PM announces the government will look at increasing the number of pensioners who qualify for the winter fuel payments
By Bill Heaney
The big Labour budget climbdown has arrived at last. Sir Keir Starmer has suggested the government will u-turn on its controversial cuts to the winter fuel payment.
He said: “I recognise that people are still feeling the pressure of the cost of living crisis including pensioners and as the economy improves we want to make sure people feel those improvements in their days as their lives go forward and that is why we want to ensure that as we go forward more pensioners are eligible for winter fuel payments.
“As you would expect we will only make decisions we will afford. That is why we will look at that as part of a fiscal event.”
It comes after Labour came under increasing pressure on the issue in recent weeks, after it was seen as a key factor in Labour’s disastrous local election result at the start of this month.
Scottish Labour came in only in third place in the Clydebank Waterfront by-election for West Dunbartonshire Council on Thursday with Reform UK making remarkable inroads taking second place to the SNP victor Kevin Crawford.
Senior government figures are in talks about whether to U-turn on Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ winter fuel cuts within weeks.
The cuts, which will strip millions of pensioners of payments worth up to £300, could reportedly be partially reversed or scrapped altogether.
It is believed a decision could be made in time for the government’s spending review on 11 June, which will see Rachel Reeves set out government budgets for the coming years.
Tories left inflation ‘bang on target’, Kemi Badenoch says
Kemi Badenoch has pounced on Wednesday’s jump in inflation, arguing the Conservatives left it “bang on target” at 2 per cent.
Echoed by shadow chancellor Mel Stride, the Tory leader said that despite reacting to the war in Ukraine, “inflation was brought down by us”.
She said: “While he is doing trade deals with countries like the US and India, their inflation is going down, it’s going up here, why?”
Sir Keir Starmer hit back by reminding MPs of the “disastrous Liz Truss mini budget, inflation through the roof and a £22 billion black hole in the public finances”.
The beleaguered Tory leader has been much criticised for consistently missing the issues of the week in her six questions each week at PMQs.
But today, Kemi Badenoch has gone for the throat on the right topic. On a day when inflation has risen and amid revelations that Angela Rayner wants eight new tax rises, Ms Badenoch has plenty to shoot at.
Keir Starmer’s claim she “is talking the country down” rings a bit hollow.
For the leader of a party in fourth place in a recent poll, this is a rare good day for Ms Badenoch.
One year on and Keir Starmer is still blaming the previous government
Sir Keir Starmer has answered both questions so far at PMQs by blaming the previous government – almost one year into his time in office.
Asked about illegal migration, the prime minister said it was the “last government that lost control”. Asked about inflation – which rose to 3.5 per cent this morning – he said the economy was “left in an absolute mess by the Tories”.
Labour has spent a majority of its time in office pointing to the Tories record, but one look at their current approval ratings shows that this approach isn’t landing with voters. It’s especially tricky on a topic like inflation, allowing the Tories – as Kemi Badenoch did in her first PMQs question – to point out that inflation had fallen to 2 per cent by the time they left office.
Starmer vows changes to winter fuel cuts
In a major announcement slipped out at the top of PMQs, Sir Keir Starmer vowed changes to his controversial winter fuel cuts.
After weeks of pressure, and a disastrous set of local election results, the prime minister promised to “ensure that, as we go forward, more pensioners are eligible for winter fuel payments”.
Labour’s cuts, announced in July, left only those claiming pension credit eligible for cuts.
But, in a significant climbdown, it appears Labour is set to extend the eligibility for the payments, worth up to £300 for pensioners.
He said: “I recognise that people are still feeling the pressure of the cost of living crisis, including pensioners, as the economy improves.
“We want to make sure people feel those improvements… and that is why we want to ensure that as we go forward, more pensioners are eligible for winter fuel payments.”
Analysis: First Tory question offers Starmer an open goal
The prime minister will have more difficult opening questions than the one by Tory MP Lewis Cocking.
The recently elected MP, one of the few to survive the Tory wipeout last year, asked Sir Keir Starmer when he will completely end illegal immigration.
It was a bit of a hostage to fortune given the infamous failure of multiple Tory prime ministers in a short space of time to “stop the boats”.
Not even threatening to send people to Rwanda had any effect.
Not surprisingly the prime minister reminded the House of all these failures as the glum Tory MPs looked on.
Starmer challenged over illegal migration
The first question for Sir Keir Starmer, from Tory MP Lewis Cocking, was about whether he is going to stop “all illegal immigration into the UK”.
The prime minister was able to bat it off, accusing the Conservatives of having lost control of the borders in the first place.
He said: “We’re bringing forward legislation to give law enforcement the greatest possible powers. What are they doing? They’re voting against it.”
Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch is expected to question Sir Keir on his Brexit reset trade deal, announced on Monday.
She may also quiz Sir Keir on the reports that Angela Rayner sent a memo to Rachel Reeves suggesting an increase in taxes for savers.