Fury as vote to reverse controversial cuts to winter fuel payment is DELAYED to save Keir Starmer embarrassment
LABOUR conference erupted into boos today after a crunch vote on winter fuel was delayed by party chiefs.
Furious delegates in Liverpool were due to debate reversing the hated cut today.
But Labour bosses are now plotting to re-schedule the vote for Wednesday, saving Sir Keir Starmer a major embarrassment before his conference speech tomorrow.
As the time-change was announced this morning, delegates in the conference arena broke out into boos and jeers.
Fuming union bosses slammed the delay as an “outrage” and accused the PM of trying to stifle debate.
Unite Executive Council member Andy Green said: “This is simply an attempt to take out the debate on the winter fuel allowance.
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“It is an outrage…
“It is disrespectful to our members and every single delegate here and conference itself, who voted for the priorities ballot.”
Ahead of her conference speech, Rachel Reeves insisted she was unsure why the vote had been moved.
She told LBC: “I don’t know the situation about when votes take place, but if delegates want to vote on this, they will get a vote on this.”
The Chancellor added that during the election she never intended to snatch winter fuel payments off OAPs, but it was forced to be made.
She said: “This isn’t the decision that I wanted to make.
“It wasn’t a decision that I expected to make, but given the state of the public finances that I inherited, I think it was right to restrict the winter fuel payment to the poorest pensioners, and to make sure that all of the pensioners entitled to it are getting it.”
Later today pensioners affected by the cut will protest outside the conference venue.
Unite general secretary Sharon 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.”