“I cannot morally support austerity when I see the damage it has done to my class and communities.”
By Ian Byrne MP
I have received more correspondence from worried pensioners in West Derby regarding this vote than any other in the last five years and this week I was their voice in Westminster, as I promised to be when elected.
The anger and fear among my constituents over the proposed changes to the winter fuel payment is unprecedented in my time as an MP, and the calls, letters and emails I have been receiving certainly reflect this, many from those already plunged into poverty because of the unfair pension changes by the Tories in 1995.
Labour has a massive job to build back our public services and communities, but this cannot be done on the backs of the poorest in society, continuing the inhumane work of the former Tory chancellor George Osborne. Let us not forget that Sir Michael Marmot’s research found that around 148,000 excess deaths are directly attributed to the impact of his austerity measures.
As the elected voice of my constituents in Parliament, I have a duty to reflect their views in Westminster. Here is a quote from just one of the pensioners I heard from before the vote – and one of several I included in my recent letter to the Chancellor, urging her to change her mind on means testing the Winter Fuel Payment:
“I am messaging you because the fuel allowance has been cancelled by the Labour government. It’s a disgrace and very vindictive and hurtful. My wife and I are pensioners… it’s not OK at all when the allowance goes to our winter bills. Please can you help? It seems pensioners are easy pickings, we have no voice. I do hope you can help.”
This is simply devastating.
But there is another way to rebuild our country back in a fairer and more equitable way. The Common-Sense policy group recently published a detailed set of alternative proposals to austerity which is eminently achievable – and not on the backs of those already struggling.
The ending of the winter fuel payment for so many people is something I would have fought if it had been proposed by a Conservative Government. I am genuinely so sad and sorry that it is a Labour Government choosing to implement this policy now.
This significant policy change was not in the manifesto of change I stood on and I am very aware that the pensioners who voted for me in West Derby feel bewildered and deeply betrayed by this political choice.
I cannot morally support austerity when I see the damage it has done to my class and communities.
I cannot choose to wilfully harm some of our most vulnerable people in my constituency – so many of whom have contributed so much to our communities throughout their lives.
I remember, too, the words of Gordon Brown, who introduced the winter fuel payment after the 1997 election, because 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”.
I have also signed an Early Day Motion in Parliament, laid down by the Labour MP for Poole, Neil Duncan-Jordan, which called on the Government to undertake full impact assessments and give full consideration to those just over the Pension Credit entitlement threshold before making the proposed changes to the Winter Fuel Allowance.
And earlier this week I wrote to the Chancellor on behalf of my West Derby constituents, urging her to change her mind. You can view this letter below:
I urge the Government to have a rethink even at this late hour and withdraw this plan.
The End Fuel Poverty Coalition has warned that there could be fatal consequences from the scale of those economising on heating and the risk of a record increase in excess deaths as a result. Likewise, National Energy Action argues that many people were too scared to turn their heating on, for fear for of getting deeper into debt, no matter the impact on their physical or mental health.
Furthermore, I agree with Age UK when they say it is “alarming,” that more than 1.5 million older people are already cutting back or stopping their social care across the UK because they cannot afford the cost. This is “potentially disastrous” for an older person with care needs as cutting back or stopping care in this way increases the chances of serious ill health and injury.
I also understand that an Age UK petition launched in August 2024, calling to save the Winter Fuel Payment, has already received in the region of 500,000 signatures.
I agree with the range of campaigners in advocating for a substantial comprehensive package to help address pensioner poverty, including fuel poverty, and will continue to call for urgent Government action – including measures to bring down energy bills through public ownership of energy (as per the recently announced Great British Energy Bill as a first step).
Further to this, I believe we need to reform social security and establish a new social care system that is fair, free at the point of use and available to everyone when they need it.
I will continue to advocate, in Parliament and beyond, that everyone deserves a decent retirement free of financial stress and insecurity.
• Ian Byrne is the MP for Liverpool West Derby.
• You can follow him here on x/twitter.
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