PM rules out fuel allowance U-turn despite public anger

Ministers claim the policy has allowed investment in NHS

- ARCHIE MITCHELL DAVID MADDOX and KATE DEVLIN

Sir Keir Starmer has ruled out a U-turn on his government’s decision to strip the winter fuel payment from millions of pensioners. Labour faced a backlash to the move at last week’s disastrous local elections, with backbenchers complaining that it had played a decisive role in the party losing one of its safest parliamentary seats as well as 187 councillors.

But the prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “There will not be a change to the government’s policy.” They added that the decision “was one that we had to take to ensure economic stability and repair the public finances following the £22bn black hole left by the previous government”.

Earlier, Wes Streeting had failed to rule out a reversal of the policy, while admitting it was a factor in Labour’s dismal local election results. However, the health secretary stood by the prime minister’s original decision to push through the cut, arguing that the money saved had been invested in the NHS and in improving Britain’s state schools.

Mr Streeting told Sky News that he was “not aware of those discussions if they’re taking place” and refused to speculate on future policy changes. However, he underlined that the government “is always listening and always looking at how the policies that we’re enacting make a difference”.

The issue came up on the doorstep for Labour during the campaign for the Runcorn and Helsby by-election – which was won by Reform, overturning a Labour majority of 14,000 – as well as the council elections, where Labour lost two-thirds of its seats, only returning 99 councillors.