UK Politics

Keir Starmer continues defence of winter fuel allowance cutYour support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseMy recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyondEric GarciaWashington Bureau ChiefThe head of the UK’s largest union has urged Sir Keir Starmer to U-turn on “picking the pockets of pensioners” by cutting the winter fuel allowance for around 10 million people.Ahead of a crunch vote on Tuesday, chancellor Rachel Reeves will address a closed-door meeting of Labour MPs amid unease over her plans to axe the payment of up to £300 for all pensioners except those in receipt of those claiming pension credit or other means-tested benefits.Dozens of Labour MPs are expected to abstain in Tuesday’s vote, after seven had the whip removed for voting against the the two-child benefit cap, amid fears that cutting the allowance will cost lives and leave people requiring hospital care.In an embarrasment for Sir Keir, it emerged that Labour had warned in 2017 that Theresa May’s manifesto pledge to make the same cut would cause 3,850 excess deaths. Citing plans to cut winter fuel payments and the infamous “dementia tax”, Labour had warned that re-electing the Tories on such a platform would “represent the single biggest attack on pensioners in a generation”.Show latest update 1725892630Seventeen Labour MPs sign motion opposing winter fuel cutFive more Labour MPs have today signed the early day motion opposing the winter fuel allowance cut, bringing the total to 17.Diane Abbott, Grahame Morris, Rosie Duffield, Andy McDonald and Chris Webb have all added their names today ahead of tomorrow’s vote in the Commons.They join former shadow ministers such as Jon Tricket, John McDonnell, Clive Lewis and Ian Lavery, as well as Labour MPs Rachael Maskell, Nadia Whittome and Bell Ribeiro-Addy among the total of 37 MPs.Six of the seven MPs who had the Labour whip removed for opposing the two-child benefit cap have also signed the motion, tabled by Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan.Andy Gregory9 September 2024 15:371725891323No 10 asked whether Starmer worried pensioners could die as a result of cutsSir Keir Starmer will always be “straight with the public,” Downing Street said when asked if the prime minister was worried that people had formed the wrong impression of his Government over the winter fuel policy.“The prime minister has always been clear that he will always be straight with the public about the tough decisions that this Government has to take,” a No 10 spokeswoman said.Asked whether Sir Keir was worried that pensioners may die as a result of the cuts, the spokesperson told reporters “the focus of government is ensuring that support is properly targeted to those that need it”.Andy Gregory9 September 2024 15:151725890325Ministers agree on ‘fixing foundations of our economy’, No 10 saysDowning Street has insisted that cabinet ministers agree over the importance of “fixing the foundations of our economy,” which it said cutting the winter fuel payment would help to do.A No 10 spokesperson said: “The prime minister opened cabinet by stating the importance of fixing the foundations of our economy in order to carry out the government’s mandate for change. He said that given the scale of inheritance this would be difficult and that tough decisions are unpopular decisions, but it is the tough decisions that will enable change for this country.“The chancellor added that unless we grow our economy we will not see the improvements in living standards and public services that the country deserves, but that we must first restore the state of public finances.”Rachel Reeves said that “everything starts with stability, but investment and reform are key,” according to the readout.Downing Street said ministers agreed the government would not be able to “reverse” problems “overnight” but “important progress has been made, including creating the national wealth fund, reforming planning, our fresh approach to working with local leaders, and preparation for the international investment summit this autumn which will showcase UK excellence to the world”.The Guardian cited a cabinet source on Sunday as complaining that the policy “hasn’t even been thought through properly”, warning: “We’re going to end up with more old people in hospital or care as a result, with all the costs involved in that.”Andy Gregory9 September 2024 14:581725889125Winter fuel cut is ‘just wrong’, warns Age UK directorCaroline Abraham, director of Age UK, has warned that the winter fuel cut is “too mean” and takes “money away from too many people who really need it”.It is “just wrong” that a pensioner will no longer receive this allowance if their annual salary is above £11,500, Ms Abraham told the BBC, adding: “The government is not short of options. “This is a mistake and the sooner that is understood and responded to, the better for them and the better for older people.”Andy Gregory9 September 2024 14:381725888105Minister was incorrect to suggest government looking to mitigate winter fuel cut, No 10 suggestsAsked whether policing minister Dame Diana Johnson had been “freelancing” when she said mitigations were being looked at by ministers, a No 10 spokesperson told reporters: “I think it was promptly corrected.”Dame Diana earlier told the BBC that the government was working to ensure all pensioners who were entitled to pension credit claimed the benefit, adding that she was “sure” other mitigations were being looked at by ministers.However, Treasury sources later told the PA news agency that Dame Diana “misspoke” in suggesting the government was looking at doing more than encouraging further take-up of pension credit.Andy Gregory9 September 2024 14:211725887085No discussion of softening impact of winter fuel cut at cabinet, No 10 saysThere was no discussion of softening the impact of the winter fuel cut at cabinet on Monday, Downing Street said.Whipping for the vote over the government’s plans to scrap the winter fuel allowance for all but the country’s poorest pensioners was also not discussed at cabinet, a No 10 spokesperson told reporters.Labour MPs opposed to the policy are expected to abstain rather than vote against the government after Sir Keir Starmer removed the whip from seven MPs who voted against him on the two-child benefits cap.Andy Gregory9 September 2024 14:041725886245Cut comes as energy bills to increase by almost £150The winter fuel payments cut is set to come as average household energy bills are to rise by £150 per year.Regulator Ofgem announced last month that the average home energy bill will increase from £1,568 to £1,717 on 1 October, as it raises its price cap by 10 per cent.Andy Gregory9 September 2024 13:501725884805When was winter fuel allowance introduced?There were gasps reported in the House of Commons when chancellor Rachel Reeves announced her plans to cut winter fuel payments, first introduced by her predecessor Gordon Brown in 1997.Mr Brown said at the time that he was “simply not prepared to allow another winter to go by when pensioners are fearful of turning up their heating, even on the coldest winter days”.Labour said in 2017 that deaths among the elderly had fallen from around 34,000 to 24,000 since the introduction of the winter fuel payment in 1997, allowing for variation in winter weather. Andy Gregory9 September 2024 13:261725883305Watch: Keir Starmer continues defence of winter fuel allowance cutKeir Starmer continues defence of winter fuel allowance cutAndy Gregory9 September 2024 13:011725881684‘No Labour MP is happy’ with winter fuel cut, says new MP“No Labour MP is happy about this, no Labour MP is comfortable with it,” former journalist Paul Waugh – now the MP for Rochdale – told the BBC’s Westminster Hour programme.But he argued that the winter fuel payment cut is necessary to help fill the £22bn “black hole which you cannot ignore”.Andy Gregory9 September 2024 12:34 More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentA senior Jewish peer and supporter of Israel in the Lords has backed Sir Keir Starmer’s partial suspension of the UK’s arms deal with Israel and hit out at those who condemned the move. In a major intervention, Lord Carlile has written a devastating critique of the chief rabbi, Boris Johnson and others who attacked the prime minister’s decision after it was announced last week.In an article for The Independent, the crossbench peer – who was the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation between 2001 and 2011 – describes how the Labour leader’s decision showed “courage and conviction… however difficult it is”.Supporting Sir Keir’s decision to suspend 30 of the 350 arms exports licences to Israel, he bitterly lashes out at Benjamin Netanyahu for underminging attempts at reaching a peaceful solution.The intervention comes amid reports that Israel has bombed targets in central Syria killing five people.Lord Carlile, who and sits on the all party committee for Israel, is also scathing about the previous government’s handling of the same legal advice used to justify the decision.Lord Carlile has supported Starmer’s action More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentWatch live as the Covid inquiry begins public hearings for its third investigation on Monday 9 September, which focusses on the effects of the pandemic on healthcare systems across the UK.The first public hearings of module three of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry will see leaders from the Health and Safety Executive and Unison give evidence this week.This part of the inquiry is looking at the governmental and societal response to Covid-19 by assessing the impact of the pandemic on how NHS services were delivered.It will include how managers led the pandemic response, the role of primary care and GPs, NHS backlogs, and how the vaccine programme was integrated.The diagnosis of long Covid and the support offered to those affected will also be examined.Nicola Brook, solicitor at Broudie Jackson Canter, which represents more than 7,000 families from the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK group, said: “This module of the inquiry is one of the most important in understanding the true horrors of the pandemic.“It will reveal some of the most shocking details, distressing stories and outrageous scandals that took place.”In July, the inquiry’s first report into preparedness for a pandemic found the UK government and the civil service “failed” the public due to “significant flaws”. More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentThousands of pensioners could die if the government proceeds with its plan to cut winter fuel payments for those not on benefits, Labour’s own research suggested.Analysis published in 2017, when Sir Keir Starmer was in the Shadow Cabinet, warned that Conservative plans to cut the fuel allowance for ten million pensioners would increase excess deaths by 3,850 that winter.The proposal, put forward by Theresa May’s government, was dubbed the “single biggest attack on pensioners in a generation in our country”.For use in UK, Ireland or Benelux countries only BBC handout photo of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (BBC/PA) More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentDiane Abbott has recalled her first meeting with Jeremy Corbyn in her new book, describing how the two young Labour activists were “drawn to one another” from the moment they met.The MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington described the man who would go on to lead the Labour Party from 2015 to 2020 as “funny and kind”, saying she was “impressed by his political commitment”.In her book, A Woman Like Me, Ms Abbott describes meeting Mr Corbyn for the first time at the 1978 Labour Party conference in Blackpool nine years before she was first elected to Parliament.Diane Abbott has recalled her first meeting with Jeremy Corbyn in her new book More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentThe Green Party will pile pressure on Labour to pursue closer ties with the European Union after members backed a motion calling for the party to fight to rejoin.Party members used the second day of the Greens’ conference in Manchester to vote for a change that will see it fight for “much closer relations with the EU”.The change means that the party’s official position is now that Britain should seek full membership of the bloc “as soon as the political will is present”.Adrian Ramsay, co-leader of the Green Party, opened their conference yesterday on his own More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentTory former housing secretary Michael Gove has claimed that the Treasury impeded his efforts to punish firms responsible for the flammable cladding on Grenfell Tower.The damning final report of the seven-year inquiry into the blaze which killed 72 people on 14 June 2017 this week accused the three firms – Arconic, Celotex and Kingspan – whose cladding products were installed at Grenfell of “systematic dishonesty”.The firms “engaged in deliberate and sustained strategies to manipulate the [fire safety] testing processes, misrepresent test data and mislead the market”, the 1,600-page report by Sir Martin Moore-Bick found.In the wake of the report’s publication, the bereaved relatives of those who died in what was the worst residential fire since the Second World War are demanding manslaughter charges for those responsible after seven years without justice.With pressure growing on government figures over the lack of accountability for Grenfell, Mr Gove – who served as housing secretary for more than two years prior to the July election – claimed in an article forThe Sunday Times that his own efforts to punish the cladding firms were stymied.“The task now falls to others to secure the justice I sought but failed to bring,” Mr Gove wrote. “I hope the Crown Prosecution Service and Metropolitan Police will do all they can to bring criminal prosecutions quickly. “But pursuing a few of the most guilty individuals is not enough when these companies are still making vast profits without acknowledging their full responsibility.”Accusing the three firms of having “willingly, knowingly, recklessly put greed ahead of decency”, Mr Gove alleged that his own attempts to restrict imports of their products ran up against the “commercial purism of Treasury Mandarin Brain”. The Treasury was approached for comment.Former housing secretary Michael Gove apologised to the relatives and survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentProgress tackling cardiovascular diseases stalled under the Conservatives and is now in decline, a damning review into the NHS will find this week.A “warts and all” probe into the health service ordered by health secretary Wes Streeting is to say cardiovascular health has been going in the wrong direction, with the British Heart Foundation describing the picture as “extremely concerning”.Former health minister Ara Darzi, who has carried out the review, is expected to say: “Once adjusted for age, the cardiovascular disease mortality rate for people aged under 75 dropped significantly between 2001 and 2010.“But improvements have stalled since then and the mortality rate started rising again during the Covid-19 pandemic.”Health Secretary Wes Streeting (Tejas Sandhu/PA) More