Sir Keir Starmer has been dealt another blow after Labour members at the party’s conference voted in favour of a motion calling for ministers to reverse their cut to the winter fuel allowance.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in July that from this winter, pensioners in England and Wales will no longer be entitled to the winter fuel payment unless they receive Pension Credit or certain other means-tested benefits.
More than 10 million pensioners in England and Wales received the winter fuel payment last winter.
The government says the move will help them plug an estimated £22 billion black hole in the public finances, but critics say it could plunge vulnerable pensioners into fuel poverty and lead to excess deaths in what has been dubbed “austerity mark two”.
A motion put forward by Unite at the party’s conference in Liverpool has been overwhelmingly backed by members, which will cause further blushes for Sir Keir.
While there is nothing binding about the vote, it puts further pressure on the Labour leadership over its controversial decision to remove the benefit.
The motion passed by a show of hands on what is the last day of the Labour Party conference in Liverpool.
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