Cllr Zack Ali, the Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for Crawley, has welcomed Labour’s U-turn on Winter Fuel Payments but said the Prime Minister owes pensioners an apology for ever making the cut.
“Let’s be clear,” Zack said, “This is a U-turn forced by public pressure not an act of compassion. Keir Starmer tried to scrap the Winter Fuel Payment for millions of pensioners. Now he’s backtracking, but only after our campaign made him face the facts.”
Last winter, over 750,000 pensioners missed out on vital support. Labour’s own figures showed their policy would push 50,000 more pensioners into poverty in just one year and 100,000 more by 2027.
“This wasn’t just a mistake. It was a cold, calculated decision to cut support from vulnerable people during the toughest months of the year,” Zack said.
“Now Starmer claims the economy has improved. But inflation is up. Growth is down. And borrowing is higher than ever. So we ask again, how is Labour going to pay for this U-turn? Will it mean more tax rises? Or more borrowing?”
Cllr Zack Ali also highlighted the real-world impact of Labour’s decision:
- A&E admissions for over-65s rose by 9% last winter, despite a warmer-than-average season.
- Labour poured nearly £10 billion into pay rises for public sector unions – including a £10,000 raise for some train drivers – while slashing help for pensioners.
“This is about priorities. Labour chose to reward their union paymasters and punish pensioners,” Zack added. “Crawley deserves better. Our pensioners deserve better. And the Prime Minister should apologise for the suffering he caused.”
