and no apologies to those still stuck in the 1980s who believe that unions and business can only stand at odds, leaving working people stuck in the middle.”
Starmer thanks unions for helping to ‘remove the burden of Tory rule from our shoulders'
Tuesday 10 September 2024 11:19 , Jabed Ahmed
In an attempt to rally worker’s unions ahead of the winter fuel vote later today, the PM has thanked an audience at the TUC Congress for helping to “remove the burden of Tory rule from our shoulders”.
Speaking at the event in Brighton, the Prime Minister said: “In all seriousness, I sat on the opposition benches, I took many a lecture from the Tories telling the world what working people do or don’t want, and you knew that every single one of them was delivered without the common decency of coming here, showing some respect to the people who fight for the living standards of working people – every single day.
“And that era is now over, congress.
“And I would like to thank every one of you who played a role in ending it, every one of you who took to the streets and doorsteps of your communities to remove the burden of Tory rule from our shoulders”.
Watch live: Starmer addresses unions after pensioners' winter fuel payment cuts backlash
Tuesday 10 September 2024 11:06 , Jabed Ahmed
Keir Starmer’s speech to the TUC conference begins
Tuesday 10 September 2024 11:01 , Jabed Ahmed
The prime ministers speech to the Trades Union Congress conference has begun.
According to an extract released in advance, he will promise a “politics of partnership”, saying that is what voters want. He will say:
“I call now, as before the election, for the politics of partnership. With us in government, with business, and most importantly of all, with working people … the mood is for partnership. And not just on pay - on everything.
“To turn around our NHS, give our children the start in life they deserve, make our public services fit for the future, unlock the potential of clean energy. A new era of investment and reform. The common cause of national renewal.”
State pension set to rise by more than £400 next year, but not enough to offset cuts to winter fuel allowance
Tuesday 10 September 2024 10:19 , Jabed Ahmed
On a more postive note for pensioners, wage figures published today suggest the state pension is set to rise by four per cent in April, giving an extra £460 a year to recipients.
The state pension triple lock means the payment rises by the highest of average weekly earnings, inflation or 2.5 per cent.
The latest boost to pensions means the weekly payment will increase from £221.20 a week to £230.05 a week, handing them an extra £8.85 a week from April.
However, it doesn’t seem like this triple lock will offset the £300 lost by up to 10 million due to the government’s plans to cut the winter fuel allowance.
Read the full write-up from my colleague Millie Cooke here.
James Cleverly favourite to top MPs’ poll in Tory leadership concert
Tuesday 10 September 2024 09:51 , Jabed Ahmed
The Conservative leadership race is beginning to heat up with another contender being eliminated later today.
A senior source has told my colleague David Maddox the second round will be Mr Cleverly’s for the taking.
After Dame Priti Patel was eliminated in the first round, most of her 14 votes are being projected to go to Mr Cleverly who is her neighbouring MP in Essex. MPs Alec Shelbrooke and Greg Smith have both publicly declared for Mr Cleverly.
A senior source on a rival campaign told The Independent’s political editor that round two “will be Cleverly’s day. He’s doing well among Priti Patel supporters.”
Meanwhile, sources on Tom Tugendhat’s campaign, the main rival to Mr Cleverly on the left of the party, are “quietly confident” they have secured enough votes to hold off a challenge from former work and pensions secretary Mel Stride.
Many believe it will be Mr Stride’s final day as a contender, after securing just two more votes than eliminated Priti Patel in the last round.
Expect an announcement at 5pm.
RMT’s Mick Lynch compares Starmer and Reeves to the Grinch for taking away winter fuel allowance
Tuesday 10 September 2024 09:18 , Jabed Ahmed
RMT union boss Mick Lynch hit out at Reeves and Starmer last night, comparing the pair to the Grinch.
Speaking to the TUC Congress, Mr Lynch said the Chancellor and the PM “will always be known as the people who stole the winter fuel allowance.”
However, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds hit back, saying it is an “unfair” comparison.
Some readers may remember Mr Lynch was likened to the mean-spirited green monster when he announced a strike by railway workers around Christmas 2022.
Cabinet minister rejects the idea pensioners could die of cold this winter, but government won’t publish research until after the vote
Tuesday 10 September 2024 09:04 , Jabed Ahmed
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds rejected the suggestion that pensioners could die of cold this winter as a result of the Government’s policy.
Asked whether he and the Government accepted this was a possibility, he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: “No. We are making sure that we can reassure people by saying the state pension is higher than last winter and energy bills are lower than last winter.”
However, Labour’s own 2017 research found plans to cut the fuel allowance for ten million pensioners would increase excess deaths by 3,850 that winter.
The government has also assessed the number of people who will be pushed into fuel poverty by its winter fuel payment cuts, but will not publish the figures until after MPs vote on the measure. Read the full scoop by my colleague Archie Mitchell here.
Pinned post: Key events to keep an eye this afternoon
Tuesday 10 September 2024 08:58 , Jabed Ahmed
3pm: MPs will vote on the government’s plans to cut the winter fuel allowance for around 10 million people. This could be the second major rebellion facing Sir Keir since Labour took government. Seven MPs recently had the whip suspended for voting against the government.
5pm: Conservative MPs will eliminate another leadership contender as the field is whittles down to the final four. Chairman of the 1922 Committee Bob Blackman will announce the result. A reminder that Priti Patel was eliminated in the last round.
Coming up today: Double trouble for Labour
Tuesday 10 September 2024 08:33 , Jabed Ahmed
Sir Keir Starmer will be facing a potential Labour rebellion on two fronts today.
MPs will vote on the government’s plans to cut the winter fuel allowance for around 10 million people around 2pm.
The MP and Chancellor Rachel Reeves have been attempting to quell anger from some Labour MPs calling for a policy U-turn.
No.10 have made it clear they will not back down from the “tough decision”, despite strong opposition from its own MPs and trade unions.
The government also faces some trouble as Up to 1,750 prisoners will be back on the streets today, after serving just 40 percent of their sentences.
Sir Keir has made it clear that no one convicted of violent crimes, sexual offences or a series of offences linked to domestic violence will be released.
However, campaigners have told my colleague Maya Oppenheim that domestic abusers are “slipping through the net”, putting victims could be placed at grave risk.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood will do a broadcast clip today to explain the release program.
It seems like it will be a busy day ahead for Labour...
Age UK director warns winter fuel cut is ‘unfair and unsustainable'
Tuesday 10 September 2024 07:59 , Andy Gregory
The director of Age UK has warned that the winter fuel payment cut is “unfair” and “unsustainable”, after new analysis by her charity suggested around 500,000 more pensioners on low incomes than previously feared will be hit by the cut.
Caroline Abrahams said: “New Age UK analysis shows that when we said we thought two million pensioners were set to lose their Winter Fuel Payment and would struggle badly this winter as a result, we underestimated the scale of the problem caused by the government’s policy approach.”
She added: “This is unfair, and it is also unsustainable, so it’s no wonder there’s growing public concern. We would like to thank everyone who is standing with struggling pensioners this winter by signing Age UK’s Petition – which has gone through the half a million mark now – and to encourage everyone else to show solidarity by signing up too.
“As the weather chills – as it is forecast to do as early as this week – older people on low incomes will be trying to decide whether they can afford to turn their heating on or not. Our biggest fear at Age UK is that many in the two and half million group will choose not to even try to stay adequately warm, for fear of a fuel bill they won’t be able to pay.
“The fact that appreciably more older people are going to face this dilemma as a direct result of a policy decision from our incoming government is extremely regrettable, and not at all what we expected. But there is still time for Ministers to change their minds.”
Comment: Is this the moment the Tory leadership contest finally became interesting?
Tuesday 10 September 2024 18:51 , Alexander Butler
Is this the moment the Tory leadership contest finally became interesting?
