Labour dubbed ‘nasty party’ as it rejects call for winter fuel payments apology

Labour was branded the new “nasty party” as it rejected Tory calls to apologise for its decision to cut winter fuel payments for pensioners.

MPs voted 293 to 177, majority 116, against an Opposition motion which urged the Government to publish data showing the impact of the cuts on pensioners, while asking for an apology for the “misery caused to vulnerable pensioners” this winter.

The changes mean only people on pension credit or certain other benefits are able to receive the up to £300 payment, with more than nine million people losing access to it.

“If there’s any nasty party, it’s proof positive, by the removal of the winter fuel payment and the total absence of Labour MPs in this chamber, that there’s only one nasty party today, and it’s the Labour Party.”

Shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately said pensioners were having to choose between “heating and eating”.

Ms Whately said: “Today was yet another betrayal for pensioners who have suffered this winter because of Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves.

“We gave Labour MPs a chance to put party politics aside and protect vulnerable pensioners from another winter of chaos and cruelty. But their consciences failed them again.

“The British public deserve to be told the truth about what the Government have done to pensioners, but Labour refuse to do so.”

Conservative former minister Andrew Murrison (South West Wiltshire) referred to Labour research from 2017 which showed 4,000 pensioners could die if the winter fuel payment was removed.

Work and pensions minister Torsten Bell said: “There is not robust analysis that can separate out different causes of excess mortality over the winter.”

He added: “But if I look at the excess mortality data for this winter, deaths are actually down.”

He said the state pension was increasing under Labour, and the Government was improving the NHS.

He said absolute pensioner poverty had risen by 300,000 during the last 14 years of Conservative-led governments.

Mr Bell said: “Everyone in this House knows the economic and fiscal context.

“The economic stagnation of the past decade, visible in flatlining wages, collapsing public services and strained public finances.

“Every economist and every person in the country knows that Britain has lived through an unprecedented economic failure.

“And in a challenging fiscal environment, difficult choices are unavoidable. The Government has set fiscal rules and we will stick to them.”

Labour frontbench colleague Andrew Western also told the debate: “Pensioner households who need support the most will continue to get winter fuel payments, we’re getting more and more people on to pension credit so they can get winter fuel payments and increase their weekly income.

“This motion calls for an apology, the only people (who should be) giving an apology to pensioners and this country are the party opposite for the mess they left behind.”