SIR Keir Starmer says he’s willing to be “Mr Unpopular” by cutting winter fuel allowance for pensioners – but it’s essential to fix the economy.
The Prime Minister is facing a growing rebellion this week over axing the benefit worth up to £300 for 10million OAPs.
He doubled down on refusing to offer any more concessions to the elderly as the government insist they have to fill a £22 billion black hole.
Sir Keir said: “We’re going to have to be unpopular. Tough decisions are tough decisions. Popular decisions aren’t tough, they’re easy.
“When we talk about tough decisions, I’m talking about the things that last government ran away from, the governments traditionally run away from.”
Speaking to Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, he added: “I’m convinced that because they’ve run away from difficult decisions, we haven’t got the change we need for the country.”
The PM also refused to be drawn on whether Labour MPs threatening to rebel in Tuesday’s vote would be kicked out of the party.
It follows seven Labour MPs losing the whip in July after voting in favour of a SNP amendment to scrap the two-child benefit cap.
He added: “I am absolutely clear in my own mind that we can’t bring about that change if we don’t fix the fundamentals and stabilise our economy.”
He added: “Equally clear in my mind, in order to deliver the change which we will deliver, we have to fix the foundations now. And that’s tough decisions.”
His comments came after Health Secretary Wes Streeting revealed he isn’t “remotely happy” about the decision.
OAPs who are entitled to Pension Credit are being told to apply for it to soften the financial blow.
Streeting said: “I think it is a tough choice, and we’ve had plenty of political criticism for it, I think, which demonstrates the political pain of it.
“I’m not remotely happy about it, and I’m not remotely happy about having to say to some of my constituents, I’m sorry that I’m going into work this week to vote for something that will take money away from you.”
Meanwhile, Labour MP Rachale Maskell who has been one of the government’s biggest critics on this issue said: “The mitigation put in by the government is insufficient.”
She added: “We have to go back to why Gordon Brown introduced this.
“He was emphatic that he didn’t want people to go cold over winter – we absolutely should uphold those values.”
Former Tory pensions minister Ros Altmann has tabled a “fatal motion” which could see the cuts blocked in the House of Lords.
Altmann warned millions of poor pensioners who depend on payments of up to £300 could suffer this winter.
She told the Sunday Telegraph: “These are some of the frailest and most vulnerable people in the country.
“They are easy targets to pick upon. Many of them won’t or can’t demonstrate or make a fuss.
“Nobody warned about taking away £300 quid from them, just as winter is coming and energy costs are going up again.”
Altmann added: “It was never, ever mentioned in the Labour manifesto.”
By Ryan Sabey
MINISTERS risked a major backlash as a “routine” £400 planned rise in the state pension doesn’t make up for the winter fuel allowance axe.
Treasury internal analysis reveals they expect the benefit to go up by average earnings which will kick in next April for millions of elderly Brits.
The measure means the overall increase in incomes for OAPs is likely to be £100 or £200.
Tory leader Rishi Sunak used a heated Prime Minister’s Questions to question why Sir Keir Starmer decided to give train drivers a pay hike – while cutting the benefit.
He said: “The government doesn’t have to choose to take money off low paid pensioners and give it to highly paid train drivers. He can’t justify it.
“Government is about making choices, and the new Prime Minister has made a choice.
“(He) has chosen to take the winter fuel allowance away from low-income pensioners and give that money to certain unionised workforces in inflation-busting pay rises.
“So can I just ask the Prime Minister, why did he choose train drivers over Britain’s vulnerable pensioners?”
The PM said: “This Government was elected to clear up the mess left by the party opposite, to bring about the change that the country desperately needs. Our first job was to audit the books, and what we found was a £22 billion black hole.”
The criticism comes as Labour MP Rachael Maskell has suggested she can’t vote with the government to end the universal winter fuel cash.
She told the BBC: “I couldn’t vote for this, but I think what we are saying, this is bigger than a vote because this is about protecting people’s lives and ultimately that is our responsibility as MPs, to speak to truth to power.
“That is all we are doing is to say actually there are some people in danger here, that are at risk, and we need the Government to step in like Gordon Brown did when he introduced the winter fuel payment.”
