Sir Keir Starmer’s Government on Tuesday denied it was running scared of Commons scrutiny over its decision to scrap universal winter fuel payments for pensioners, as MPs were set to grill Chancellor Rachel Reeves over the controversial move.
For the first time after the summer break, the Prime Minister was convening his Cabinet and Ms Reeves was facing Treasury questions, amid growing disquiet from some Labour backbenchers over the plan to means-test the payments.
Asked about Conservative and Liberal Democrat demands to hold a vote on the plan, Defence Secretary John Healey said that when the Chancellor introduces her budget next month, “you'll see votes in the normal way”.
“That would be an opportunity for the House of Commons to vote on a range of measures that the Government will have to take, and that range of measures will be to deal with a financial inheritance, a situation that nobody, including us, imagined would be as bad as it was,” he told BBC Breakfast.
The Chancellor is having to deal with an unforeseen £22 billion deficit, he said, stressing: “This means some really tough decisions… it’s an indication that we will take the tough measures to get a control of the public finances.”
From mid-September, only those receiving pension credit or other means-tested benefits will be eligible for the payment in England and Wales as a result of the Government’s decision, which ministers have said is needed to help fill the £22 billion “black hole”.
Sir Keir on Monday defended the move, which is intended to save around £1.5 billion this year, after it came under attack from Tory leadership hopefuls including Kemi Badenoch.
“I think that what the Conservatives could do was to apologise for the mess that they made,” he said.
“What we’re doing is cleaning it up. We’re going to strip it out, make sure that we rebuild the foundation so we can bring about the change that we were elected to bring about in this country.”
But the Government faces resistance in its own ranks too. Poole MP Neil Duncan-Jordan has tabled a Commons motion calling for the Government to postpone the move, noting it will come in as the energy price cap goes up by 10% this winter.
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