Wes Streeting ‘not remotely happy’ voting to ‘take money away’ from pensioners

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said he is “not remotely happy” on having to vote to “take money away” from pensioners through cutting winter fuel allowance.

Mr Streeting did however share the Government’s argument that the move is essential to balance public finances as the Prime Minister did not rule out suspending MPs for defying the Government in Parliament.

Rosie Duffield, the Labour MP for Canterbury, is among the party’s backbenchers who have said they will not vote with the Government when the measure to limit the winter fuel allowance comes to the Commons on Tuesday.

I’m not remotely happy about (the vote), and I’m not remotely happy about having to say to some of my constituents, I’m sorry that I’m going into work this week to vote for something that will take money away from you

Mr Streeting said he is not “remotely happy” about having to vote to cut the winter fuel allowance, but argued it is essential to balance public finances.

He told Sky News: “I think it is a tough choice, and we’ve had plenty of political criticism for it, I think, which demonstrates the political pain of it.

“I’m not remotely happy about it, and I’m not remotely happy about having to say to some of my constituents, I’m sorry that I’m going into work this week to vote for something that will take money away from you.”

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the plan to limit the winter fuel allowance in July, as she said there was a need to fill a £22 billion “black hole” in the public finances left by the previous government, a claim the Tories have challenged.

The change means that only those who claim pension credit and other means-tested benefits will receive the additional fuel payments.

Mr Streeting said pensioners “have seen what happens when politicians duck the difficult decisions”, adding: “this isn’t a Government that ducks difficult decisions or pretends you can spend money you don’t have”.

Other Labour MPs have urged the Government not to go forward with the move by signing a Commons motion from Poole MP Neil Duncan-Jordan.

Some 11 Labour MPs are among the 27 who have signed the Early Day Motion which describes the plan as “a bureaucratic and unpopular means test” for pensioners.

Seven of the party’s MPs had the whip removed for voting to scrap the two child benefit cap.

One of those rebels, John McDonnell, who now sits as an independent MP, said he was prepared to vote against the Government on Tuesday.

He told LBC: “I said to my whip, because even though I’ve lost the whip I still have to abide by the whip… could you tell Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves to bring something seriously before that vote, which demonstrates actually that here’s a way of managing this that isn’t going to impact upon people in my constituency who are facing hardship, bring something forward and I’m happy to allow this to go through in a revised form.

“But if that doesn’t happen by Tuesday, I will vote against. I can’t do anything else.”

Sir Keir Starmer said whether or not Labour MPs will be suspended from the party for voting against cuts to winter fuel payments is “a matter for the chief whip”.

He told the BBC: “We’re going into a vote. I’m glad we’re having a vote, because I think it’s very important for Parliament to speak on this.

“But every Labour MP was elected in on the same mandate as I was, which was to deliver the change that we need for the country over the time we’ve got in office.

“I’m absolutely convinced that we will only deliver that change, I’m absolutely determined we will, if we do the difficult things.

“Now, I know they’re unpopular, I know they’re difficult. Of course they’re tough choices.”

Mr Streeting went further on the “tough choices” that his cabinet colleague Ms Reeves will be implementing in the autumn budget as he warned “it’s not just pensioners”.

He told Sky News: “We have had to take into account context. And by the way, it’s not just pensioners. We’ve got a budget and the spending review coming up, there are, there are difficult choices coming, and we’re going to have to look carefully at how we make sure we can build the future for our country.”

Despite discontent from backbenchers and the cabinet Sir Keir has maintained resolve to cut the fuel allowance, saying he is “absolutely clear” the move is necessary to “fix the fundamentals and stabilise our economy”.

Sir Keir said: “Talking to many pensioners in the last two or three years, the things that have hit the most and hardest are inflation, because it got out of control under the last Government, energy bills, because the steps that were needed to be taken years ago weren’t taken, and the cost of living.

I don’t want to see any pensioner going into winter afraid to turn on the heating, so yes I have concerns but I recognise the difficult legacy that’s been left

“I’m determined that no pensioner will ever be put through that before. That’s why we’re fixing the foundations now, tough though that may be.”

Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, said he had “real concerns” about cuts to the winter fuel allowance, but added that Labour was dealing with a “toxic” economic legacy.

He told a press conference ahead of the annual TUC Congress in Brighton: “I don’t want to see any pensioner going into winter afraid to turn on the heating, so yes I have concerns but I recognise the difficult legacy that’s been left.

“I hope that in the Budget we can see proper support for pensioners and others who might be struggling. But I am also worried about the level of support for people wanting to go back to work, or about our members who are scared stiff of losing their job.”