Wes Streeting acknowledged the public aren’t happy about winter fuel payment cuts and said the Government was listening to voters’ rejection of Labour at the local elections
The Health Secretary has failed to slap down rumours that Downing Street is reconsidering its winter fuel payment cuts.
Wes Streeting insisted he was not close to any discussions around the policy so was “not going to speculate”. But he acknowledged the public aren’t happy about the decision and said the Government was listening to voters’ rejection of Labour at the local elections.
The Cabinet minister defended the “unpopular decision”, saying it was the right thing to do to free up investment for the NHS, schools and other public services. But he added: “I know that people aren’t happy about winter fuel allowance, in lots of cases. We did protect it for the poorest pensioners but there are lots of people saying they disagree with it regardless.”
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No10 is said to be rethinking the controversial decision to means-test the winter fuel allowance after a mauling at the local elections last week, the Guardian reported last night. Labour changed eligibility of the universal payments so only those whose income is below £11,500 receive the extra help.
Downing Street is now said to be looking at raising the threshold so more pensioners receive the £300 help. However there is no formal review.
Asked whether the winter fuel payments cuts were being reconsidered, Mr Streeting said: “Well, I wouldn’t be close to those sorts of discussions at this stage, ahead of the Spending Review and Budget later this year as well.”
But he did say the Government was listening to voters, who had sent a clear message to Labour at polling stations last week. “What I do want to reassure people is that in terms of the last Thursday’s local election results, we have noticed, we have got the message,” he said.
“And I think what voters are telling us is that unless they see the change that was promised delivered, unless they feel the change in their lives, they will look for change elsewhere. And that’s why the Prime Minister is pushing all of us in government to go further and faster at delivering the results that the country want. That’s why what we’re doing on the NHS is so important, it’s one of the top issues facing the government.”
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK swept to victory in last week’s local elections across England, including winning two mayoral contests. It also scraped through a win in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election by six votes, overturning a huge Labour majority.
Keir Starmer faces a backlash from some within his own party over Labour’s disappointing local elections results, which came less than a year after their landslide general election victory.
On Sunday, Veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott said she agreed with her colleague Ros Jones, the Labour mayor for Doncaster. After narrowly winning the race, Ms Jones attacked Keir Starmer for cutting the winter fuel allowance for pensioners, raising national insurance for employers and restricting the eligibility of disability benefits.
Ms Abbott raised fears of Labour moving to the right to try to neutralise the threat of Reform UK, after Nigel Farage’s party swept to victory at the local elections. She warned MPs in her party and advisers in the Prime Minister’s team that “trying to echo Reform is a party disaster”.
She said immigration was not the top issue for most people, adding: “I think that the welfare cuts we’ve made have contributed to the disastrous result in the local elections.”
And writing in the Sunday Mirror, South Shields MP Emma Lewell said the Government needs a “change of plan” more than a “Plan For Change”.
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