Winter fuel payment: Ellie Reeves denies cabinet splits over cutting allowance

Ellie Reeves has denied splits in the cabinet over the Labour government’s decision to means test the winter fuel allowance for pensioners.

In an interview on Sky News this morning, the Labour Party chair and cabinet member said that while the decision to cut the benefit for millions of older people was an “incredibly tough decision” and not one the government wanted to take, the move was made “with the support of the cabinet”.

Speaking to presenter Kay Burley, Reeves said: “This is an incredibly difficult decision, and not one that the Chancellor wanted to be taking, but it’s because of the economic mess that we’ve inherited from the previous government. We got into government and found that there was a £22bn black hole in our country’s finances.

“It is the right decision, it is a tough decision and not one that we want to take. This is a decision that’s been taken by the Chancellor with the support of the Cabinet. There aren’t splits on this.”

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It comes amid claims that growing tensions within the party over the move have led to one minister reportedly calling for a rethink of the policy in private following news that the energy price cap will rise by ten percent this winter.

Last week, the New Statesman reported that several Labour MPs are understood to be uneasy with the move, with one said to have described the cut as “almost suicidal”.

York Central MP Rachael Maskell did not rule out the possibility of voting against the government’s proposal in an interview on Times Radio, in which she said that there were “many colleagues which are concerned about these measures”, adding that some have written to the Chancellor and called for a meeting to discuss the move.

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The Conservatives and right-wing press have attacked Labour over the policy, while a petition for a U-turn has secured more than 300,000 signatures.

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