Robert Jenrick had no response when he was asked what the Tory Party’s policy on winter fuel payments would be during a fiery exchange on Sky News.
This week, Keir Starmer announced a U-turn on Labour’s controversial cuts to winter fuel payment. During prime minister’s questions on Wednesday, the PM said his government would look at widening eligibility “as the economy improves”.
This came after reports that Starmer was considering reversing parts of the policy following Labour’s disappointing local election results.
The policy had been criticised both within and outside Labour, with the Tories vocally opposing the cuts. However, they haven’t ever said what they would do if they were in power, something that Sky News’s Wilfred Frost pointed out to shadow minister Robert Jenrick.
During an interview with Jenrick, Frost told the Tory MP: “As with so many areas, we do await your actual policies, which I know are taking a while to formulate…”
Jenrick hit back at the presenter, saying this was “not fair.” But when he was asked by Frost what the Conservatives’ policy on winter fuel payments would be, all Jenrick could say was that they opposed Labour’s cuts.
As Jenrick became more enraged, Frost told him: “Don’t push back on my criticism that your party hasn’t announced policies for however many months it’s been under a new leadership and then not provide me with your policy.
“What is your policy on this?”
Once again, Jenrick had no answer, repeating that the Tories had opposed the removal of the winter fuel allowance for some pensioners.
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