Rethink follows anger meted out at ballot box

Furious voters are abandoning Labour over the policy. The PM declined to rule out a reversal when he spoke to the Express yesterday and suggested the economy had improved since the “difficult decision” was made to cut the OAPs’ lifeline last year.

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Sir Keir was asked about reports he is holding talks with aides on changes that could mean scrapping means-testing or raising the threshold so more pensioners are eligible for up to £300.

Growth

He said: “Look, we took difficult decisions, but the right decisions, at the Budget, including the decision that we took on winter fuel. They were taken specifically with the purpose of stabilising the economy. We're seeing the evidence of that in the interest rate cuts and the growth figures.”

The idea that economic stability has now been achieved might allow the PM to argue means-testing was essen-tial last year but is no longer required.

Sir Keir’s advisers believe that the policy is so unpopular it is worth car-rying out a humiliating rethink — and perhaps as soon as next month.

Anxious Labour MPs have warned No10 that anger over the means testing, which cost millions of OAPs cash that helped keep them warm in winter, contributed to the party’s losses in elections this month.