Sir Keir Starmer is coming under mounting pressure as Labour MPs furious about cuts to winter fuel payments could vote against the government next week.
Commons Leader Lucy Powell said a motion to approve the changes will be debated on September 10, with the prime minister facing a Labour backbench rebellion.
One MP told the i: “Six days is a long time. There are people who are determined to vote against this even though they know they will probably lose the whip as a result.”
Opposition MPs voiced concerns over the cuts on Thursday, with Liberal Democrat Wera Hobhouse saying many pensioners in her Bath constituency are “worried sick that they will not be able to heat their homes this winter“.
Shadow Commons leader Chris Philp welcomed the vote and said he has been contacted by Croydon South constituents “desperate with worry” at the proposed changes.
Mr Philp said 84 per cent of pensioners in poverty will lose the benefit under ministers’ plans.
Ms Powell said the changes were necessary because of a Treasury audit finding a £22 billion black hole in spending, inherited from the Tories.
British prisoners could be sent to Estonian jails in bid to ease overcrowding
Prisoners in the UK could serve their sentences in Estonia as the Labour government explores ways to offset chronic overcrowding, according to reports.
The Ministry of Justice and its Estonian counterpart are exploring “potential partnerships” after Tallinn offered to rent out spare prison capacity to other countries.
Justice secretary Shabana Mahmood and her Estonian opposite number, Liisa Pakosta, were expected to discuss the options on the sidelines of a Council of Europe event in Vilnius, Lithuania on Thursday.
Joe Middleton6 September 2024 07:45
Pensioners could die due to winter fuel payments cut, warns Labour MP
A Labour MP has warned that planned cuts to winter fuel payments could lead to pensioners dying.
Rachel Maskell said that statistics showed that almost a quarter of excess winter deaths are due to cold homes and said lower temperatures also put pensioners at risk of severe health issues such as heart attacks.
Writing in the The Telegraph, she said: “The concern that I and many colleagues have is that people will fall through the safety net. Last winter, 4,950 people died because their homes were cold, according to research by UCL and the Institute of Health Equity based on data from the Office for National Statistics, where 21.5 per cent of excess winter deaths are attributed to cold homes.
“The fear is that, if we withdraw winter fuel payments for those in fuel poverty, it will lead to excess deaths.”
Joe Middleton6 September 2024 07:43
Starmer under pressure over winter fuel payments cut as MP vote looms
Sir Keir Starmer is coming under mounting pressure as Labour MPs furious about cuts to winter fuel payments could vote against the government next week.
Commons Leader Lucy Powell said a motion to approve the changes will be debated on September 10, with the prime minister facing a Labour backbench rebellion.
One MP told the i: “Six days is a long time. There are people who are determined to vote against this even though they know they will probably lose the whip as a result.”
Opposition MPs voiced concerns over the cuts on Thursday, with Liberal Democrat Wera Hobhouse saying many pensioners in her Bath constituency are “worried sick that they will not be able to heat their homes this winter“.
Shadow Commons leader Chris Philp welcomed the vote and said he has been contacted by Croydon South constituents “desperate with worry” at the proposed changes.
Joe Middleton6 September 2024 07:40
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Joe Middleton6 September 2024 07:39