Starmer admits Scottish Labour politicians raised concerns over winter fuel allowance cuts

Sir Keir Starmer has admitted Labour politicians in Scotland raised concerns about his decision to dramatically scale back the winter fuel allowance. 

The Prime Minister said "tough decisions" had to be made but stressed he was not immune to the hardship many are facing. 

He accused the SNP of seeking to "walk past" the financial difficulties facing the country. 

It comes ahead of a Commons vote on the planned cut, which will see all but the country’s poorest pensioners stripped of the winter fuel payment.

Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer (Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images

The Scottish Government previously said it had been left with "no choice" but to follow suit with its own devolved version of the benefit, which has been delayed and will not now be introduced until winter 2025.

Asked if he had taken Scotland's colder weather into account, and whether he had heard from Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and Scottish MPs about how difficult the decision might be for people north of the Border, Sir Keir told the Scottish Parliamentary Journalists' Association at Downing Street: “Yes of course, of course. 

"We have got to stabilise the economy and if you ask any pensioner what are the things that have made life so difficult in recent years they will say to you, ‘My energy bills went through the roof’.

“I’ve had pensioners across the UK, including in Scotland, telling me their energy bills were going through the roof and it was really, really difficult for them.

“They told me the cost of living crisis was so bad that they were in the supermarkets picking out items and then putting them back down again because they couldn't afford them.

“But when inflation got out of control it was pensioners who paid the price. So we had to secure the economy for pensioners."

Sir Keir said it was a "really tough decision", but added: "We were elected to government on the basis of economic stability, but we must secure the foundations. And that is why Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, in her first few weeks did an audit of the books. What we discovered there was £22 billion missing."

He continued: "We had a choice then. We could pretend it didn't exist. We could walk past it, put it into the long grass. All of that was done by the last government, and is still being done in its equivalent form by the SNP, in my view. Or we could be honest about it, say that requires us to make tough decisions, and so we have had to take a tough decision in relation to the winter fuel payment."

The Prime Minister said: "We can't shy away from difficult decisions because that's the mistake I think the last government made, and the SNP are making still, in my view."

His comments came as a new poll found more than half of Scottish pensioners are poised to turn down their heating this winter.

The findings heap pressure on the Labour UK government into a re-think over the controversial policy that would hit around 860,000 pensioners in Scotland. 

Read more: Keir Starmer defends winter fuel payment cut as SNP urges Scottish Labour rebellion

The policy would limit winter fuel allowance to pensioners not receiving other benefits, reducing the number of people eligible by around 10 million across the UK.

The Scottish Government has no funding to restore the policy, with the £160 million it would cost to run the policy universally not being made available from Westminster. The benefit had been set to be newly devolved to SNP ministers, but has now been deferred until the winter of 2025-26.

The new poll, undertaken by Savanta on behalf of the LibDems, has found that 58 per cent of Scottish pensioners will likely turn down the heating this winter while 39 per cent will cut back on essentials, due to the policy.

The study also revealed that 59 per cent said they will take cost-cutting measures due to Labour’s decision to means test winter fuel payment support.

The poll comes ahead of a crunch vote in the Commons that could embarrass the Prime Minister, if there is a significant Labour rebellion. 

LibDem Scottish affairs spokesperson, Christine Jardine, said: “The government should do the right thing and change course on this.

Edinburgh West MP Christine Jardine. Pic Lisa Ferguson.

“The decision to cut the winter fuel allowance will put untold stress on pensioners across Scotland, with many feeling they have to endure the cold this winter and cut back on basic spending.

“While we understand the dire state the Conservatives left the public finances, now is not the time to be cutting support to some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

“We cannot stand by and allow millions of pensioners to endure another winter in a cost of living crisis. Liberal Democrats will be voting against the government’s cut.”

Ms Reeves has told Labour MPs that she understands why there is opposition to the policy but maintained the blame rested with her predecessors.

The Chancellor told a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party yesterday that she is “not immune” to concerns over plans to dramatically scale back the winter fuel allowance.

She said: “I understand the decision that this government has made on winter fuel is a difficult decision. 

“I’m not immune to the arguments that many in this room have made. We considered those when the decision was made.”

But Ms Reeves pointed to the rise by £900 of the new state pension compared to a year ago. 

She added: “Tomorrow, we get data for earnings growth, which will inform the increase in the pension next year. We are protecting the triple lock, not just for this year, but for the duration of this parliament.”

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves. Credit: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire

She said there would be “more difficult decisions to come.”

Ms Reeves added: “I don’t say that because I relish it. I don’t, but it is a reflection of the inheritance that we face. So, when members are looking at where to apportion blame, when pensioners are looking where to apportion blame, I tell you where the blame lies.

“It lies with the Conservatives and the reckless decisions that they made.”

But the SNP has claimed the crunch vote will be "a key test for Anas Sarwar and Labour MPs in Scotland", despite no Scottish MP expected to be amongst the rebels.

Analysis by the SNP found that Edinburgh would be the worst hit local authority in Scotland by the decision, with around 67,555 pensioners losing £500 a year per household from November, and £2,500 by the next UK election. The capital is followed by Fife with 65,871 pensioners hit, Glasgow with 55,980, South Lanarkshire with 52,040 and Aberdeenshire with 47,257.

The research found that East Dunbartonshire has the highest proportion of pensioners (93.2 per cent) who will no longer be eligible for the winter fuel payment under the cut, closely followed by Aberdeenshire where around 93 per cent of pensioners will be ineligible, while the vast majority in the Shetland Islands, East Renfrewshire, Perth and Kinross and the Orkney Islands will also be impacted.

According to the analysis, around 860,000 pensioners in Scotland are set to lose out under the cuts. 

SNP work and pensions spokesperson, Kirsty Blackman, said: "The Labour government's damaging plan to end the winter fuel payment for millions of pensioners will hit communities right across Scotland. It must be stopped.

Kirsty Blackman, the SNP MP for Aberdeen North. Picture: Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA Wire

"The SNP will always put Scotland's interests first - and we will be voting against these draconian cuts. The only question is will Labour MPs join us in standing up for Scotland - or will they break their promises to pensioners by rubber-stamping Keir Starmer's cuts.”

She added: "This vote is a key test for Anas Sarwar and Labour MPs. It will speak volumes about whether they have the guts to put Scotland's interests first - or whether they will always fall in line behind their Westminster leaders no matter the consequences for Scotland.

"Labour MPs must remember they were elected to serve Scotland, not Starmer. If they fail this test, thousands of Scottish families will pay the price as the Labour government slashes the incomes of pensioners and guts Scotland's budget by more than £100 million."