“Standing up for communities put most at risk by 14 years of austerity — the elderly and disabled — should be the priority”
A growing number of MPs have called for the government to scrap its cuts to both the Winter Fuel Allowance and disability benefits in the aftermath of the party losing a parliamentary by-election and mayoral election to Reform last Thursday. Labour also lost almost 200 local council seats to a number of parties, including Reform, the Lib Dems and the Greens.
The intervention from these MPs comes after reports initially suggested that the government may be reviewing the decision to remove the Winter Fuel Allowance from all but the very poorest pensioners in the wake of its electoral defeats.
Despite these reports, a government spokesperson has since indicated there will be no change to the government’s policies. The spokesperson said: “The policy is set out. There will not be a change to the government’s policy. We set out the difficult decision. It was one that we had to take to bring about economic stability, repair the public finances following the £22bn black hole left by the previous government.”
A number of MPs currently suspended from the parliamentary Labour group after their decision to vote for an SNP amendment designed to scrap the two child benefit cap have nevertheless come out to make a strong call for the government to change course on welfare.
Zarah Sultana reiterated her opposition to the cuts to the Winter Fuel Allowance. She tweeted: “The Labour government was wrong to cut winter fuel payments from millions of pensioners last September — and it’s still wrong now. I voted against it then. It must be *fully* reversed now. This isn’t difficult.”
Apsana Begum meanwhile, called for the cuts to both the Winter Fuel Allowance and disability benefits. She tweeted: “Standing up for communities put most at risk by 14 years of austerity — the elderly and disabled — should be the priority. Reviewing the Winter Fuel Allowance cut will not deliver the change promised. It must be reversed, along with dropping plans to cuts benefits.”
The former Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell has said that the government needs to reverse both these policies if it is to avoid continued electoral woes like those seen in this year’s local elections, the mayoral contests and in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election. He tweeted: “If Labour decision makers think “reviewing” Winter Fuel Allowance will save them, they’re not living in same world as rest of us. Only scrapping of WFA cut & dropping completely plans to cut benefits to disabled will show that as PM claimed, “he gets it.””
This echoes comments made by the left wing Labour MP Richard Burgon who wrote in Politics Home following last week’s elections: “By pushing policies like cuts to disability benefits and scrapping the winter fuel allowance for millions, the leadership is driving away our own voters – and letting Reform squeeze through.”
Image credit: Lauren Hurley / DESNZ – Creative Commons
Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward
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