Sir Keir Starmer has come under fire on Wednesday during Prime Minister’s Questions over Labour cutting the winter fuel payments.
The Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party including the Tory leader Kemi Badenoch who said the Conservatives “wouldn’t balance [public finances] on the back of pensioners.”
Badenoch told MPs in the House of Commons on Wednesday, “Does the Prime Minister now admit that he was wrong to remove the winter fuel payment from millions of pensioners?”
Starmer said, “The number one job of this Government was to put our finances back in order after the last government lost control. That is to deal with the £22 billion black hole that they left.”
The Tory leader calmly bounced back with, “The only black hole is the one the Prime Minister is digging.
“This issue affects some of the poorest and most vulnerable pensioners. His mayor in Doncaster says it’s wrong. His First Minister in Wales says it’s wrong.
“Even his own MPs are saying it’s wrong. He’s refused to listen to me on this, will he at least listen to his own party and change course?”
The Prime Minister said, “All the parties opposite would take this country back to where it was a few years ago. Broken public finances, interest rates through the roof, NHS waiting lists at all-time high, because no other party in this House is prepared to say how they would put the finances straight.”
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey told MPs, “Among the messages voters sent ministers last week, one stood out: bring back the winter fuel payment for millions of struggling pensioners.
“So people will be disappointed the Prime Minister failed to do that today.”
