Esther McVey has accused Labour-led Cheshire East Council of “being asleep on the job” for the past nine months – after it sent out a letter to all MPs asking them to lobby government over cutting winter fuel payments.
She said it was “insulting and an utter disgrace” that the council was only just waking up to the devastation this policy caused, nine months after Chancellor Rachel Reeves made the announcement.
Ms McVey said: “Why nine months after the decision to stop winter fuel payments for nearly 10million pensioners across the country and over 20,000 pensioners in Tatton alone, is the Labour leader of the council and his deputy only just realising the numbers of constituents impacted and the affects it’s having on their ability to pay their energy bills?
“I and other Conservative colleagues have been raising this issue relentlessly for the past nine months. I led a campaign against this with a national newspaper, have been working with charities, have spoken in Parliament, as well as writing to ministers. This affects so many Tatton residents – did the council seriously think I was going to sit quietly and not oppose this cruel policy decision?”
In July last year government announced it was stopping blanket winter fuel payments and instead only those in receipt of certain benefits would qualify. The controversial policy announcement has been opposed by Ms McVey, and huge numbers of charities since it was confirmed, but now nine months on, council leader Nick Mannion and his deputy Michael Gorman, have expressed their concern.
In a letter to all MPs covering the Cheshire East area, they said: “The changes implemented could result in more pensioners experiencing poverty which will result in increased pressures on Cheshire East Council’s services during the winter months.”
And continues: “Cheshire East Council therefore request the support of our local MPs to raise with the Government to review the decision due to the impact that it has and will continue to have.”
Ms McVey and Conservative MP for Chester South and Eddisbury Aphra Brandreth have written again to the Chancellor as requested.
Ms McVey added: “We have made it clear to Rachel Reeves that even her own party is opposing this callous and cruel decision. And energy bills are going up under Labour’s leadership not down as they promised at the General Election. It is a shame the Labour-led council – and now Labour MPs following a huge drubbing on election night - did not realise earlier and try to overturn this (or in the case of Labour MPs vote against it) as so many of us have been doing. One winter for pensioners having to choose between heating and eating was one too many. This policy must be overturned in time for this winter.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing widespread calls from his MPs to reinstate winter fuel payments following last week’s local and mayoral elections. Sir Keir also faced the first Parliamentary by-election of his premiership - where Labour lost a 14,696 majority.