PM faces humiliation at Labour's conference over winter fuel payments

Sir Keir Starmer is facing humiliation at Labour's conference as trade unions move to reverse the Government's cuts to pensioners' winter fuel payments. 

Unite and the Communication Workers Union have put forward proposals calling for the policy to be scrapped at Labour's gathering in Liverpool.

Labour figures are reportedly braced to lose a conference vote on the issue following widespread condemnation of the cuts by trade union leaders.

Unite's general secretary Sharon Graham has branded the action 'cruel', with her union planning a major protest against the cuts in Liverpool tomorrow.

Although a conference vote would not be binding on the Government, a loss would be a major embarrassment for the Prime Minister.

It would compound a miserable start to Sir Keir's first party conference as PM, which has already been dogged by a continuing row over donations.

A Labour MP tonight claimed she was 'sickened' by the revelations over Sir Keir's links to millionaire Lord Waheed Alli.

The Labour peer, who was handed a No10 security pass shortly after Labour's election victory, has donated thousands of pounds' worth of clothes and glasses to the PM.

Lord Alli has also provided high-end clothing to Sir Keir's wife, Victoria, and allowed Deputy PM Angela Rayner to stay in his plush New York flat while on holiday.

Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central, said: 'I have been sickened by revelations of 'donations'.

'It grates against the values of the Labour Party, created to fight for the needs of others, not self.

'Meanwhile pensioners are having their winter fuel payments taken, risking going cold. I trust conference votes to change this.'

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in July that she would scrap winter fuel payments for around 10 million pensioners.

She defended the move as necessary due to what she claimed was a £22billion 'black hole' in the public finances she had inherited from the Tories.

But there has been continuing anger at the Chancellor's move after Labour splurged on a series of bumper pay deals for public sector workers, including train drivers.

Previously winter fuel payments were universal for all pensioners in England and Wales, but they will now only be available for those on means-tested benefits. 

Charities have warned that millions of pensioners will stuggle to stay warm this winter as a result of Labour's action.

The exact wording of the motion Labour conference delegates will vote on is set to be thrashed out on Sunday night.

But Unite and the CWU have put forward proposals calling for the policy to be scrapped.

Unite has already unveiled billboards around Liverpool with the slogan 'Defend the winter fuel payment' ahead of their planned protest tomorrow.

Both the Unite and CWU motions include calls for the winter fuel payments to be restored to all pensioners, but address wider economic policy as well.

Unite's motion calls for a wealth tax on the richest 1 per cent of people and other changes to the tax regime that the Government has so far been keen to avoid.

The motion said: 'Britain cannot wait for growth, nor turn back to failed austerity.

'We need a vision where pensioners are not the first to face a new wave of cuts and those that profited from decades of deregulation finally help to rebuild Britain.'

Ms Graham said: 'The Government's winter fuel policy needs to be reversed. 

'Targeting everyday people without much money is not a tough choice - it is a mistake.

'There is no reason why we have to choose between paying workers and keeping pensioners warm.'

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson this morning admitted it had been a difficult decision for the Government to cut winter fuel payments.

She told Sky News: 'I take absolutely no relish in the fact that we've had to make this decision.

'It was not a decision that we expected to make… Look, there was that huge gap in the public finances, £22billion.

'The Tories knew that. They called an election, they walked away, and they left it to somebody else to sort out.

'We will fix it, by the way. We will sort this. We will get our economy back on a much firmer footing and we will deliver some hope and optimism about the difference that we can make.'