Sir Keir Starmer might be doing a total 180 on the winter fuel cut sooner than we think, according to insiders. The PM is apparently reconsidering the controversial benefit slash after facing backlash from both Labour MPs and voters during the recent local elections. It seems like the Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall, dropped the bomb about cutting benefits, which didn’t sit well with a lot of folks, to say the least.
Options on the table include either bumping up the threshold at which pensioners stop receiving the benefit from £11,500 so more can keep it, or just scrapping the cut altogether. Around 10 million pensioners lost their winter fuel allowance due to the cut, which only really saved the Treasury a measly £1.4 billion. It caused quite the uproar among the public, to put it mildly. Sources in Whitehall are saying that slashing winter fuel payments for all but the poorest pensioners completely backfired and is now being reconsidered, with a decision expected to come “quickly.” Another source spilled the beans, saying, “They are discussing softening it, or getting rid of it.”
Prepare for some serious drama because Sir Keir is about to face the music from his fellow Labour MPs during a meeting at Parliament on Monday night. Apparently, they’re not too thrilled with how things are going down and feel like their concerns are falling on deaf ears. No one’s expecting Sir Keir to do a complete 180 on the winter fuel situation at the meeting, but it’s clear that No10 realizes he needs to start giving his MPs more attention and actually listen to what they have to say. Downing Street seems to be cooking up some other plans to keep Labour MPs happy, with one insider revealing, “Labour MPs are complaining that so far it has been too much about spreadsheets and not enough about Labour values.” Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
